Shipbreaking and recycling has almost doubled in the country
this year (2011) compared to last year despite legal barriers the industry
faced for nearly 2 years.
Shipbreakers
expressed hope that they would be able to recycle about 3.0 million tonnes of
scrap next year as the government will formulate the shipbreaking and recycling
rules by December 14.
The
shipbreaking sector had been facing hurdles over import of old vessels since
2009 due to legal issues which caused reduction in the import of the same.
The
country's 125 shipbreaking yards had imported 145 ships weighing 1.7 million
tonnes of iron plates in 2011.
The
imports dropped significantly in 2010, disrupted by judicial activism, as
environmental groups took the issue to court for dumping hazardous materials in
the coast and exposing workers to toxic substances. The shipbreakers imported
only 75 ships, the lowest in last five years, weighing 1.0 million tonnes of
iron plates last year.
"In
2010 there was frequent stoppage and opening of import of old ships resulting
in a significant fall in the number of scrap ships," Managing Director of
Rising Group - one of the leading shipbreaking yards - Mohammed Amzad Hossain
Chowdhury told the FE.
Although
import of ships in 2011 almost doubled compared to last year, it could be more
if there was no legal complexity, he said.
Last
year we were able to import ships for about three months while the import was
opened from May to mid-November this year, he added.
There
were only 24-25 shipyards three to four years ago whereas there are now 125
yards generating tens of thousands of new jobs, as the introduction of toxic
management and natural beaching system draws more investment to the key
recycling industry, he said.
"If
import was not hampered, we could have recycled 3 times more scrap this
year," President of Bangladesh Ship Breakers Association (BSBA) Hefazatur
Rahman said.
We
expect that the sector would be able to dismantle more than double ships in the
coming year after the government notifies the gazette of the rules and
guideline before December 14 with the two-year legal troubles nearing an end,
Mr Rahman said.
"What
we need now is the legal framework whether it is easy or strict for running the
industry," Technical Adviser of BSBA Captain Salahuddin Ahmed said.
About
90 per cent of the shipyards now follow the compliance for environment-friendly
ship breaking, he said adding the accidents that happen in recent times are due
to lack of safe work practices.
Stressing
the need for intensive training for the workers, he said about 2,200 people
have been trained from the BSBA training centre since April this year.
"It
is mandatory for the contractors to provide training to the workers," he
said.
Past
data shows that Bangladesh played a significant role in the ship recycling
world, particularly from 2000 to 2010.
Bangladesh
imported nearly 200 scrap vessels weighing 2.2 million tonnes in 2009, making
it the largest shipbreaking nation in the world, replacing reigning champion
India.
Sitakunda
in Chittagong emerged as the world's largest shipbreaking destination as
Bangladeshi importers had beaten their competitors in India and Pakistan to buy
the highest number of scrap vessels sold in the international market during
2007-2009 period.
The
active shipbreaking yards in Sitakunda, 20 kilometres north of the port city of
Chittagong, dismantled more than 170 ships in 2008 and 150 in 2007.
Bangladesh
used to dismantle around 50 per cent of the ships sent to scrap-yards across
the globe, according to BSBA.
The
other leading players in shipbreaking are Turkey and China.
The
government gave shipbreaking the status of an industry in February this year as
part of a long-term plan to promote labour standards and safe toxic management.
The
shipbreaking industry is the country's main source of iron and steel. Private
re-rolling mills and steel mills melt the scrap dismantled from ships to
produce mild steel rods, bars and angles.
Source:
Hellenic Shipping News (Sourced from Financial Express, Bangladesh). 12
December 2011
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