Author: Nicola Mulinaris

Press Release – Province shuts down hazardous shipbreaking at Union Bay

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

A victory for residents and environmental protection

 
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform celebrates British Columbia’s decision to cancel the Crown land lease held by Deep Water Recovery Ltd. (DWR) in Union Bay, effectively halting years of unsafe shipbreaking along the Baynes Sound shoreline.

 

The cancellation follows consistent advocacy from local residents, the K’ómoks First Nation, and environmental groups, who raised alarms over DWR’s dismantling of vessels containing asbestos and other hazardous substances without proper permits or oversight.

 

Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid‑Island‑Pacific Rim, underscored the importance of ensuring ship recycling is conducted lawfully and safely. On social media, she added, "I deeply appreciate all the advocacy, letters, and meetings with local residents, organisations and leaders since 2021," and expressed gratitude to provincial ministers and staff for their steady attention to the issue. The province’s statement emphasised that DWR "has not demonstrated the level of regulatory compliance, operational responsibility, or environmental stewardship required" to justify use of Crown land for dismantling vessels, adding that the lease was revoked to protect the public interest.

"This is a hard‑fought and well‑deserved victory. The province’s decision sends a clear message that dangerous shipbreaking practices will not be tolerated."
Nicola Mulinaris - Senior Communication and Policy Advisor - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The determination of Union Bay residents, support from Indigenous leaders, and the province’s eventual intervention have transformed a local fight into a broader precedent in the global movement for responsible ship recycling. Yet, the work isn’t done. Derelict vessels and industrial debris remain on the shoreline, and cleanup must proceed swiftly under government oversight. The Platform stands with community members in calling for transparent and comprehensive remediation.

 

This case also highlights Canada’s glaring regulatory gap in ship recycling. Without federal legislation, hazardous dismantling might continue unchecked.

Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #42

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

In this quarterly publication, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform informs about the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Providing an overview of accidents that took place on the beaches of South Asia and recent on-the-ground developments, including our activities, we aim to inform the public about the negative impacts of substandard shipbreaking practices as well as positive steps aimed at the realisation of environmental justice and the protection of workers’ rights. 

 

One session in this Update focuses specifically on the Hong Kong Convention and the implications of its recent entry into force.

Click here or on the image below to access the full version of our quarterly report. 

Press Release: Need for reform of ship recycling sector in Turkey has never been more apparent after massive fire and waste dumping scandal revealed

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

In recent months, Turkey’s ship recycling sector has experienced significant movements. From controversies surrounding the sale of shipbreaking yards to the arrival of a UK Navy vessel, and now the fire aboard the decommissioned FSO Sloug, public concern has been mounting over safety, transparency, and environmental standards in Aliağa. 

 

Moreover, on 16 June 2024, a coalition of civil society organisations filed a criminal complaint against public authorities and ship recycling companies, which exposed years of environmental monitoring and health data, drawing from recent EU inspection reports and official Turkish documents. It alleges widespread regulatory failure and systemic misconduct across the shipbreaking sector in Aliağa, including crimes of deliberate environmental pollution, document falsification, and misconduct.

Fire on the SLOUG

 

On July 3rd, a fire erupted on the decommissioned FSO SLOUG, which had been left idle at the Simsekler yard in Aliağa for over two years with approximately 6,000 tons of petroleum still in its tanks. The ignition was triggered during cutting operations by the presence of residual petroleum—an entirely preventable accident had the vessel been properly cleaned and certified gas-free, following both Turkish and international law. 

"When we visited the ship recycling region, everywhere was invisible in black smoke. Workers were still working in the area. The fire was the predictable result of regulatory failure, and insufficient oversight."
Sonay Tezcan - Workers' Platform of the Aegean

Another Military Vessel in Aliağa

 

The Chambers of Chemical and Environmental Engineers have raised alarms over safety and environmental risks in Aliağa as another toxic warship arrives in Turkey to be dismantled at the yard Leyal. The HMS Bristol, a 1967 British Navy destroyer, carries hundreds of asbestos parts, lead-based paint, organotin antifouling coatings, CFC gases, and PCB-containing equipment. Its Inventory of Hazardous Materials lists over 400 asbestos items, 283 kg of lead paint, and 263.5 kg of toxic tributyltin (TBT), a banned compound harmful to marine life.

