Inside the toxic hellholes where ships go to die

Toxic hellholes where ships go to die

Ever pondered the fate of colossal cruise ships and other massive vessels when they reach the end of their life? The vast majority of the world's mega vessels are broken up into just four locations: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey. Hugely controversial, these notoriously hazardous facilities have been slammed for their horrendous working conditions and significant environmental impact.

Read on to get the lowdown on these high-risk hotspots and discover the disturbing truth behind the global shipbreaking industry...

Alang, India

More than a whopping 70% of decommissioned ships are dismantled on beaches in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan according to lobby group NGO Shipbreaking Platform, which is working to reverse the human rights abuses and environmental harm that plague the industry. India's Alang is the world's largest operational shipbreaking facility. The six-mile (10km) stretch of beach in Gujarat consists of 153 boneyard plots, with between 131 and 135 in operation. They can process between 400 and 450 ships per year. Around 50 companies operate in the facility and the typical workforce numbers around 15,000.

Alang, India

Incredibly lucrative, the shipbreaking industry generates billions of dollars a year, mostly as a result of the recycling of steel, aluminium, copper and other valuable materials. Alang has acquired a total of £81.1 billion ($110.6bn) in aggregate value, including total assets, since its founding in the early 1980s. So why are ships scrapped? As vessels age, they become less efficient and more costly to maintain, while newer ships offer superior technology and amenities.

Economic downturns can reduce demand, leading to surplus capacity – the COVID pandemic for instance led to a shipbreaking boom. Additionally, vessels involved in major accidents or disasters may be deemed irreparable and scrapped. Ever more stringent regulations can also condemn an ageing ship to death.

Alang, India

The process of shipbreaking is complex and labour-intensive. The condemned ship is towed to a dry dock or beach and intentionally grounded. Alang is ideal for this thanks to its gently sloping coastline and extremely high tides. Once the ship is grounded, workers set about breaking it up with cutting torches, hydraulic shears and other tools, starting from the superstructure and working towards the hull. Any valuable materials are recovered, while hazardous waste, including asbestos and lead, is disposed of.

Alang, India

Alang has been the final destination for a multitude of vessels, from oil tankers and freighters to cruise ships. Amid the COVID pandemic, cruise lines scrapped a record number of ships before their time to slash costs and adhere to new regulations. According to Cruise Mapper and NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a total of 15 cruise ships met their end on Alang's beach between 2020 and 2022. They include Carnival's Tropicale and Grand Celebration (pictured), Norwegian Cruise Line's Dream and Wind, and the Renzo Piano-designed Karnika, which was christened by Hollywood legend Sophia Loren in 1990 as the Crown Princess.

Alang, India

Abundant cheap labour and a relative lack of regulation make Alang's boneyards extremely cost-effective. But this comes at a heavy price. According to Human Rights Watch, shipbreaking is the most dangerous job in the world, with fatal accidents all too commonplace. Workers tend to be poorly trained and frequently lack protective equipment like hard hats, masks and boots, while medical services are generally thin on the ground. Since 1984, 523 workers have been killed on Alang's beach. The official death rate for shipbreaking in India is nearly six times higher than that of mining, long considered the most perilous industry.

Alang, India

NGO Shipbreaking Platform describes Alang as a “toxic hotspot”. Alang lacks proper waste disposal facilities, so toxic materials are often simply dumped on the beach. Heavy metal contamination in the area is 20 times the Indian average. Exacerbating the problem, pollutants are spread widely during the monsoon season, damaging coastal ecosystems, agriculture and public health. Oil residues reduce underwater light, harming marine life, and pollutants also permanently change the coastal environment.

Alang, India

Important steps are reportedly being taken to improve health and safety, as well as the dismantling process, in accordance with the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling, which comes into force in 2025. Right now, an impressive 90% of the boneyards are certified. And Alang is currently undergoing an expansion, with plans for an additional 50 boneyards that will double the location's recycling capacity. Improved regulation is part and parcel of the expansion. That said, Alang has actually been in decline since 2012 mostly due to increased competition, while the entire industry is experiencing a slump. In fact, zero cruise ships were scrapped in 2023.

Chattogram, Bangladesh

Bangladesh's infamous ship boneyards are located just outside the port of Chattogram (formerly Chittagong) along a 14-mile (22km) stretch of coastline, around double the span of Alang. Chattogram has more boneyards than Alang (184 as opposed to Alang's 153) but fewer in operation (70 to 80 vs 131 to 135). Shipbreaking reportedly started in Bangladesh in 1960 when a cyclone resulted in the stranding of the Greek ship MD Alpine, but the industry was completely unregulated until 2011.

