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NEWS ARCHIVE

European shipbreaking tour presents terrible impact of current shipbreaking practices

On 2 June 2003, four representatives from shipbreaking yards in India and Bangladesh started a three-week tour through Europe. Their aim: present the impact of the current polluting practices at the breaking yards to shipowners and politicians. Furthermore they seek cooperation in working towards a real solution to these problems. Bells from the shipbreaking yards in Alang, India, accompany them. They remind shipowners of their role in the dramatic effects of breaking ships on Asian beaches. The sound of each bell echoes the calls of the people in Asia for a cleaner environment and safer work. More..

Play Tricks of the Trade,
new webgame by Greenpeace

2th June 2003 - Selling ships for shipbreaking is a dirty business. See if you know the tricks of the trade. Play this new webgame by Greenpeace. You are the owner of an old ship and you have to get rid of this End of Life Vessel. Can you make as much profit as possible? Or do you care for the people and the environment? Try to do better than most current shipowners. Click here to play the webgame!

Chemical tanker Tulip (formerly known as Gerd) was beached on a shipbreaking yard in Alang (India) on the 24th of May 2003. Greenpeace strongly suspected the ship had been sold to shipbreakers, but needed proof. Since leaving the harbour of Amsterdam last year, Greenpeace called on shipspotters to spot the chemical tanker and help Greenpeace track the vessel on its final voyage to the shipbreaking beach. All tips received via the mailform on this website resulted in a map which shows the final voyage of the Tulip. Greenpeace investigates further steps to hold the owner of the ship responsible for environmental damage caused by the scrapping of the vessel. More..

The beautiful Bolama beach in the West African country of Guinea Bissau may soon turn into a scrapyard for old toxic ships, threatening nature and the lives of local people. The beach is part of the Bijagos Archipelagos, classified as a Biosphere Reserve by United Nations (Unesco). Help to save the Bolama beach! Let the United Nations know they should protect the nature and people of Guinea Bissau. As a result of the first thousands of e-mails from all over the world, Unesco has already sent a research mission to Bolama to assess the situation. But continued pressure is necessary to make sure that Unesco takes effective measures to protect Bolama Beach. So: click here to act now!

The international shipping community should agree upon an effective mandatory regime for clean shipbreaking and a liability chain that includes all stakeholders. These are the main conclusions representatives from Asia, the shipping industry and experts on liability agreed upon at an international seminar on liability for the scrapping of ships, organised by the International Institute for Asian Studies and Greenpeace at the Netherlands Maritime Museum on 2nd of June 2003. More...

24 april 2003 - Eight Greenpeace activists stamped a warning sign on the stern of the scrapship Giovanna in the harbour of Århus, Denmark. A metal scrap-ship-logo was attached to the back end of the ship to mark that the ship is ready for scrap and risks ending its days on a beach in India. The 25 year old chemical tanker Giovanna has been abandoned as a ghost ship in the Århus harbour for the last year and a half. More...

The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) moved a petition before the High Court Division of Bangladesh on the 19th of April 2003, seeking relief against violation of legal provisions on environment and labour protection taking place in shipbreaking operations in Sitakunda of Chittagong. The petition was filed, amongst others, against national and local authorities and the Bangladesh Shipbreakers Association. More...

9th April 2003 - Today, Greenpeace along with a coalition of International groups have announced their opposition to a proposed shipbreaking yard in the West African country of Guinea Bissau. A Unesco Biosphere Reserve of great natural beauty could be polluted and disfigured if plans to site a shipbreaking yard in Guinea-Bissau go ahead. Spanish shipping companies, presenting the idea as an environmentally sound opportunity for development, have signed an "intention protocol" with the Government of Guinea Bissau to develop a shipbreakers yard and tax free industrial area in the heart of the nature reserve. More...

