Press Release – Investigations on the Harrier tighten as it reaches Turkey for recycling
Norwegian press DN revealed this summer that Aqualis Offshore and insurance company Skuld Maritime Agency are under investigation for their involvement in the attempt to illegally export the Harrier to Pakistan for scrapping. Aqualis Offshore issued two certificates for the ship – one for a break-up voyage to Pakistan, another for a voyage to Dubai – and it is suspected that the latter was issued to dupe Norwegian authorities in order to circumvent the European waste export ban. Skuld Maritime Agency was involved in issuing the last-voyage insurance for the vessel and is therefore being investigated for having aided the illegal export.
The former and current owners of the ship, Georg Eide and cash buyer Wirana, are also targeted in the ongoing investigations, and risk being held criminally liable for their attempt to illegally export the Harrier.

Another owner, Herbjorn Hansson of Nordic American Tankers, is under the spotlight in Norway for having sold eight vessels for beaching. Reactions to these revelations have been strong with the Norwegian Oil Pension Fund as well as the banks DNB and Nordea condemning beaching as a method for breaking ships.
The Norwegian Environment Agency urges ship owners to use facilities that have been approved by the EU for the recycling of their vessels, regardless of the flag of their ship. Its director, Ellen Hambro, states that it is unacceptable to endanger workers’ health and pollute the environment in developing countries for the sake of higher profits.

Yesterday the Harrier arrived in Aliaga, Turkey, where it will be recycled in line with the European waste laws. Waste Management company Norsk Gjennvinning will be supervising the process.

Related news

Platform News – CirclesOfLife leads the charge toward sustainable shipyard practices
Comprising members from shipyards, industry associations, civil society organizations, academia, and classification societies, CirclesOfLife is a consortium committed to driving progress toward circular, zero-impact shipping through collaborative efforts.
... Read More
Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #10
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform publishes today the tenth South Asia Quarterly Update, a briefing paper in which it informs about the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh, India and… Read More

Press Release – Another Dutch ship owner faces huge fine for having beached a vessel
Dutch ship owner Holland Maas Scheepvaart Beheer II BV has been fined 780.000 EUR and paid a settlement of 2.2 million EUR – totaling to a price… Read More

Press Release – Platform publishes list of ships dismantled worldwide in 2017
European ship owners top the list of global dumpers: the EU must do more to reverse this scandal According to new data released today by the… Read More

Platform News – Investigative journalists catch Maersk red-handed in Alang
Investigative journalists from Danwatch today release their comprehensive report on the reality inside Shree Ram shipbreaking yard in Alang, India, where the Maersk Georgia and Maersk… Read More

Press Release – NGOs organise event on sustainable maritime transport on 31 May in Lisbon
On 31 May, between 2PM and 7:30PM, the NGOs ZERO, Sciaena, NGO Shipbreaking Platform and Circular Economy Portugal are organising the conference “Waves of change: towards circular… Read More

Press Release – NGOs denounce dangerous working conditions after major explosion at Gadani shipbreaking yard in Pakistan killing at least 21 workers
A major blast caused by several gas cylinder explosions onboard an oil production and storage tanker, beached at Gadani shipbreaking plot number 56, killed at least 21… Read More

Platform News – SAVE THE DATE: “Black Gold’s Green Legacy” on 22 and 28 June 2017 in Brussels
The European Economic and Social Committee’s Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) and The European Parliament (EP) are organizing, with the support of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform,… Read More