Chattogram, Bangladesh

The shipyard plays a crucial role in Bangladesh's economy since it's the source of half the steel produced in the country. This steel is put to good use in construction and other industries. The boneyards also provide employment for around 15,000 workers, who largely come from the impoverished northwest of the country.

Chattogram, Bangladesh

Chattogram hasn't broken down a cruise ship in almost a decade. Instead, the ship-breaking hub concentrates on other mega vessels such as container ships and bulk carriers. While the industry has been slowing since its peak in 2022, Chattogram processed more ships than any other location last year. Its total came to 170. By way of comparison, Alang recycled 140 in 2023. And no wonder. The Bangladeshi shipbreaking hub offers the most competitive prices, undercutting its rivals, mainly because it has the least stringent regulations, which are even more lax than Alang's.

Chattogram, Bangladesh

Working conditions in the Chattogram shipbreaking yards are generally horrific and attempts by the Bangladeshi authorities to regulate the industry have been unsuccessful. Research from Bangladeshi NGO YPSA has revealed that 1,000 workers have been killed in the yards since the 1980s, though the true figure is likely much higher. The most common causes of death include fatal crushing injuries from falling steel beams, injuries sustained from explosions and fires, as well as suffocation. Adding to the nightmare is the fact there are no medical facilities in the immediate area. And like Alang, workers are exposed to toxins that can make them very ill over the longer term and shorten their lives considerably.

Chattogram, Bangladesh

Despite the hazardous conditions and illegal status of child labour in Bangladesh, many children under 18 continue to work in the Chattogram shipbreaking yards, though exploitation of the youngest children appears to have ceased following a damning report in 2008. More vulnerable than adults to toxins and accidents, these minors face severe health risks. And since children are employed illegally, they are denied compensation and medical treatment when they do fall victim to an accident or health issue. Incredibly, no Chattogram yard owner has ever been held to account for flouting child labour laws.

Chattogram, Bangladesh

The shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh has had a devastating impact on the local terrestrial and marine ecosystems. A study published earlier this year in the Journal of Hazardous Materials found that the uncontrolled discharge of toxic waste since the boneyards have been in operation has contaminated soil, water and the food chain. High levels of arsenic, lead and cadmium were found in soil and locally grown rice and vegetables, posing significant risks to agriculture and human health.

Chattogram, Bangladesh

In terms of the area's marine ecosystem, the shipbreaking industry has contributed to the extinction of 21 species of fish and crustaceans, and has put an additional 11 species at risk, according to the Marine Institute of the University of Chittagong. Additionally, the destruction of tens of thousands of mangrove trees to make way for shipbreaking operations has left coastal communities vulnerable to flooding, typhoons and erosion. Back in 2010, Bangladesh's high court ordered the shipbreaking operators to replant 14,000 mangroves but to date, not a single tree has been replaced.

Gadani, Pakistan

Gadani in Pakistan is the other major shipbreaking hub in South Asia. Located around 31 miles (50km) northwest of the nation's largest city Karachi, the facility comprises 134 yards located along a stretch of beach spanning approximately six miles (10km). Gadani usually has a core workforce of around 5,000, which can grow to 20,000 during busy periods. Shipbreaking has been carried out on the beach for many decades, starting prior to Pakistan's independence in 1947, but it didn't become a major industry until the 1970s. During the following decade, Gadani emerged as the largest shipbreaking facility in the world but has since been overtaken by Alang and Chattogram.

Gadani, Pakistan

Like the coastlines of Alang and Chattogram, Gadani's sandy shore is ideal for beaching ships. The consistency of the sand is perfect for shipbreaking since it's firm enough to support mega-sized vessels and is neither too muddy nor too loose. Gadani has a much lower tidal range than the ship boneyards of Alang and Chattogram. In theory, this makes it easier to contain contaminants as the working environment is drier. But as we shall see, pollution is a major issue in the area.

Gadani, Pakistan

When it comes to cruise ships, Gadani has had relatively slim pickings in recent years, presumably due to its very poor working conditions and lack of regulation. During the pandemic shipbreaking boom, Gadani processed only four cruise ships: the Y Harmony, Titan (which was supposed to have been dismantled at an EU-approved facility), Royal Caribbean's MV Sun Viking (dismantled under its last name Oriental Dragon), and Costa's neoRomantica (broken up under its final name Antares Experience). The former Costa cruise ship (pictured) remains the largest vessel ever dismantled at Gadani.

Gadani, Pakistan

Gadani's shipbreaking yards have abysmal working conditions, with little attention paid to health and safety. Workers face unacceptable risks such as fires, explosions, falls and exposure to hazardous materials. Medical care is woefully inadequate. There's just one basic healthcare centre on site and the nearest hospital is in Karachi. The dangers faced by workers were tragically highlighted on 1 November 2016 when several gas cylinders on an oil tanker exploded during a dismantling operation. The devastating blast claimed at least 29 lives and injured at least 60 workers, making it the worst disaster in the history of shipbreaking.

