SHIPPING INDUSTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR DEATHS IN BANGLADESHI SHIPBREAKING YARDS

20 June 2000

NEW DELHI/AMSTERDAM -– Greenpeace today squarely blamed international ship owners and operators for the deaths of more than 40 workers in the two recent explosions aboard ships being scrapped in Bangladeshi shipbreaking yards.

"The disasters and the deaths of the workers in Bangladesh was totally avoidable. International ship owners and the Bangladeshi shipbreakers are party to the crime of sacrificing the workers’ lives for their personal profits," said Nityanand Jayaraman, Asia Toxics Campaigner for Greenpeace in India.

Both explosions, aboard MV Dena on May 31 and aboard MV Tanko on June 14 at the Chittagong shipbreaking yard, occurred because the owners of Dena and Tanko failed to decontaminate their ships of gas and oil to ensure the safety of workers operating with torch-cutting equipment.

Greenpeace has consistently highlighted that the export of ships-for-scrap to Asia without decontaminating the ships of hazardous substances such as oil and gas, asbestos and other toxic substances is tantamount to waste dumping.

The international environmental pressure group has also urged the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to establish an international regulations regarding the preparation of ships that are to be dismantled as a matter of urgency. Such regulation should ensure that ship owners and operators decontaminate ships prior to scrapping and, therefore, ensure the safety of workers and environment.

The Bangladesh Government, which currently chairs the IMO’s shipbreaking consultation group, has remained silent on the environmental and working conditions at the Chittagong shipbreaking yard. Greenpeace has, however, alerted the Bangladesh Government to the fact that failure to acknowledge the problem could eventually result in closure of Bangladeshi shipbreaking yards due to international pressure.

"We hope the Bangladesh Government realises the gravity of the situation and joins hands with other shipbreaking nations to demand international regulation for the decontamination of ships-for-scrap prior to their export to Asia," said Marcelo Furtado, leader of Greenpeace’s toxic trade campaign team.

Following increased deaths due to explosions and fires in Indian shipbreaking yards, the Indian Government mandated a "gas-free for hotworks" certificate that ensured that the insides of ships were decontaminated of explosive gas or oil seams before import into the country. According to Indian shipbreakers and government sources, this requirement has significantly reduced casualties.

However, they also point out that, as a result of the Indian mandate, part of the problem has been exported to Bangladesh. Failure to regulate the import or breaking of ships-for-scrap in Bangladesh has made it the preferred destination for hazardous ships-for-scrap from unscrupulous ship owners and operators.

"The shipbreaking disasters are proof enough that the unequal application of local environmental or worker safety laws can never be expected to deal with an international problem. The Governments of India and Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and other shipbreaking nations should realise that if they want their shipbreaking industries to survive, they have to apply the "Polluter Pays" principle and ensure that the ship owners and operators are held responsible and financially liable for the safety of workers," said Jayaraman.

Greenpeace will take up the issue with Bangladesh Government next month.

Nityanand Jayaraman, Mobile: + 91 982 019 4022 Marcelo Furtado: 55-11-30661165

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Nityanand Jayaraman, Mobile: + 91 982 019 4022
- Marcelo Furtado: +55 11 30661165

For more information please go here:
www.greenpeace.org/~toxics/html/content/action.html