Accountable
Current arrangements make it almost impossible to identify the real owners of vessels. So they cannot be held accountable for the way they maintain and operate their ships. Or for allowing irresponsible industry practices - like shipbreaking - to continue.

Flags of Convenience
A shipowner can register his ships to any national register. Very often they choose to register under a Flag of Convenience (FOC). Because of that 45% of the world tonnage is sailing under one of the more than 30 FOCs. Five of the six largest registries are Panama, Liberia, Bahamas, Malta and Cyprus. They are 'open registers', meaning there is no genuine link between the ship and the flag.

Greek companies
Many of the ships on the list of 50 belong to Greek companies. They often bring ships to the beaches of Asia. The Greek authorities aren't very active when handling the problems of shipbreaking.

European world fleet
In 2004 Malta and Cyprus became new members of the European Union. Their joining enlarges the share of EU and Norwegian ship owners in the world fleet to about 45%. Many of these ship owners, however, register ships under a Flag of Convenience. Approximately 25% of the world fleet actually sails under a Norwegian or EU flag.

Ship Recycling Fund
The shipping industry doesn't want to pay for the clean and save breaking of ships. Ship owners rather let people and the environment in developing countries deal with the toxic end-of-life vessels. Greenpeace says the polluter has to pay. The Greenpeace report The Ship Recycling Fund not only shows how the financial costs for safe and clean breaking can be borne by the shipping industry, it also demonstrates that the costs are manageable and a minor fraction (0,5%) in relation to the industry's total turnover.

More on the Ship Recycling Fund: Greenpeace submission to the Basel Convention 23 June 2005.