 

A recent BBC report revealed that two workers at Leyal — which dismantles most of the UK Navy’s decommissioned vessels — were diagnosed with occupational diseases, heightening concerns about toxic exposure and the lack of adequate worker protections.

 

"The arrival of HMS Bristol in Aliağa reflects a broader systemic failure. No ship should be dismantled here without strict oversight and protective measures. We are deeply concerned about the safe handling of hazardous materials on board. In line with both national laws and international obligations, particularly the Basel Convention, HMS Bristol should never have been brought to Turkey. It must be returned immediately. The UK Navy must adopt a transparent, sustainable ship recycling policy that protects the environment, public health, and workers’ rights."
Selma Akdoğan – Chamber of Environmental Engineers in Izmir

Criminal Complaint Demands Scrutiny in Aliağa

 

Amid growing public concern, a formal criminal complaint was submitted on 16 June 2025 by EGEÇEP (Aegean Environmental and Cultural Platform Association), İzmir Medical Chamber, DGD-SEN (Union of Dock, Shipyard, and Shipbreaking Workers), İzmir Chamber of Chemical Engineers, and İzmir Living Spaces Initiative. It documents years of violations in Aliağa’s shipbreaking zone, citing EU inspections and Turkish government reports.

 

It alleges environmental crimes including deliberate pollution, falsification of official documents, and abuse of public office. Key failures include lack of environmental reviews, unsafe dismantling, poor waste management, false reporting, and ongoing neglect of worker safety and public health. These recurring violations have caused what the complainants call “slow violence” against communities and nature. 

 

"Through its operations, the Ship Recycling facility has deliberately caused environmental pollution and continues to operate without fulfilling the legally required occupational health and safety conditions. In this context, a thorough investigation and prosecution must be carried out to address and remedy these systematic violations."
Hülya Yıldırım – Attorney in Environmental Law

Sale of the Aliağa Ship Recycling Zone

 

Last month, the disputed ownership of Aliağa Ship Recycling Zone reached a critical point. The 20-year rental agreement with TOKİ (Housing Development Administration of Turkey), expiring mid-2026, is sparking debate among public, political, and industry sectors. Ongoing disagreements and failed sales attempts have stalled decisions on the land’s future. On 28 February 2025, it was revealed that Aliağa Municipality acquired the property from a TOKİ-linked subsidiary.

 

The land was sold for 10.06 billion TL (€ 221.3 million) excluding VAT, with claims surfacing that it will later be resold to ship recycling companies with a 32% profit margin. It was stated that 80% of the acquisition process has been finalised, with full completion expected during summer 2025.

 

Mayor Serkan Acar clarified that APAŞ, the municipality’s petroleum subsidiary, is a private company, so municipal council votes are irrelevant to the land acquisition. He reiterated the municipality’s aim to regulate the area, suggesting a future where the zone evolves from dismantling to include maintenance and large-scale repair operations. According to the Mayor, “the most important issue—property ownership—has now been resolved. A sale is not currently on the table. Those who have long operated in this area will be prioritised in any future decisions.”

 

However, the acquisition sparked debate over its opaque process, funding, future land use, and why the land was sold to APAŞ instead of the municipality directly. Critics raised concerns about transparency and lack of public or parliamentary disclosure. Mayor Acar justified the acquisition by stating that when an open tender was previously considered, the facilities had expressed fear of land loss. He shared that the companies themselves requested the Municipality’s intervention to resolve the issue. 

