Shipbreaking Centered in South Asia

Shipbreaking Centered in South Asia

According to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform a total of 674 ocean-going ships and offshore vessels were dismantled worldwide in 2019, with the vast majority, 469, dismantled on the beaches of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Last year’s numbers were down slightly from the 744 vessels sold for scrap in 2018, with 518 of those demolished in the same countries listed above.

The NGO report also noted that 26 deaths and 34 severe injuries had occurred among workers at the breaking yards, with Bangladesh accounting for 24 of the deaths.

Although 2019 marked the first year of the European Union’s new Ship Recycling Regulation, which requires EU-flagged vessels to be recycled in one of 41 approved facilities, some owners have by-passed the regulation by selling or re-flagging their vessels prior to disposal.

By Pacific Maritime