Clean and safe ship recycling lobby group NGO Shipbreaking Platform estimates at least 35 workers died dismantling ships on the beaches of South Asia last year.
It released the figures just days after the European Commission said it had rejected applications from two of India’s leading beaching yards to be included in a list of ship recyclers approved to demolish European-flagged ships.
According to the Brussels-based lobby group’s figures for 2018, 14 workers died at breaking yards located at Alang, India; 20 perished at yards in Bangladesh, and one died in Pakistan. The group also recorded 12 workers as being severely injured at yards in Bangaldesh.
Alang accidents
The NGO, which opposes the beaching method of shiprecycling, said it was “one of the worst years ever” for yards in Alang.
The group said out of 744 oceangoing vessels demolished last year, 518 were demolished at beaches in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The NGO said South Korea’s Sinokor Merchant Marine demolished the most ships at beaching yards, selling 11 ships to Bangladesh and Alang last year.
Nordic American Tankers came second in terms of selling to beaching yards, disposing of eight tankers in total to Alang and Bangladesh's Chittagong region.
'Dire conditions'
“No shipowner can claim to be unaware of the dire conditions at the beaching yards,” NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s Ingvild Jenssen said. “Still, they massively continue to sell their vessels to the worst yards to get the highest price for their ships. The harm caused by beaching is real.
"Workers risk their lives, suffer from exposure to toxics, and coastal ecosystems are devastated. Shipowners have a responsibility to sell to recycling yards that invest in their workers and environment."
Shree Ram Vessel Scrap and Priya Blue Industries were the two Indian yards that had their applications to be approved under the European Commissions’ Ship Recycling Regulation rejected.