 

Separately, inspections found 15,000 tons of hazardous waste improperly stored or buried in the zone. The municipality vowed strict sanctions, due to health and environmental risks. Mayor Acar acknowledged the findings and that it seemed some of the waste had been intentionally buried. Meanwhile, a group of ship recyclers protested fines, foreclosures, and demolition orders from the Municipality, demanding immediate ownership titles and criticizing APAŞ and Aliağa Municipality for arbitrary treatment. However, reports now suggest the disputes are being resolved, with an agreement reached for transferring the land to the yards.

 

Yet, despite now owning the land, the Municipality does not have more rights on environmental oversight, and environmental degradation in Aliağa lies in the absence of effective implementations of the regulation and oversight by the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Transport authorities. The waste dumping could have been detected much earlier had there been proper environmental monitoring. Indeed, problems in Aliağa stem not from infrastructural shortcomings alone, but from inadequate environmental governance, including proper monitoring, regulation, and accountability, regardless of property transfer.

 

"Aliağa Municipality must ensure full transparency in the land sale process and collaborate closely with the Ministry of Environment to develop a comprehensive, long-term plan that supports the sustainable development of the region."
Hakan Barçın - Foça Environmental Platform (FOÇEP)

Upgrading Ship Recycling Practices in Aliağa

 

The recent fire aboard the Sloug tanker has brought renewed attention to the urgent need for strengthening oversight and regulatory standards in Turkey’s ship recycling sector. In this context, the planned dismantling of HMS Bristol, a former UK Navy vessel containing significant amounts of asbestos, PCBs, and other hazardous substances, raises serious concerns.

 

Given the recurring challenges documented in Aliağa—including criminal complaints —the import and dismantling of such high-risk vessels must be approached with utmost caution and responsibility. In accordance with the Basel Convention and principles of environmental justice, the UK should be urged to reassess the transfer of HMS Bristol and ensure it is handled in a facility with verified capacity to manage its hazardous contents safely and transparently.

 

As highlighted in our report on the shipbreaking sector in Aliaga, what is urgently needed is a comprehensive framework for ship recycling that includes robust permitting, effective monitoring, and strict enforcement mechanisms. At the same time, the sector must begin a structured transition away from the landing method toward safer and more sustainable dry-dock practices.

 

"We invite the Aliağa Municipality, along with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, to work together in developing a clear, transparent, and enforceable roadmap for the future of Aliağa. Environmental protection, worker safety, and alignment with international standards are necessary to ensure a just and sustainable transformation of the ship recycling industry in Turkey."
Ekin Sakin, Policy Officer at the NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

Press Release – The Hong Kong Convention provides no roadmap for sustainable ship recycling

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

NGOs call upon the shipping sector to take responsibility and scale best practice

 

Today, the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) officially enters into force. While the shipping industry and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have framed this as a landmark for safer and greener ship recycling, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform warns that the Convention fails to address the environmental injustice and human rights violations that continue to stain the industry. 

"The HKC does not set a roadmap for sustainable ship recycling, but will instead serve the interests of shipping companies that want to avoid paying the true cost of safe and environmentally sound end-of-life management. Tragically, it also risks to undercut efforts to level the playing field for responsible ship recyclers to compete."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director & Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The HKC does not prevent the most dangerous and polluting form of shipbreaking: the dismantling of end-of-life vessels on tidal mudflats, as practiced in countries like Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. This method, known as beaching, exposes workers to life-threatening risks and does not prevent hazardous materials - such as oil sludge and heavy metal laden paints - from contaminating fragile coastal ecosystems. By failing to prohibit beaching, the HKC rubberstamps a practice that has long been banned in all major ship owning countries [1] and which is excluded as an option for end-of-life management by responsible shipping companies [2]. 

 

The UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights and civil society groups globally already called out the HKC for its weak environmental standards and its silence on worker protection when the Convention was adopted in 2009. Since then, more than 100 beaching yards in India and Bangladesh have claimed that they operate in compliance with the HKC and received so-called Statements of Compliance with HKC from well-known classification societies. It says much about the low standard set by the IMO that facilities operating on a beach without infrastructure to contain pollutants, with no hospitals in the close vicinity, no capacity to safely dispose of hazardous materials and no track record of monitoring the health of their workers, supposedly fulfil the requirements of the HKC. Poor safety standards at these yards have caused numerous deaths and injuries - last year an explosion killed seven workers at a facility in Bangladesh that had obtained a so-called Statement of Compliance with HKC from Japanese classification society ClassNK.

