The Pitfalls Of Recycling Ships

The Vessel "Margaret Hill" At Southampton Docks

Ships and shipping have been subject to regulations which seek

to minimise pollution and environmental damage for many years.

Issues such as the quality of the fuel used by ships and the

disposal of ships waste whether it be rubbish or dirty water slops

are strictly governed.

Traditionally at the end of a ship's working life it ends up

on the beaches of India, Pakistan or Bangladesh having been sold

for scrap. The ship is then painstakingly broken apart by local

workers on local beaches where they are run up at high tide. This

is profitable work but dangerous and dirty. It has also come under

scrutiny because it is considered environmentally damaging - to the

beaches and the workers involved.

The shipping industry has recently attempted to regulate the

recycling of ships. The Hong Kong International Convention for the

safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships 2009 was adopted

in August this year. It is to be known as the Hong Kong Convention.

It seeks to regulate the operation of any recycling facilities,

their registration and to agree an appropriate enforcement

mechanism for clean ship recycling. The Convention has not yet been

turned into law. The Convention remains open for ratification by

member states from September 2009 to August 2010.

The UK authorities appear to have "jumped the gun" and

not waited for the Hong Kong Convention to be ratified. On

7th August 2009 the liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier

"Margaret Hill" was detained by the Environment Agency in

the UK as she attempted to leave English waters to head abroad for

scrap dismantling. The Environment Agency claimed they detained the

vessel because they were concerned that it might contain hazardous

materials such as asbestos. It was also on its way to be broken up

in a non OECD country i.e. a country which is not a party to the

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. India, to

where the ship had been ordered, is not in that particular

club.

The 50,700 ton LNG is still in Southampton. However its

ownership has no connection with this jurisdiction nor is the

flagged with the British Shipping Registry. The Environment Agency

relied upon the Basel Convention to detain the ship. That

convention deals with the movement of hazardous wastes and their

disposal internationally. Some commentators have expressed concerns

that a defunct gas carrier cannot be defined as "dangerous

goods or hazardous waste".

Thousands...