9th April 2003 - Today Greenpeace sent letters to around 20 shipowners listed on the top 50 that have continued 'business as usual', sending their highly toxic ships to Asian shipbreaking yards. When Greenpeace introduced this special shipbreaking-website in January 2002, all shipowners received a letter in which they were asked to take responsibility for their End of Life Vessels and the hazardous materials on board these ships.

However, these companies continued sending their old vessels (more than 40) to the shipbreaking beaches without proper decontamination. Greenpeace holds these companies responsible for the environmental and health damage and loss of lives as a consequence of their 'business as usual' policy. Read one of the letters here.

5th april 2003 - Again one person got killed as a result of a ship-breaking explosion in Alang, India. Six others got injured. Saturday's explosion on Apteram, a Maltese owned ship (oil tanker), happened when workers were trying to cut an oil-refilling tank from the engine room - still filled with oil. Workers told that it was the last part of the ship to be scrapped. Only 6 weeks after the previous accident, horror strikes again. More...

25 February 2003 - As six workers are confirmed dead and 5 workers injured in a ship-breaking explosion in Alang, India, Greenpeace today called on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to force ship-owners to clean up ships before sending them to Asia.

The oil tanker Amina that caused the fatal accidents last Saturday belongs to the Greek shipping company Chandris. Chandris is one of the 50 shipping companies that has been listed on this website as it operates ships that would soon be scrapped. Chandris never responded to Greenpeace letters urging them to clean up their vessels before sending them for scrap. More ...

12 february 2003 - The first week of February 2003 the Belgian Minister of Environment Vera Dua was put in right by a court in Belgium in an attempt to get end-of-life vessel Silver Ray (renamed Naxos 1) decontaminated prior to export to an Asian scrap country. The court ordered that the vessel should be treated under the Basel Regime Protocol. Greenpeace welcomes this new precedent of international importance. More...

12 febraury 2003 - In an official response to a letter sent by Greenpeace International, the International Transport Worker's Federation and WWF International to the Secretary-General from the United Nations, Kofi A. Annan agreed that much more needs to be done on the safety of shipping. Greenpeace pleads for a full and unlimited liability for environmental disasters like the sinking of the Prestige. More...

12 february 2003 - Århus Harbour is now innocent hostage to 25 year old chemicaltanker Giovanna, left in the Danish harbour full of hazardous materials. Greenpeace calls on Danish minister to take action. More...

12 february 2003 - 'We can see how workers cut steel plates from the ship with a large torch cutter. Old shears - there's one at every yard - hoist the steel pieces onto the wharf. Dozens of men twist their bodies in impossible angles to torch cut the steel into little pieces. It's hard physical, dangerous and unhealthy labour.' Greenpeace-campaigners Marietta Harjono and Frank Petersen visited Indian shipbreakingyards in Alang, Pipavav and Bombay last december. Read their travel report.

12 february 2003 - During the 6th Convention of Parties in December 2002 technical guidelines for environmentally sound management of the full and partial dismantling of ships were adopted. Greenpeace welcomes the guidelines, but warns for unequally divided responsibilities between shipowners and shipbreaking countries. More...

12 february 2003 - Since leaving the harbour of Amsterdam last year Greenpeace called on shipspotters to spot the former chemical tanker Gerd, now renamed Tulip. The ship now appears to be heading for the shipbreakingyards of Bangladesh, expected to arrive at the beach mid February. See map for last details.

We need your help! Help us localize the Gerd/Tulip!

12 february 2003 - The Greenpeace ship Argus regularly visits ships in European harbours like Antwerp and Amsterdam in order to inform masters and crew members about the problems related to shipbreaking. See the list of ships visited by the Greenpeace Toxic Patrol.

11 december 2002 - The Basel Action Network (BAN), Greenpeace International, Toxics Link of India and a coalition of Trade Unions have discovered that Congress and the Bush Administration has reversed a moratorium against toxic waste ship dumping and has, within the Defense Appropriations bill, set aside 20,000,000 US$ that can be used for a pilot project in 2003 that could involve the export of up to 4 vessels from the rusting National Defense Reserve Fleet as well as the sinking of ships at sea for artificial reefs. More...

