The situation over ship breaking and the NGO Platform continues to heat up:

Another article has been published on Lloyds List by Michael Grey (Monday 21st February 2011 14:09), stating his opinion on the Hong Kong ship recycling convention and the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking who he says are “hellbent on trying to derail it”.

His article is quite clearly in support of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the Hong Kong convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships. He understands the “activists” desire to protect the health and safety of workers, but argues that their campaigns to shut down these yards will leave “tens of thousands of poor people reduced to starvation, which is a very real consequence of their zealous crusades”.

As it stands, the majority of the world’s vessels, when at the end of their life are sent to be dismantled at beaches in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India or China. At these yards it is now known vessels are dismantled by workers with either very little or no protective equipment, leading to an undeniably high figure of serious illness and death at the yards, often due to the presence of hazardous materials such as asbestos.

However, nearly every part of a vessel can be recycled. Developing countries such as India and Bangladesh that host the ship breaking yards are also reliant on the amount of steel that is produced from the redundant vessels for a booming construction industry.

It is also important to consider the options available to the current workers at these yards, should the industry be removed from their beaches. In July 2010 workers at Gadani beach in Pakistan held strikes against their working conditions. They did not request for the work to be stopped completely – they need it to survive- rather they requested a pay increase and paramedics availability when casualties do occur.

Arguments against the NGO Platform seem to stem from their argument that vessels be cleaned before heading for non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries yards. The IMO argue that this is highly unpractical solution that would require all redundant vessels to be towed to their recycling yard. Michael Grey points out “is it not true that more than three quarters of the nations of the world are not OECD members?”

Grey’s conclusion is to suggest the NGO platform work with the IMO and the Hong Kong Convention as it is a workable document that can be continually improved, and that it is necessary to work towards getting the convention enforced first and “then see how matters are developing”.

All parties involved in the debate are aware that the ship recycling industry cannot go on as it has, and all are pushing to change this. Vessels need to have all hazardous materials safely removed before they are recycled, all parties also agree on this. The industry is changing, with not only recycling yards but also ports looking more sternly upon the presence of hazardous materials on vessels. Inventories of hazardous materials are already being issued for many big shipping companies. Such changes need to continue to ensure the safety of all those who work in the shipping industry.

Source: Lucion Marine. 22nd Feb 2011

http://www.greenpassport.net/the-situation-over-ship-breaking-and-the-ngo-platform-continues-to-heat-up/