 

The HKC’s reliance on defective flag-state control [3], its failure to impose binding labour and environmental protections, and its lack of downstream waste accountability means that ship owners can continue to operate with impunity, outsourcing the risks of dismantling to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. 

 

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform strongly denounces industry pressure to position the HKC as a substitute for existing, more robust legal instruments—most notably the Basel Convention, which restricts the global trade of hazardous waste and bans the dumping of toxic waste on developing countries. [4] While legal experts have outlined why the Basel Convention cannot be replaced by the HKC [5], governments must now support ways to ensure better enforcement of existing international environmental and labour laws and amend the HKC to bring it in line with these laws. Any move to side-line the Basel Convention in favour of the current weaker HKC framework would be a serious setback for global environmental governance and a betrayal of the communities who have borne the cost of this industry's failures for decades. 

"he shipping industry cannot settle with a Convention designed to accommodate industry worst practice. Beaching should be phased out, not endorsed."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director & Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

NOTES 

 

[1] Beaching is banned in China, the EU, North America and the UAE recently adopted a new Regulation which also bans landing and will enter into force on 26 June.

 

[2] Last year the IOGP adopted new guidelines for recycling which exclude beaching as safe and environmentally sound. Companies such as Hapag-Lloyd and Walenius-Wilhelmsen have long had policies for not using beaching facilities. Petrobras is developing capacity to recycle its assets in dry-docks in Brazil, and very recently autoliner Hoegh announced an exciting new collaboration with AF Decom and Nordic Circles to up-cycle eight of their ships in Norway.

 

[3] The flags of St Kitts and Nevis, Comoros, Tuvalu and Mongolia are particularly popular for end-of-life vessels that end up in South Asia. Middle men scrap dealers known as cash buyers change the registry of the vessels to these flags just weeks before they hit the beach. These flag registries are black and grey listed by port authorities globally due to their poor implementation of maritime law.

 

[4] According to the World Bank, Bangladesh alone will have since 2010 imported 79.000 tons asbestos; 240.000 tons PCB containing cables; 240.000 tons Ozone Depleting Substances; 69.200 tons heavy metal laden paints from end-of-life vessels by 2030. Yet, Bangladesh has zero capacity to properly manage these toxic materials. Ships are being illegally imported to Bangladesh with fraudulent documents claiming that they are free of toxic materials.

 

[5] Both the Basel and HKC contain explicit conflict-resolution provisions, making it unnecessary to invoke general principles such as lex posteriori (a later treaty prevails) and lex specialis (a more specific treaty takes precedence). Legal experts have furthermore outlined why the HKC does not provide an ‘equivalent level of control’ to the Basel Convention - and thus fails to protect especially developing countries from the dumping of hazardous waste. As such the Basel Convention must remain fully applicable and cannot be displaced by the HKC.

Platform News– Legal action taken by family of deceased worker following fatal incident at IŞIKSAN ship recycling yard in Turkiye

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

On 31 August last year, a fatal accident occurred during the dismantling of the Norwegian floating oil platform BIDEFORD DOLPHIN  at the IŞIKSAN ship recycling yard in Aliağa, İzmir.

 

Ten workers onboard the offshore unit were exposed to toxic gas. Tragically, İbrahim Karakaya—who was at the site to purchase materials and furniture before dismantling began—lost his life.

 

According to the expert report submitted to the prosecution file, the accident was entirely preventable. The cause was traced to interference with a solenoid valve, which resulted in oxygen deprivation within a confined space.

 

The report further revealed failure by the ship recycling yard to implement fundamental occupational safety procedures: no gas-free protocol was carried out, confined spaces were not adequately inspected, hazardous areas were not sealed off, and there were no emergency response or rescue measures in place.