Gadani, Pakistan

Gadani's workforce is mostly made up of poor migrants from other parts of Pakistan and countries like Myanmar. Workers, a large number of whom are illiterate, are denied proper contracts. They put in extremely long hours without overtime pay and lack basic benefits such as sick and holiday pay. As you can see from this photo, many workers toil away without adequate protection, risking their lives for appalling low rates of pay. According to the IndustriALL Global Trade Union, they earn the equivalent of just a few dollars a day typically, taking home only £67 ($88) to £152 ($200) per month.

Gadani, Pakistan

Mirroring the situation in the ship boneyards of India and Bangladesh, Gadani is an ecological catastrophe, despite its favourable geography. Toxins are dumped in the sea or burned at waste dump sites. These pollutants present a serious threat to human and animal health. In 2021, an Indonesian oil tanker teeming with toxic mercury was beached at Gadani, flouting international regulations, having been rejected by authorities in Alang and Chattogram. The ship was so toxic, Interpol issued an alert warning of its dangers. Needless to say, workers dismantling the contaminated vessel experienced severe burning, breathing difficulties and other worrying symptoms. And it's likely their long-term health has been severely affected.

Gadani, Pakistan

In any case, Gadani's days as a major shipbreaking hub appear to be numbered. In contrast to Alang and Chattogram, hardly any attempts have been made to upgrade the facility's boneyards to meet the new HKC green standards, which come into force in 2025. Just 15 ships were broken up at Gadani in 2023 compared to 140 at Alang and 170 at Chattogram. Work on the site has pretty much dried up and there are few workers there at present, apart from a small group collecting iron dust. According to GMS, the largest buyer of condemned ships, Gadani has become “virtually redundant as a viable subcontinent recycling destination”.

Aliaga, Turkey

The go-to destination for cruise ship recycling, Aliaga, which is located near Izmir on Turkey's west coast, boasts 28 shipbreaking yards, many of which are compliant with EU and HKC regulations. In operation since 1976, the shipbreaking hub employs the landing method. This involves grounding the vessel, with the front resting on the shore and the rear remaining afloat. The blocks are then lifted by cranes and into a drained and sealed workspace. While this method is more environmentally friendly than beaching, it still falls short of the gold standard, which is recycling in a fully contained area.

Aliaga, Turkey

The boneyards of Aliaga, which employ 1,200 people, did a roaring trade at the height of the COVID pandemic. As many as 18 cruise ships were broken up in its 28 yards. A total of six Carnival vessels ended up at Aliaga as the operator sought to slash costs. Its Imagination, Inspiration and Fantasy ships were recycled at the Turkish facility in 2020, followed by the Sensation and Ecstasy in 2022.

Aliaga, Turkey

Among the other notable cruise ships recycled at Aliaga during the COVID pandemic were Pullmantur's Sovereign and Monarch. A bona fide behemoth, Sovereign of the Seas was the world's biggest cruise ship when it was launched by Royal Caribbean in 1988. Around the same size, Monarch of the Seas debuted in 1991 as its sister ship.

Aliaga, Turkey

The relative youth of one of the ships scrapped at Aliaga during the pandemic raised some eyebrows. The sleek Costa Victoria, which was handed its death sentence in 2021, was in service for just 23 years, making it a whipper-snapper in cruise ship terms. Still, most of the ships that met their end at Aliaga in the early part of this decade were around 40 years old, the typical age that a cruise ship bows out for good.

Aliaga, Turkey

Aliaga may have a better safety and environmental record than the shipbreaking hubs of South Asia, but it's far from being a model of responsible and sustainable shipbreaking. The mortality rate at the facility is 30 times the nationwide average, according to a study conducted in 2022 by the Health and Safety Labour Watch of Turkey (İSİG). As per the research, at least 97 workers were killed on the job between 2013 and 2022.

Aliaga, Turkey

NGO Shipbreaking Platform's latest report on Turkey's shipbreaking industry identified irregularities in asbestos management. And in 2023, videos shot on the site showed workers removing the toxin without adequate protection. One worker wasn't even wearing a mask. An expert commenting on the videos concluded that these workers will all die in an average of 20 years from asbestosis or mesothelioma cancer of the lungs.

Aliaga, Turkey

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform report also highlighted high levels of air, soil and water pollution, as well as a lack of environmental impact assessments and poor monitoring of the sector, among other negatives. In spite of recent improvements, the global shipbreaking industry has a long way to go before it can truly mitigate the risks posed to people and the environment. Here's hoping increased regulation will pave the way for a brighter future for the sector and its long-suffering workforce.

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