India taking a stand on ship breaking
Hard labor….Hell on earth….Toxic
Words that for many describe the many ship breaking yards of the far east.
A recent Bangladesh High Court ruling has environmentalists joyful, and upwards of 36 ship recycling yards dealing with a potential shut down. India’s ship breaking business is known worldwide for its environmental hazards, exploitation and poor workers rights. Now, in a drastic change from the norm, Bangladesh is taking steps to change that image.
Ship Breaking (Photo courtesey Michael Foley)
Lloyd’s List (read article) tells us that the new regulations passed by the court require environmental certifications from the government, and expressly serve to prevent Bangladesh from becoming a dumping ground for the unwanted hazardous waste carried in by the dying ships of the world.
Regardless, appeals are underway, and change will not be easy for this industry which employs thousands and has gone on virtually entirely unregulated since it began. The new regulations come at a particularly important time as many ship owners are looking to scrap older, less profitable ships in what is shaping up to be a major shipping downturn as a result of the global economic depression. It makes it critical for countries like India and Pakistan to take steps to protect their environment and people, while at the same time, critical for ship breakers to accept new business with as little red tape as possible.
This topic will certainly be interesting to watch in the coming months.
For more on ship breaking, try these:
(CHEAP)BREAKING a photo report by ReMedAct (Bangladesh, 2008)
End of the Line, photo essay on the ship breaking yards of Chittagong, Bangladesh by Brendan Corr