"Work in confined spaces and the management of gas measurements are based on well-established standards that have been in place for nearly half a century. This accident could and should have been avoided."
Prof. Dr. Alp Ergör - İzmir Medical Chamber

Despite having identified serious breaches of safety standards and clear negligence by IŞIKSAN, no penalties on the yard have so far been imposed.

"The accident occurred due to a lack of occupational safety measures and ineffective emergency management. No assessment was made, and no one took responsibility. Ensuring safety and justice calls for continued effort and commitment."
Sonay Tezcan - Workers' Platform of the Aegean

While there is an ongoing criminal investigation, Ibrahim Karakaya’s wife and two children have been left without adequate support.  The emotional, financial, and logistical distress of Ibrahim’s death has deeply affected every aspect of their lives.  İbrahim’s widow, who now tragically is under treatment for cancer, is the sole caretaker of two young children, and has recently filed a separate compensation case to seek justice, accountability, and the fair reparations her family deserves from IŞIKSAN.

 

Press Release – Another worker dies at Alang shipbreaking yard

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

A wake-up call as Hong Kong Convention’s entry-into-force will rubberstamp dangerous practices

 

Just weeks before the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships is set to enter into force on 26 June, another shipbreaking worker died in Alang—the world’s largest ship dismantling site—at a facility that claims to already be compliant with the Convention’s standards [1].

 

On 20 May, 20-year-old Satur Bhai, from Bhara Para village in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar District, fell to his death while dismantling the vessel REM (IMO 9157739) at Plot No. 50. Without a safety harness, he was tasked with removing furniture from the ship’s seventh level. He was employed as a begari (helper)—a position typically untrained, underpaid, and unprotected.

 

The REM, formerly sailing under the South Korean flag as SK SUPREME, was reflagged to St. Kitts and Nevis before being dumped in Alang. This deliberate flag-switching is a textbook case of regulatory evasion, allowing the vessel’s beneficial owner—South Korea’s SK Shipping Co. Ltd—to sidestep international safety and environmental norms, and to obtain the highest profit for the end-of-life asset.

 

Despite growing scrutiny, dangerous and abusive practices remain the norm in Alang where ships are scrapped on tidal mudflats. And while the HKC aims to regulate the industry, its weak provisions threaten to legitimise these very conditions. 

 

Satur Bhai’s death is not isolated. In these last five years at least 10 workers have lost their lives taking apart the global fleet in Alang under conditions that would never be allowed in major ship owning countries, including South Korea. With 90 percent of the global fleet still being scrapped on three beaches in South Asia, the shipbreaking sector is marked by systemic neglect, opaque ownership structures, and a race to the bottom in environmental and labour protections.

 

This latest fatality follows renewed calls on South Korea to end the dumping of end-of-life vessels on South Asian shores. The export of hazardous waste—including ships laden with toxic paints, asbestos, and residue oils—to countries without proper containment and disposal infrastructure contravenes the Basel Convention on the Control of the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal, to which South Korea is a party.

"This tragedy puts a spotlight on the failure of both national governments and international regulators to protect workers and the environment. If global shipping powers like South Korea are serious about sustainability and accountability, they must invest in domestic recycling capacity and end exploitative shipbreaking practices abroad. International policy makers need to furthermore ensure effective enforcement of the Basel Convention which currently provides the highest level of protection for both the environment and workers."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director & Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

NOTE

 

[1] In the last years, there has been a proliferation of the so-called Statements of Compliance with the Hong Kong Convention, inspections conducted at yards on a business-to-business basis as yet another attempt by the industry to greenwash its dirty and dangerous practices. Facilities that lack infrastructure to contain pollution; lack protective equipment to prevent toxic exposure; have no hospitals to handle emergencies in the vicinity; and where systemic breaches of labour rights have been documented have been able to obtain these Statements.

