SHIPBREAKING

A DIRTY AND DANGEROUS INDUSTRY

SHIPBREAKING

A DIRTY AND DANGEROUS INDUSTRY

SHIPBREAKING

A DIRTY AND DANGEROUS INDUSTRY

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NGO_Shipbreaking

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform is a global coalition of organisations working to reverse the environmental harm and human rights abuses caused by current shipbreaking practices and to ensure the safe and environmentally sound dismantling of end-of-life ships worldwide.

Just as the goods they transport, ships too become waste when they reach the end of their operational lives. Yet only a fraction is handled in a safe and clean manner. The vast majority of the world's end-of-life fleet, full of toxic substances, is simply broken down - by hand - on the beaches of South Asia. There, unscrupulous shipping companies exploit minimal enforcement of environmental and safety rules to maximise profits.

Ship owners from East Asia and Europe top the list of dumpers that sell ships for breaking on South Asian beaches.

In Bangladesh, India and Pakistan ships are broken apart directly on the beach instead of in an industrial site: a practice known as "beaching".

 

Since 2009:

 

7073
SHIPS BEACHED
430
DEATHS
354
INJURIES
ISSUES OF INTEREST
WHY SHIPS ARE TOXIC
FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE
CHILD LABOUR
CLEAN AND SAFE SOLUTIONS

SPOTLIGHT

The Toxic Tide – 2021 Shipbreaking Records

2021 shipbreaking records: most shipping companies continue to opt for the highest price at the worst scrapping yards.

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Where ships go to die – Winner of the Public Eye Investigation Award

Decommissioned deep-sea vessels are floating toxic waste. Their disposal is laborious and costly, and regarded as a menace by those who want to protect both the workers… Read More

Maersk’s toxic trade: the North Sea Producer case

In August 2016 the FPSO NORTH SEA PRODUCER was beached in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The ship was allowed to leave the UK based on false claims that it… Read More

The controversial case of the Harrier: holding business to account

It all started with an anonymous letter informing us that the EIDE CARRIER was sold for scrap. Having been laid up for many years on the Norwegian… Read More

Newsroom

Brussels, Apr 27th 2022

Press Release – Fatal accident at Alang yard during cutting of BW Offshore vessel

A worker died while scrapping FPSO Cidade de Sao Vicente at Indian beaching yard Priya Blue on 21 April.

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Brussels, Apr 26th 2022

Platform News – SAVE THE DATE: Ship Recycling Lab on 20-21 September in Rotterdam

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform invites you to attend the conference Ship Recycling Lab on 20-21 September in Rotterdam (Netherlands).

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Brussels, Apr 20th 2022

Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #29

Thirteen workers suffered an accident on South Asian beaches in the first quarter of 2022.

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Bergen, Mar 23rd 2022

Press Release – Appeal Court confirms prison sentence for Norwegian ship owner

According to the Appeal Court, having sold the vessel to a middle man and not directly to a beaching yard does not provide for exempting the ship owner from being held liable for having committed an environmental crime.

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Aliağa, Feb 16th 2022

Press Release – Ship recycling workers’ protest shakes Aliaga

Around 1500 workers are claiming that they do not earn enough money.

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Brussels, Feb 02nd 2022

Press Release – Platform publishes list of ships dismantled worldwide in 2021

763 ocean-going commercial ships and floating offshore units were sold to the scrap yards in 2021. Of these, 583 ended up on the beaches of South Asia, amounting to near the totality of the gross tonnage dismantled globally.

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Brussels, Jan 25th 2022

Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #28

Eleven workers suffered an accident on South Asian beaches in the fourth quarter of 2021.

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Brussels, Jan 13th 2022

Press Release – NGOs join local residents and First Nations in fight against toxic shipbreaking in British Columbia

NGO Shipbreaking Platform calls on authorities to halt shipbreaking activities at Union Bay.

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