4 December 2002 - Greenpeace activists stamped a warning sign on the ship Byzantio, chartered by the same company that contracted the ill-fated oil tanker Prestige that sank off the north-western coast of Spain earlier this month. The French government has called the ship a "floating dustbin".The sign clearly shows the single-hull tanker is ready for scrapping. The Byzantio was added to the list of soon-to-be-scrapped ships, while activists chained themselves to the mooring lines of the oil tanker Byzantio for 28 hours in Rotterdam harbour. More...

Just before the Basel Convention COP6 meeting, Turkey has taken action on the French toxic ship Sea Beirut (based on Decision V/23) by informing the Basel Convention Secretariat about the Sea Beirut case. The French toxic ship "Sea Beirut", which attempted to enter Turkey illegally for scrap because it contained toxic waste, is to be sent back to France after a court decision. More...

French toxic ship to be sent back following court decision

Istanbul, November 14th, 2002 - The French toxic ship "Sea Beirut", that attempted to enter Turkey illegally for scrap because it contained toxic waste, is to be sent back to France after a court decision. The court ordered CEMSAN, the importing company in this illicit enterprise, to ensure that the ship should be returned to France, the country of origin. Based on this new court decision in Turkey, the French government must take back the "Sea Beirut" and clean it of all the hazardous materials before re-exporting it for scrap. Last May, Greenpeace intercepted the "Sea Beirut" as it neared Aliaga shipbreaking yards in Turkey because it was concerned that the ship contained hazardous waste, such as asbestos.More...

Greenpeace finds toxic asbestos on ship for scrap
ship owners must be held accountable for contaminated ships

Tue 08 October 2002 - Greenpeace activists stamped a warning sign on the stern of the Greek owned ship for scrap ‘Silver Ray’ in Antwerp harbour today, confirming that the vessel is toxic waste. The move followed results of samples taken from the ship by the environmental organisation last week that confirmed the vessel contains asbestos and other hazardous materials. More...

Amsterdam, 4 October 2002 - Greenpeace activists boarded a ship in Antwerp harbour this morning to investigate whether or not it contains hazardous materials and to start preparing a public inventory of findings. The environmental organisation is taking samples of the Greek owned ship, the 'Silver Ray', because it is concerned the vessel is about to be exported as scrap to a shipbreaking yard in Asia without first being cleaned of dangerous toxic materials. Last night, Greenpeace screened a film on the 'Silver Ray's' hull to highlight the human and environmental costs associated with dismantling ships that still have toxic substances on board. More...

12 September 2002 - Tonight the 'Gerd', a ship destined for scrapping, will depart from the Port of Amsterdam. The ship contains toxic substances like asbestos and heavy metals. Greenpeace will follow the ship with inflatables to the IJmuiden Locks. After that Greenpeace will continue to track the chemical tanker through information from special contacts and through tips received via this special shipbreaking website. More...

See voyage of Gerd/Tulip on map

Greenpeace confronts ship owner with effects of sending toxic ships to Asia for scrap

Amsterdam 19th July 2002 - Last night, Greenpeace paid an unexpected visit to a ship in Amsterdam harbour that it suspects is about to be sent to Asia for scrap without first being cleaned of dangerous toxic materials. The environmental organisation projected a movie onto the hull of the 'Gerd' to confront the ship's owner with the devastation it will cause if it sends its ship to Asia without decontaminating it first. More...

Malpractices at ship-for-scrap Sandrien - crew and environment victim of ship broker

7th June 2002: Since February 2001, the 'Sandrien' has been docked in Amsterdam harbour. The ship is destined for demolition in one of Asia's shipbreaking yards. Conditions in the yards are unacceptable, both for the workers and the environment. Since December 2001, approximately twenty Indian crewmembers have been staying onboard the 'Sandrien', in desperate circumstances. More...