 

 

Press Release – Rendsburg Court acknowledges environmental harm caused by shipbreaking, but acquits shipowners

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

NGOs welcome Public Prosecutor’s appeal

 

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform welcomes the Public prosecutor’s appeal of the Rendsburg District Court’s decision to acquit the shipowners involved in the illegal export and scrapping of the ship WESTERHAMM. While the ruling marks the first time in Germany that shipowners stand trial for violating environmental law through shipbreaking practices, the Court failed to hold them legally accountable — despite the judge’s own recognition of the environmental damage caused.

 

In her oral statement, Judge Martje Heinsohn made a powerful and unequivocal declaration: “What you did was not right. You caused significant damage to the environment in order to achieve maximum profit. I can only appeal to you to give something back to the environment.”

 

The WESTERHAMM, a 188-meter-long container ship operated by MSC and owned by Rendsburg Schiffahrtskontor, sailed from Bremerhaven on 2 November in 2016, then made stops in Gibraltar and Egypt before being deliberately driven at full speed onto the infamous shipbreaking beach of Alang, India. There, it was dismantled under conditions that are well documented to be highly hazardous for both workers and the environment. The export of end-of-life ships to India is illegal under the EU Waste Shipment Regulation.

 

The Court’s decision to acquit was based on doubts about the timing of the intention to dispose the ship. The shipowners claimed that the decision to scrap the vessel was only taken when the vessel had left German waters and provided as evidence sales documents for scrapping that had been signed when the ship was in international waters. They also sought to argue that because the WESTERHAMM was still operational when it left Germany, the ship could not be considered as waste under international and EU law, disregarding well-established jurisprudence that confirms a vessel can simultaneously be classified as both a ship and waste. Indeed, what triggers the classification as waste is the owner’s intent to dispose the asset, and because a ship is a waste that can move on its own — unlike most other types of waste — it remains also a ship subject to all other maritime regulations on its last voyage to the scrapping yard.  The fact that the WESTERHAMM was still operational does therefore not negate its classification as waste under international and EU law. 

 

The public prosecutors have appealed the acquittal and maintain that internal communications confirming the “unconditional desire to dispose of the ship” as there was no market for its further operational use provide evidence of the intent to dispose of the ship. 

 

In other cases of illegal trafficking of end-of-life vessels, fraudulent information on further operational use or repair was provided to circumvent EU waste laws. In Norway, Altera was held liable for the illegal export of two shuttle tankers to India — also in this case the owners had claimed that the scrapping of the ships was only decided when the ships had left Norwegian waters. In the Harrier case it was shown that the owners had deliberately provided fraudulent information on repair works in Dubai to authorities to avoid the trade ban, while the true destination was scrapping in Pakistan. Also in the North Sea Producer case, it was claimed that the vessel would be further used in Nigeria – instead it sailed straight to Bangladesh for scrapping. 

"The shipping industry is well versed in how to circumvent international waste laws. In our view, the question is which state is the exporting state if it is not Germany? Importantly, the decision to scrap the Westerhamm was taken in an office in Germany – where the vessel actually was at that time should not be the decisive matter — after all ships are intended to move. While we regret last week’s missed opportunity to hold the owners of the Westerhamm accountable for circumventing European waste laws, we are satisfied to see that the public prosecutor’s office has appealed the decision."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director & Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #41

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

In this quarterly publication, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform informs about the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Providing an overview of accidents that took place on the beaches of South Asia and recent on-the-ground developments, including our activities, we aim to inform the public about the negative impacts of substandard shipbreaking practices as well as positive steps aimed at the realisation of environmental justice and the protection of workers’ rights. 

One session in this Update focuses specifically on our South Asian members and their impactful activities.

Click here or on the image below to access the full version of our quarterly report. 

Press Release – Stop South Korea’s toxic ship dumping

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

South Korean shipping companies continue to fuel environmental and human rights violations by offloading their end-of-life vessels on the beaches of South Asia for scrapping. Since 2020, 94 South Korean-owned vessels have been dismantled on the shores of Bangladesh and India under dirty and dangerous conditions, putting workers’ lives at risk and causing irreversible environmental damage.
 
