Shipbreaking is a hazardous industry with devastating human and environmental impacts. The vast majority of ships end up on beaches in South Asia, where ship owners can earn the most profit at the end of ship’s operational life. The discussion will be focused on how the widespread shipbreaking practice is in breach of environmental justice, and will consider common strategies to hold the shipping industry accountable.
Just as the goods they transport, ships too become waste when they reach the end of their operational lives. Shipbreaking is a heavy and hazardous industry with a devastating human and environmental impact. At the expense of vulnerable workers and exploiting weak enforcement of existing environmental and labour laws, the vast majority of ships end up on beaches in South Asia as that is where ship owners can earn most profit.
The discussion will be focused on how this practice is in breach of:
– environmental justice, and;
– is aimed at finding common strategies to hold the shipping industry accountable.
Speakers: Sara Costa & Rizwana Hasan
Moderator: Ingvild Jenssen
Organisers:
NGO-Shipbreaking Platform is a global coalition of 18 organizations (in Europe, USA and South Asia) working to reverse the environmental and social impacts of the shipbreaking practices on the beaches of South Asia in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Our member organization- Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) – has played an important role in promoting environmental justice in Bangladesh. BELA has initiated landmark rulings on the shipbreaking industry, being able to prevent the import of toxic end-of-life vessels to the country.
