(Editor’s note: Patrizia Heidegger is Executive
Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. This article is a response to Dr.
Nikos Mikelis’ June 5th op-ed in this newsletter titled “Cash Buyer Speaks Out
on Shipbreaking Allegations.”)
On the 6th of June the Global Spirit, a
Japanese-owned car carrier, was arrested in the port of Antwerp, Belgium. The
NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a global coalition of environmental and human rights
organizations promoting clean and safe ship recycling, had informed the Belgian
environmental authorities that the ship, which belongs to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
Limited (MOL) and Nissan Car Carriers (NCC), had been reported sold for
demolition to a shipbreaking yard in India.
Having examined our alert, the Belgian authorities
contacted the owners to find out where the Global Spirit was heading, and the
owners confirmed the sale of the ship to an Indian breaker. Consequently, the Belgian authorities decided
to prevent the imminent illegal export of the end-of-life vessel to a
developing country by arresting it.
We are glad to learn that the shipowner is now
seeking a legal solution to recycle the ship in a modern recycling facility
located off the beach. As one of the world’s leading ship-owners that prides
itself on progressive environmental objectives, MOL should now develop a best
practice ship-recycling policy for its entire fleet and only choose recycling
yards that guarantee the highest environmental and safety standards.
In the case of the Global Spirit, it is of particular
interest that Norwegian Höegh Autoliners, a company that already implements a
stringent policy to only use modern ship-recycling facilities off the beach,
holds a 20 percent share in Nissan Car Carriers.
We have been following with interest the discussion
surrounding this case and were surprised to read the comments of cash buyer Dr.
Nikos Mikelis in an article published in this newsletter on June 6. Dr. Mikelis
questioned whether the departure of the Global Spirit from Belgium indeed
amounted to a breach of the European Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR). The case
was, however, clear-cut as the owner himself had declared his intention to sell
the ship for demolition in India.
Even if the ship was still bound for port calls in
West Africa, the European Commission and the Belgian authorities agreed with us
that the ship had to also be considered as waste. It therefore falls under the
WSR, and the authorities took precautionary measures to prevent a breach of the
law. Exporting toxic wastes, such as asbestos, heavy metals and residue oils –
also when found within the structure of ships – to a developing country is
forbidden. The shipping industry is not above the law.
Dr. Mikelis also claims that “Most of the few
attempts that have been made over the years to enforce the Waste Shipment
Regulation to end-of-life ships have ended costing money to the European
taxpayer and embarrassment to the relevant administration.” Highlighting such
individual cases in order to raise awareness about a global problem – the fact
that most end-of-life vessels wind up in substandard facilities on tidal
beaches in South Asia rather than in modern ship-recycling facilities and most
shipowners do not accept responsibility for the harm caused by actions – is not
an embarrassment to law enforcers but only for the concerned shipowner, whose
bad practices are exposed.
And the taxpayer money necessary to keep
environmental authorities busy enforcing European waste law on a scrap ship is
well invested if this leads to a global company’s changing its practices – and
negligible compared to the environmental and human costs that substandard
shipbreaking has caused and continues to cause in developing countries. At
least six shipbreaking workers have died under falling steel plates in Indian
yards this year, and 16 Bangladeshi workers have perished in explosions, fires
and other accidents since January.
If more and more shipowners demand clean and safe
recycling – including MOL, to whom we have reached out – this will lead to the
necessary changes that we all want to see. The demand can create the supply.
Last but not least, we agree with Dr. Mikelis that
the global shipbreaking crisis would best be governed by an effective
international regulation. However, such a regulatory regime should put the
primary responsibility for clean and safe recycling on shipowners, the ones who
have benefited financially from a ship, and not wait for the recyclers to meet
safety and environmental standards in a market where irresponsible shipowners
look to make the highest possible profit from their end-of-life vessels.
We should applaud the Antwerp decision instead of
ridiculing law enforcement agencies that are simply doing their job. Every
shipowner who decides to change his corporate practice for the better and
reduce his profits for the sake of people and the environment will drive the
shipbreaking industry toward cleaner and safer recycling methods. – MarEx
Source: maritime executive.
13 June 2014
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