News

Split in shipping industry over liability for shipbreaking

Amsterdam 10th July 2003 - There is a clear split in the international shipping industry over the role and responsibility of shipowners for the pollution and appalling working circumstances related to shipbreaking. After a meeting with Greenpeace the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) declared to be in favour of mandatory measures to resolve the problems concerned with shipbreaking. Individual companies like Ceres, Stolt Nielsen and P&O Nedlloyd already took steps forward on this issue. These may be first steps, but they are nevertheless significant. They provide a small ray of hope to people in Asia that a solution is possible.

The ECSA discussed with Greenpeace how to tackle health and environmental problems in shipbreaking yards. In a press release dated 10th of July 2003 the European shipowners stressed the importance of cooperation with ILO and the Secretariat of the Basel Convention to come to mandatory measures on shipbreaking. The ECSA called for an International Ship Recycling Convention with governments, industry and other interested parties. Greenpeace welcomes the shipowners call for mandatory measures.

P&O Nedlloyd, Ceres and Stolt Nielsen have made it clear to Greenpeace and in the media that they accept that shipowners have a substantial role to play in the prevention of environmental pollution during the breaking of ships. In various ways these companies recognise that it is essential to identify and remove hazardous substances from a ship prior to breaking.

P&O Nedlloyd's End-of-Life ships still arrive full of hazardous substances at a Chinese breaking yard, but the company ensured that the polluting substances will not end up in the environment. The Greek company Ceres seems willing to go one step further. In discussions with Greenpeace the company ensured that hazardous materials onboard its ships will be gradually removed as part of its regular ISO 14000 programme. This could mean that in the future ships come to the shipbreaking beaches free of hazardous substances.

Earlier this year American/Norwegian shipowner Stolt Nielsen committed itself to prevent future pollution and health threats associated with the breaking of ships. Stolt Nielsen's decision means that demolition of one of the company's vessels, the Stolt Sincerity, will be done only when the vessel has been properly decontaminated of hazardous substances, like PCBs, asbestos and oil.

These steps are unfortunately exceptional. Most shipowners make it clear that none of them will ever take such steps in the absence of mandatory rules and guidelines that apply to all shipowners. For a better environment and safer working conditions we should not dependon individual positive steps forward. The IMO needs to set up mandatory guidelines for all shipowners.