Press Release – Turkish authorities ban the entrance of toxic aircraft carrier São Paulo
Success after weeks of public protests
Turkey has finally banned the toxic aircraft carrier SÃO PAULO from entering its national waters. For weeks, local environmental and labour rights groups, supported by international NGOs, have been protesting the voyage of the vessel from Brazil to Aliağa, demanding compliance with the Basel and Barcelona Conventions.
The decision by Murat Kurum, Turkish Minister of Environment, City and Climate Change, comes after a Federal District Court injunction to stop the departure of the ship was not enforced, and the Brazilian government and the buyer of the vessel failed to produce and submit a second Inventory of Hazardous Material (IHM) in order to properly identify the amounts of toxics onboard the ship. Indeed, a second audit was deemed necessary by Turkey after environmental and human rights organisations challenged the validity of the first one.
Following the cancellation of Turkey’s consent to the transboundary movement, IBAMA (Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) has issued a letter to Oceans Prime Offshore Agenciamento Maritimo Ltda, the exporting company working with the buyer SOK, to arrange the immediate return of the SÃO PAULO to Brazil. However, to date, the company in control of the vessel has not yet provided information regarding the route change.
For more information:
Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network, e-mail: jpuckett@ban.org, Phone: +1 206-354-0391Annie Thébaud-Mony, for Ban Asbestos-France Association, email: annie.mony@gmail.com
Asli Odman, Istanbul Health and Safety Labour Watch, email: asliodman@gmail.com
NGO Shipbreaking Platform, e-mail: info@shipbreakingplatform.org, Phone, +32 (0)260.94.419
Related news
Platform News – NGO Shipbreaking Platform presents Annual Report 2016
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform presents its Annual Report 2016. Last year, at least 52 workers lost their lives on the shipbreaking beaches in South Asia. The… Read More
Platform News – European Union sets a global standard for sustainable ship recycling: NGOs call on shipping companies to use EU approved yards
Today, the European Commission (EC) publishes technical guidance for ship recycling facilities that want to be approved under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. The European Union (EU)… Read More
Press Release – NGOs warn that Hong Kong Convention will fail to ensure sustainable ship recycling
Treaty to continue toxic business-as-usual on the Beaches of South Asia while undermining efforts for reform.
... Read MorePress Release – European industry, trade unions and NGOs jointly support the EESC’s call for a financial incentive to enhance sustainable ship recycling
Today, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an own initiative opinion that calls on the European Commission to introduce an incentive that will “eliminate the… Read More
Press Release – Platform publishes list of ships dismantled worldwide in 2020
630 ocean-going commercial ships and offshore units were sold to the scrap yards in 2020. Of these vessels, 446 were broken down on South Asian beaches, amounting to near 90% of the gross tonnage dismantled globally.
... Read MorePress Release – NGOs call on the Netherlands to push for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of FSO Safer
The Dutch government is a pioneer in environmentally friendly technologies implementing sound life-cycle practices.
... Read More