In the last two years alone, three serious accidents, leading to deaths and injuries, have been reported on board South Korean vessels sent to South Asia for breaking. Yet, despite repeated calls for accountability, South Korean ship owners—including major players such as Sinokor, SK Shipping and H-Line—persist in selling their end-of-life assets to unscrupulous cash buyers and circumvent international regulations that require safe and environmentally sound disposal.
 
Most recently, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform alerted South Korean authorities to the illegal export of the vessel HL PYEONGTAEK (IMO 9061928), sold to cash buyer Best Oasis by H-Line and beached in Alang, India. H-Line has scrapped five vessels in the last five years and is about to retire the HL RAS LAFFAN (IMO 9176008).
 
In 2024 alone, at least 13 vessels were exported from South Korea to India and Bangladesh for breaking. International law is clear: all transboundary movements of hazardous waste, including end-of-life ships, must obtain Prior Informed Consent (PIC) from importing countries in line with the Basel Convention. Additionally, the export of end-of-life ships from OECD to non-OECD countries is strictly prohibited. Violations of these laws are serious environmental crimes, as evidenced by recent cases in the Netherlands and Norway where shipowners have faced heavy fines and prison for exporting vessels for scrapping in India and Pakistan.

 

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform calls on Sinokor, H-Line, SK Shipping and all other South Korean shipowners to stop scrapping their ships on the shores of South Asia. South Korean authorities must also act to end this toxic trade in breach of their international responsibilities under the Basel Convention, and actively promote a responsible and sustainable domestic ship recycling sector.

 

The South Korean Act on Promotion of Transition to a Circular Economy and Society recognises waste metal as a resource that can support society in transitioning toward a circular economic model. This act aims to facilitate the efficient use of resources throughout the entire lifecycle of products to minimise waste generation and promote sustainable practices. South Korea is a large ship building nation and has an important steel manufacturing sector. National shipping companies and the steel sector should be incentivised to find synergies on how high-quality ship scrap steel can contribute to the decarbonisation of the domestic steel industry, whilst the ship building sector should be encouraged to look at design for optimised material recovery.

"We invite South Korean civil society and media to collaborate with us in raising awareness of this issue and to ensure that ship recycling practices align with the country’s circular economy policies and sustainability commitments."
Benedetta Mantoan - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Platform News – EU must take action to end dumping of toxic ships and support capacity building

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The European Commission published its evaluation of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) earlier this month. The evaluation clearly identifies several issues that hinder the effectiveness of the EU SRR, including circumvention of the regulation through out-flagging and a lack of detailed EU standards for hazardous waste management and environmental monitoring. Yet, the Commission does not consider a swift revision of the EU SRR an adequate response.

"As identified in the evaluation, the EU SRR has not delivered the expected outcomes in terms of increasing the market share for sustainable ship recycling [1]. With no immediate plans for a review of the EU SRR, we urge the Commission to effectively adopt alternative measures that will boost capacity for sustainable ship recycling and prevent European shipping companies from dumping their toxic ships on beaches in South Asia."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The evaluation also announces an upcoming report on the feasibility of introducing a return scheme for ships trading in the EU to incentivise the use of EU-approved ship recycling facilities. Additionally, it aims to clarify the application of corrective and punitive actions in cases where deficiencies are identified during ship recycling facility inspections and highlights unannounced inspections as an essential tool for ensuring the effectiveness of the EU SRR.

 

To prevent the loss of skills in both the maritime and circular economy sectors and to boost capacity for handling the increasing number of vessels expected to reach end-of-life in the coming years, the EU’s approach to ship recycling must uphold the Polluter Pays principle and contribute to the general policy objectives of the European Green Deal, including optimised material recovery and zero-emission industrial activities. When formulating targets and policy measures under the Circular Economy Act, the Steel and Metals Action Plan, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and the new Clean Industrial Deal, ship recycling must be recognised as a key contributor to the decarbonisation of the European steel sector.

