Just as the goods they transport, ships too become waste when they reach the end of their operational lives. Yet only a fraction is handled in a safe and clean manner. The vast majority of the world's end-of-life fleet, full of toxic substances, is simply broken down - by hand - on three beaches in South Asia. There, unscrupulous shipping companies exploit minimal enforcement of environmental and safety rules to maximise profits.

The human costs and the environmental impacts of taking toxic ships apart on the South Asian beaches are devastating. Accidents kill or maim numerous workers each year. Many more workers suffer from occupational diseases, including cancer. Toxic spills and pollution cause irreparable damage to coastal ecosystems and the local communities depending on them.

On the South Asian beaches, unskilled migrant workers, including children, are deployed by the thousands to break down the vessels manually. Without protective gear – in baseball caps and flip flops, or boots if they’re lucky – young men cut wires, pipes and blast through ship hulls with blowtorches. Gas explosions, the crashing down of massive steel parts and falls from height cause the death of numerous workers each year.

In addition to taking a huge toll on the health and lives of workers, shipbreaking is a highly polluting industry. In South Asia, ships are grounded before they are pulled and broken apart on tidal mudflats. On these once pristine beaches, coastal ecosystems and the local communities depending on them are devastated by toxic spills and other types of pollution caused by the breaking operations. As long as shipbreaking is done by way of beaching, the environment will suffer.

The shipbreaking beaches in South Asia are toxic hotspots. Reckless breaking operations take place on tidal mudflats where it is impossible to contain pollutants. Oil spills, sludge and heavy metal contaminated debris cause irreparable damage to the coastal environment as well as the local communities that depend upon them.

Unscrupulous shipping companies – most of them based in Europe, the US and East Asia – exploit minimal enforcement of environmental and safety rules on the South Asian beaches to maximise profits. They sell their vessel to scrap dealers, better known as cash buyers, who bring the vessels to their final destination. The cash buyers pay the highest price for end-of-life vessels and are inherently linked to the beaching yards. Cash buyers change the flags of the ships to black-listed flags of convenience and re-register the vessels under new names and anonymous post box companies. These practices render it very difficult for authorities to trace and hold cash buyers - and the ship owners that sell to these scrap dealers - accountable for illicit practices.

Safe and clean ship recycling is possible

Due diligence when choosing business partners is essential. Corporations have an obligation to ensure that their business practices do not cause harm to people and the environment. Many recycling yards have already invested in the safety and environmental standard of their operations. The EU maintains a list of approved ship recycling facilities - no beaching yard is on that list. Ship owners that want to act responsibly should opt for an EU-approved yard.
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In 2020, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform congratulates cruise shipping giant Carnival Corporation for best corporate practice. The American ship owner has worked with the Platform’s member organisation Bellona Foundation and Dutch company Sea2Cradle for the development of a comprehensive ship recycling plan for three of its retired vessels.