News from the Basel Convention

Guidelines on ship dismantling adopted, but.... More....

Environment minister confirms presence of asbestos following Greenpeace action

9 May 2002 - The Turkish Minister of Environment, Fevzi Aytekin, has today notified all relevant authorities that Turkey must not allow the French toxic ship for scrap "Sea Beirut" to enter the country. He has also said the vessel should return to France. The vessel was illegally exported from France to Turkey to be scrapped at Aliaga, one of Turkey's notorious ship breaking yards, with dangerous toxic waste on board. Greenpeace activists intercepted the vessel as it neared Turkish shores last Saturday, and warned the Turkish authorities that it contained toxic waste. More....

Greenpeace intercepts European ship attempting to illegally dump toxic waste in Turkey

5 May 2002 - Greenpeace activists intercepted a European cargo vessel as it illegally attempted to enter a Turkish shipbreaking yard with dangerous toxic waste on board. The vessel "Sea Beirut", with asbestos still on board, was towed from France to be scrapped at Aliaga, one of Turkey's notorious ship breaking yards. More...

Greenpeace calls tanker community for immediate action to save lives of Asian shipbreakers

During the annual INTERTANKO event in Rotterdam (14-17 April) Greenpeace called upon the tanker community to ensure that every tanker-for-scrap from members of INTERTANKO will be delivered gas-free for hot works. INTERTANKO is the International Association of Independent Tankers Owners. For the text of the Greenpeace presentation please click here (PDF-format).

14th march 2002 - Greenpeace asks the shipping community for any information on ship owners rapidly renaming their ships before or just after selling the ship for scrap. An example of this practice is ChevronTexaco, renaming their 1974-built Chevron Nagasaki prior to selling the ship to Chinese breakers. The vessel was renamed Enif Voyager. Please send your information via the special mailform in this website.

Amsterdam, 14th march 2002 - The total amount of ships on the Greenpeace-list actually going for scrap now numbers six, out of the 50 nominated ships in the spotlight. Five ships listed on the Greenpeace-website have recently arrived in Asia. More...

Amsterdam, 14th march 2002 - Last week, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) started debating the issue of shipbreaking in its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). It was agreed that the IMO will draw guidelines on greening ships during the life cycle of a ship. More...

According to Greenpeace, a ship can be a ship and a waste at the same time. When a ship owner has the intention to dispose of the ship for scrapping, a ship is from that moment on subject to both the rules of the IMO (on safety etc) and rules of the Basel Convention on waste. More...

Luxemburg, 7th march 2002 - Greenpeace has filed a complaint against the administrators of Euronav to the state prosecutor in Luxembourg about a violation of the Basel Convention. More...

Western European companies dump toxic ships on Turkish beach
Izmir/Brussels, 14th January, 2002 - Seventeen Greenpeace activists were arrested this morning after unfolding a banner that said "Stop Toxic Shipbreaking" on board of a Swiss ship, "Star of Venice", which they had occupied at a shipbreaking yard in Aliaga, Turkey. They demanded an end to the poisonous practice of scrapping ships containing toxic materials, including asbestos, on Turkish beaches. Before the Turkish police made their arrest and confiscated one of the inflatable boats, the activists painted a text that said "No Toxic Ship Trade" on a side of another old ship, "Best", which originated from Greece. Read more...

Indian shipbreakers commit to environmental quality and workers safety

Bhavnagar, India, 19 February 2000 - The outcome of the workshop 'Challenge to Ship Recycling Industry: Environment and Safety' was celebrated by industry, environmentalists and government. The Shipbreakers Association of India agreed to engage a drastic transformation of their yards to incorporate good working practices and proper environmental management. The shipbreakers also supported the platform of decontamination of ships prior to dismantling. Maritime Authorities agreed to a Greenpeace/Basel Action Network (Ban) (and other NGOs) team to run a fact-finding mission in the Indian yards.