The Danish Shipowners Association (DSA) says the
choice of a ship recycling yard should not be based on geography or use of the
beaching method, but on the individual standards of each facility.
With the Norwegian Shipowners Association (NSA) coming
out last week to be the first to reject beaching as a method of scrapping
ships, the debate has intensified.
The DSA noted in a statement that 60% of the world’s
vessels are dismantled on the beaches of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and
that these areas in particular have been notorious for poor safety and
environment conditions.
However, the DSA believes that each yard should be
judged individually based on the standards it employs rather than a blanket ban
on all yards using the beaching method in South Asia.
DSA Director Maria Bruun Skipper, who visited the
yards in Alang in the Spring of this year commented: “A couple of the yards we
visited have invested in technology and established safety procedures to ensure
that ships are recycled safely and that the environment is protected against
leakage of harmful substances.
“It is up to the classification societies to certify
that the standards are met, but in my view it would be extremely
counterproductive if the yards, which have made important investments, are
excluded based on geography and the concept of ‘beaching’ as a method.”
The DSA said that ratification and compliance with the
compliance with the IMO Hong Kong Convention on the recycling of ships, which
is yet to come into force.
Source: seatrade-maritime. 24 August 2015
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