- At least five workers were injured during shipbreaking activities on South Asian beaches in Q2 2025, as 74 ships were dismantled globally.
- The NGO Shipbreaking Platform criticizes the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) for weak enforcement, lack of labour protections, and potential to legitimize unsafe practices.
- Developments across Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan show growing policy engagement, but challenges persist in ensuring truly sustainable ship recycling.
In its latest quarterly update, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform has spotlighted the ongoing environmental and human rights concerns associated with shipbreaking in South Asia, while also addressing the implications of the recently enforced Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC).
Injuries Continue Amid Global Ship Dismantling Activity
From April to June 2025, a total of 74 ships were dismantled globally. Despite this activity, the NGO reported that at least five workers were injured while dismantling vessels on South Asian beaches, underscoring persistent safety concerns in the region’s informal shipbreaking yards.
Regional Developments Reflect Policy Movement
In Bangladesh, workers rallied on May Day demanding improved wages and safer working conditions, while some shipbreaking yards are shutting down even as new expansion applications continue. Notably, the country’s Ship Recycling Board has become active again after seven years of inactivity.
India has also made policy strides, with the state of Maharashtra approving a shipbuilding and recycling policy aimed at regulating the sector. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the province of Balochistan is preparing to introduce a shipbreaking-specific law, signaling an intent to formalize and oversee the industry more effectively.
Hong Kong Convention Under Fire for Structural Weaknesses
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of the HKC. While it introduces the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) and other positive elements, the Convention lacks robust enforcement, independent oversight, binding labour standards, and clear mandates against beaching practices—key gaps that could undermine its stated goals.
The NGO emphasized that the HKC’s current framework does not ensure environmentally sound and safe recycling of ships. Instead, it risks legitimizing dangerous and polluting operations while shielding powerful economic players from scrutiny.
Call for Alignment with Stronger Global Standards
The NGO argues that aligning the HKC with more stringent international regulations—particularly the European Union Ship Recycling Regulation—would be a critical first step in making the Convention meaningful.
“The entry into force of the HKC does not, in itself, mark progress toward sustainable ship recycling,” said Ingvild Jenssen, Executive Director and Founder of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. “Instead, it risks granting international legitimacy to exploitative and polluting practices, while protecting powerful economic interests from accountability.”
Basel Convention Must Remain the Benchmark
The NGO warns that promoting the HKC as a replacement for stronger legal tools—most notably the Basel Convention and its Ban Amendment—would be a major setback. These frameworks remain the only binding international agreements effectively restricting the export of hazardous ships to countries unequipped to handle toxic waste.
According to the Platform, for ship recycling to become genuinely safe and sustainable, governments must uphold and enforce the Basel Convention and reject the HKC as a credible alternative in its current form.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free Click here to Subscribe!
Source: safety4sea
