Ship shape

30 August 2010

demolition Turkey has become the latest of the five major ship recycling nations to sign a United Nations backed treaty promoting the environmentally friendly recycling of ships. The agreement was signed yesterday in London by Unal Cevikoz Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation – which developed the convention.

The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships adopted in May last year is aimed at ensuring that ships once they come to the end of their operational lives do not pose any serious risk to both human health and the environment.

The convention also deals with all the major issues surrounding ship recycling including the fact that ships sold for scrapping can contain environmentally hazardous substances such as asbestos, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons as well as o-zone-depleting substances. Regulations in the convention cover the design, construction, operation and preparation of ships so as to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling without compromising safety.

To date the convention has been signed, subject to ratification or acceptance by France, Italy, the Netherlands, Saint Kitts, Nevis and Turkey. It is also hoped that other major ship recycling nations would join the convention as soon as possible.