The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has launched a data-driven website which lists all the ships that have been sent for breaking on the beaches of South Asia since 2009.
On the website, more than 1000 shipping companies that commercially benefited from selling their ships for breaking in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are listed. It is well documented that shipbreaking on the South Asian beaches causes labour rights violations and severe environmental degradation.
Off the Beach Campaign
The www.offthebeach.org website is the backbone of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s Off the Beach! campaign, which aims to raise awareness on harmful shipbreaking practices and to promote clean and safe ship recycling. The campaign is not only targeted at the shipowners‘ community, but also at consumers and cargo owners by enabling them to choose responsible shipowners to carry their goods around the world.
Hong Kong Convention Does Not Address Beaching
The database documents more than 2600 ships that were scrapped in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan since 15 May 2009, the date when the IMO's Hong Kong Convention was adopted by the international community. This demonstrates the Hong Kong Convention does nothing to prevent or stop the beaching practices.
In fact, more ships have been beached annually since Hong Kong was adopted. The Off the beach database includes information on the shipping companies that sold these vessels to substandard shipbreaking facilities, including an overview of their operational fleet (more than 14,000 ships), so that cargo owners can make an informed decision on who they choose to do business with.
Blog with Success Stories and Setbacks
Some of the shipping companies listed for having sent ships to substandard facilities since 2009 have meanwhile changed their recycling policies. These success stories are featured in the blog section of the website, where the Platform will also showcase disappointing setbacks.
