Shipbreaking in the Indian subcontinent - Practices, consequences and applicable legislation

Abstract

Shipbreaking activities play a fundamental role in maintaining a healthy shipping market, and they are important also for the economy of the countries in which they are carried out. However, unless regulated and monitored properly, these activities can generate negative consequences: in fact, pollution of the air, the water and the soil in major shipbreaking locations has seriously damaged the ecosystem, and the quality of life of the local population has decreased. Even inside shipbreaking yards, the situation is alarming: many workers are exploited and deprived even of basic rights, and they risk their lives due to lack of protective equipment, rudimentary breaking methods and poor health and safety rules. Shipbreaking in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh brings in lots of scrap steel, employment and revenues, but at a very high price. The conditions under which shipbreaking takes place in South Asia would not be considered acceptable in any developed country. However, shipbreaking benefits from being an “overlooked” and secretive industry which does not attract much attention from the general public, and as a result, few shipowners so far have suffered any backlash for their choices. The international nature of shipbreaking also raises issues for law adoption and enforcement: in fact, while appropriate regulations are already in place, they are relatively easy to circumvent, and the countries which need them the most often do not have the resources and/or the willpower to effectively enforce them. For these reasons, cooperation between shipowners, shipbreaking yards, financial institutions, NGOs, flag states and shipbreaking countries will be crucial for improving labor and environmental conditions in shipbreaking areas, and for ensuring a sustainable development for South Asian coastal communities.