More ships scrapped on Asian beaches in 2023

NGO Shipbreaking Platform says 325 ocean-going commercial ships and offshore units were taken apart on beaches in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan in 2023.

They account for 85% of 446 major vessels scrapped globally, most of which originally belonged to shipping companies in East Asia and Europe. In 2022, 292 of 443 end-of-life ships were scrapped on the three Asian beaches.

The latest report from the ngo indicates at least six workers lost their lives on the beach of Chattogram, Bangladesh last year and another 19 were severely injured.

China tops list

It says China heads the list of country dumpers in 2023. Hong Kong, UAE, Thailand, Greece, Russia and South Korea follow, each with more than a dozen ships beached.

‘Despite the existence of state-of-the-art ship recycling facilities at national level, Chinese owners sold 71 vessels for scrapping in South Asia, 59 of which were beached in Bangladesh.

‘While China has banned the import of waste as part of its efforts to clean its own environment and improve the quality of life of its citizens, the Chinese shipping industry is getting away with dumping its toxic waste on some of the most vulnerable communities and environments in the world.’ 

Re-flagging

The ngo accuses ship owners breaching environmental and labour laws. It says middle-men scrap dealers re-name, re-register and re-flag end-of-life ships in an attempt to conceal original ownership. Almost half of the ships beached in 2023 had new flags only weeks before hitting the beach. The flags of Cameroon, Comoros, Mongolia, Palau, St Kitts & Nevis and Tanzania were particularly popular.

Founder Ingvild Jenssen says it is impossible to take apart a ship on a beach in an environmentally sustainable and safe way. ‘Shipping companies are dodging their responsibility to make sure their toxic waste does not harm workers’ health and sensitive coastal environments.’