A
report from NGO Shipbreaking Platform has revealed that out of the 220 ships
scrapped in the second quarter of this year, 169 were sold to the South Asian
beaches for dirty and dangerous breaking.
As
per the report, six workers died and another seven sustained severe injuries
while breaking ships in Chittagong, Bangladesh, between April and June.
An
incident that occurred at a shipbreaking yard in Alang, India, claimed the life
of a worker.
According
to the report, 18 deaths and nine injuries were reported at various
shipbreaking yards across South Asia so far this year.
Shipbreaking
Platform in a statement said: “In the second quarter of 2018, American ship
owners sold the most ships to the South Asian yards with 26 vessels beached,
followed by Greek and UAE owners.
“American
company Tidewater was the worst corporate dumper with 15 vessels beached.
At
the end of April, Pakistan re-opened the market to the import of tankers. In
two months alone, 22 tankers reached the shores of Gadani to be scrapped.
“Industry
sources report that devaluing freight rates have contributed to the demolition
of over 100 tankers in the first half of 2018.”
The
report also noted that only three ships were operating under European flags,
including Greece, Malta, and Norway, when they were sent to beaches for
breaking last quarter.
Scrap
dealers or cash-buyers were involved in sending all the vessels to the
Chittagong, Alang, and Gadani yards.
The
dealers who often re-register and re-flag the vessel on their final journeys
mostly target grey and black-listed flags.
The
report also showed that more than half of the vessels sold to South Asian
beaches this quarter changed the flag to the registries of Comoros, Niue,
Palau, and St Kitts and Nevis, just weeks before their arrival at the beaches.
Source: ship-technology.
27 JULY 2018
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