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Shipbreaking seminar calls for mandatory measures and liability chain

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.

'Whatever the regimes or legislation that eventually comes into force, there is one thing that we do know - the pollution and damage caused by hazardous waste on ships must be stopped. The shipping industry should no longer be allowed to profit from pollution at the cost of lives, livelihood and environment', said Gerd Leipold, Executive Director of Greenpeace International to the attendants of the seminar.

Central theme of the workshop was: How can ship owners be held responsible for the scrapping of End-of-Life, European vessels in Asia and the far-reaching, negative consequences that scrapping has on the communities living alongside the Asian shores and riversides. The following points were agreed upon by all attendants as necessary for further action as a matter of urgency:

* The Basel Convention, IMO and ILO should close loopholes through an effective mandatory regime for shipbreaking.
* A liability chain needs to be set up to include stakeholders such as owner(s), shipbreakers, brokers, ports etc.
* Technical issues regarding ownership need to be clarified.
* Joint positions should be developed by shipbreaking countries to create a level playing field.
* Working conditions at shipbreaking yards as well as environmental protection should be improved with the cooperation of competent authorities.
* New ships need to be designed which are safe for recycling.

==> Read Shipbreaking and Liability, the speech by Gerd Leipold, Executive Director of Greenpeace International