 

Furthermore, the evaluation finds that the standards set by the EU SRR and their implementation are not sufficiently aligned with EU safety and environmental acquis [2]. Consequently, the Commission intends to develop clearer criteria for the EU approval of ship recycling facilities. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform recommends incorporating measures to optimise material recovery from ships, particularly steel recycling operations. Clear requirements for environmental, health, and safety monitoring and reporting must also be established to ensure that all yards on the EU List operate fully in line with EU standards.

"Double standards have been identified, and they are unacceptable—if a practice is not allowed in the EU, it should not be approved on the EU List. There is no valid justification for allowing EU-flagged or EU-owned ships to be scrapped outside the EU under conditions that would not be permitted within the EU. Beaching—the scrapping of vessels on intertidal mudflats, as practised in all South Asian yards—is not allowed in the EU, nor does the cold re-rolling of scrap steel comply with EU standards."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

While the shipping industry is pressuring the EU to accept Indian beaching yards onto the EU List, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform warns that such a move would blatantly undermine the EU SRR’s objective of creating a level playing field that benefits yards operating in line with the EU safety and environmental acquis. It would also seriously threaten the future of the EU ship recycling sector and the recent investments made to establish new ship recycling facilities based on industrial platforms that provide full containment.

 

The evaluation rightly recognises that the International Maritime Organization’s Hong Kong Convention sets far weaker standards than the EU SRR. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform supports the EU’s efforts to take international leadership in amending the Hong Kong Convention to align with the EU SRR while ensuring full and effective implementation of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal as it applies to end-of-life ships.

"Efforts at the international level should not prevent the EU from addressing the issues that weaken the effectiveness of the EU SRR. Expanding the regulation’s scope to include beneficial ownership and introducing a financial incentive are both measures that could improve ship recycling regulations globally. The EU has a track record of taking the lead as an early adopter of safety and environmental measures, later championing their global implementation through the International Maritime Organisation. "
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The Polluter Pays principle and Extended Producer Responsibility are fundamental principles of EU environmental policies and must also apply to the shipping sector. By holding EU-based shipping companies accountable—regardless of their vessels’ flags—many more ships would fall under EU regulations, ensuring alignment with broader EU corporate accountability policies. The current opacity of ownership structures in the shipping sector poses several problems, and transparency regarding the European shipping sector’s Beneficial Owners should be ensured, starting with the public disclosure of ownership details for the 21,000 ships classified as EU-owned.

 

NOTES

 

[1] The evaluation report highlights that “shipping companies did not make the shift they were expected to make towards dismantling their ships in facilities on the European List.” It identifies flagging-out from EU registries at end-of-life as a key factor undermining the effectiveness of the regulation. While flags such as Comoros, St Kitts and Nevis, and Palau are alarmingly popular at end-of-life, many EU-owned vessels never sail under an EU flag, or only do so during their early operational years. As the evaluation notes, fewer than 40 vessels are scrapped annually under an EU flag—a figure far lower than the number of ships scrapped each year by EU shipping companies, many of which end up on South Asian beaches.

 

The report further finds that shipping companies swap their EU flags for non-EU flags to access higher prices from yards not included on the EU List. While the shipping sector presents this as a key factor in maintaining global competitiveness, the report shows that the additional revenue gained from substandard shipbreaking yards represents only 0.0020% to 0.0050% of some shipping companies' annual revenues—demonstrating that the industry can afford to manage its end-of-life fleet at facilities that meet EU standards.

 

[2] Some EU-approved yards in Turkey have been found lacking essential environmental safeguards, such as oil-water separators and functional wastewater collection systems, leading to direct environmental discharge. These deficiencies contrast sharply with wastewater management requirements for yards in EU/EFTA countries. Moreover, facilities operating in Aliaga have not undergone an Environmental Impact Assessment or obtained an environmental licence in accordance with Turkish regulations. These are serious concerns that do not align with EU standards for the safe and environmentally sound management of hazardous waste.