India
The yards in Alang is famous in the shipbreaking industry. Located along the bank of the Arabian Ocean and concentrated around a coastal area named Alang of Vabhnagar, in the state of Gujarat, almost 3000 kilometers from Chittagong, Bangaldesh. The Alang shipbreaking yards started scrapping ships in 1983.
Dump Management System
The dump management yard, created by the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), started it activities 2006. There are several large holes in the yard, which are covered from top to bottom by a thick layer of plastic. The waste materials from the ships are bought by truck and placed into these holes and once full, it is covered up with soil. Another hole is then dug out.
An asbestos segregation center where the toxic materials are separated from other waste is also due to open.
Training and Welfare Center
This training and welfare center is organized by the GMB. It's designed to train workers on risk management, security and safety in the shipbreaking yards. Three kinds of training are delivered in this center: basic training, advanced training and training for the foremen. The basic training is for three days with between 30 to 35 workers. The center has completed 53 basic trainings. After the basic training, advanced training is available. After completing the training, the center issues the workers with a certificate with which the workers can use to access health facilities.
The center use posters, steel pictures, and video clippings to educate the workers. There an indoor and outdoor auditorium in the training center. The outdoor auditorium is for the workers. They watch films or documentaries about safety in the evenings as they work during the day. Land has also been purchased by the GMB to build adequate housing for the workers.
(Source: Greenpeace website).
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China
In China shipbreaking looks less dramatic than on Indian or Bangladeshi beaches. Vessels are broken up in docks with more cranes and machinery. But in fact the working conditions are similar in shipbreaking yards all over Asia.
Insufficient protection
In 2000 Greenpeace visited four Chinese shipbreaking yards. Workers were either not completely or insufficiently protected against toxic and hazardous materials. Toxic waste is burnt in open fires. Asbestos was removed without proper protection for workers. The carcinogenic material was sold for re-use to industries producing heating systems.
Heavily polluted
Yards were heavily polluted by oil, heavy metals and other toxic substances. Pollution has spread outside the yards as well. Greenpeace studies proved that sediments of the Pearl and Yangtze river are also polluted by toxic substances from old ships. (Source: Greenpeace website).
Pakistan
Large tonnage
The majority of ships scrapped on Pakistani beaches are oil tankers. Pakistani breakers are specialised in large tonnage vessels. In 1999 the country was the third largest shipbreaking nation but recent years have seen a decline in the industry in the area.
Crude oil tankers However since September 2001 some very large crude oil tankers have sailed to the scrapping beaches of Pakistan. Below are some of the oil tankers that were spotted sailing towards Gadani Beach:
• Energy (Crude oil tanker, 96,493 DWT* from 1974) sold for US$2.68 million
• Corona Star (Crude oil tanker, 232,750 DWT* from 1976) sold for US$8.10 million
• Ocean Jewel (Crude oil tanker, 273,711 DWT* from 1975) sold for US$5.51 million
• Andros Georgios (Crude oil tanker, 232,719 DWT* from 1976) sold for US$4.67 million
• Seascout (Crude oil tanker, 87,801 DWT* from 1975) sold for US$2.48 million
• Daring (Crude Oil tanker, 87,366 DWT* from 1976) sold for US$2.34 million
• Jade (Crude Oil tanker, 173,847 DWT* from 1976) sold for US$3.49 million
• Sea Spendour (Crude Oil tanker, 409,400 DWT*) from 1978 sold for US$6.19 million . (Source: Greenpeace website).
Turkey
Burnt cables
Cables from the ships are illegally burnt in the early morning. When burnt, highly dangerous fumes like dioxins and furans are released. Dioxins are the most toxic substances humans have ever released into the environment.
Asbestos
Asbestos containing materials (blue, white and brown) are lying all over the shipbreaking site. Also at the open dumpsite, where villagers from nearby settlements are searching for valuable materials.
Aliaga
This is Aliaga, Turkey around 50 km north of Izmir at the Aegean coast. And although Turkey is an OECD country, the environmental and working conditions are very similar to the shipbreaking countries in Asia. Shipbreaking in Aliaga began in mid 70's and officially in 1984 when the import of ship-for-scrap was allowed according to liberalisation measures of that time.
Sea Beirut
An important shipbreaking example in Turkey is the Sea Beirut. Turkey wants France to take back this ship, under the same Basel Convention. In Turkey the import of toxic ships-for-scrap is not allowed. (Source: Greenpeace website).
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