Onerous shipbreaking rules are another reason to fear the menace of safety to one's freedom
 Environmental extremism, widely supported by power-hungry states worldwide, start of with a basic lie. In the case of ship scrapping - or "recycling" to use the sanitized term - the lie comes with the claim that being green and clean brings greater financial benefits than old, out-moded ways do not.
Not always of course. But that is only explained later. There are always exceptions, say greenies. In fact, if truth be known - almost never. But such an exception was cited in Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide, which published an article of a green recycler, Priya Blue Industries Pvt Ltd, of Gujarat, India.
Said Priya Blue: "An instance can be cited where a vessel caught fire and subsequently, it was sold to a recycling yard in Korea. However, due to the lack of adequate infrastructure and trained workforce at the yard, the same vessel was resold and ended up at a non-compliant yard in Bangladesh. This could have been prevented if the owner had initially sold the vessel to a proper green ship recycling facility, and the seller would have received a much better financial bargain as well."
Are the proponents of green ship recycling really arguing that it would have been cheaper to go to Priya Blue Industries or another green recycler at first than to go to that non-compliant yard in Bangladesh in the first place? No, of course not. A contention that is not made cannot be refuted. So best not make it.
What had always been done - at less expense - without undue interference in the past is now invested with bureaucrats and ladies with clipboards ticking boxes and generally getting in the way of men at work doing what they have always done.
But Priya Blue Industries has words of comfort. "We could contribute towards ensuring that vessels are recycled properly by supporting facilities with the ability and power to do so. Companies like Best Oasis are available to help and assist shipowners and ensure that they comply with all necessary regulations while providing the financial advantage to shipowners."
Oh joy of joy more rules to comply with - Everyman's dream!
Priya Blue admits there are times when owners are disturbed by these bureaucratic intrusions. "Complying with these standards and regulations", it concedes, "can be an enormous challenge for shipowners who are unaware of these regulations, especially in regions where regulation implementation is lacking.
"In many cases, shipowners and insurance companies exhibit apprehension toward these intricate regulations, especially upon encountering vessel-related troubles.
"Owing to their limited knowledge or unfamiliarity with the subject matter, and fears of these regulations and NGOs, shipowners often resort to giving their vessels to recycling yards that might not have the appropriate expertise and facilities for safe and sustainable recycling, without undertaking a comprehensive and meticulous evaluation of the recycling facility.
"The absence of requisite infrastructure and inadequate training of workers in a facility can be a cause for concern, especially when it results in non-compliance with regulations governing the safe and sustainable recycling of ships," the Priya Blue article said.
Ship recycling has become a complex and hazardous process as ships contain a wide range of hazardous materials and have intricate structures that include numerous compartments, systems and components.
Said Priya Blue: "Ship recycling can have significant environmental repercussions if dangerous items are not removed and disposed of correctly."
But the main point of the article seems to be to remind shipowners of the rules and regulation that grow more Himalayan every year.
"The ship recycling industry is subject to a complex web of international regulations, which includes the Basel Convention, that governs the transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous waste. Also, the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships which mandates that ships undergoing recycling do not pose any unwarranted risk to human health, safety, or the environment, and European Union Ship Recycling Regulation (EUSRR) that sets out a number of additional requirements that go beyond those set in the Hong Kong Convention. There exist NGOs as well for recycling who fight against beaching of ships in subcontinents as well as for the well being of workers," the article said.
"India has established ship recycling yards like Priya Blue that are equipped with the required infrastructure and expertise to manage large vessels, with heavy machinery, cutting-edge technologies, and appropriate facilities for the safe handling of hazardous materials. Over time, Indian ship recyclers have acquired expertise in the safe and efficient dismantling of vessels. They have made noteworthy progress in enhancing their processes and adhering to international standards. Although the ship recycling sector in India has received environmental criticism in the past, significant advances have been made to resolve these problems.
“India, a wise choice for vessel recycling, where old ships find new beginnings, a land where sustainability is key, And the environment is given wings,” said the Priya Blue article.
One might be convinced that it is too late to do anything to restore free choice to the high seas, one of whose only blessing was that a man could do what he liked, make deals that could be freely contracted between consenting adults without state approval.
One might be convinced that such a cause is hopeless, but the times, they are a changing. And things as unrelated and seemingly remote from each other as transgender politics and the rise of digital currency are changing too. The bureaucracy is moving swiftly to deliver a coup de grace on fundamental freedoms and civil liberties, but either they miscalculated the reaction, or thought it the work of a minority of extremist malcontents, and failed to see a ground swell building against these wokish trends.
Much effort must be expended to reverse the regulatory juggernaut that has crushed free choice in shipping and curtailed every traditional freedom enjoyed routinely in the western world.
In this area, one might start small canvassing one's peers' position on abolishing the requirement to remove wrecks sunk at sea unless they pose an actual risk of danger that can be reasonably demonstrated. As the Canadian Army says, if ordered to eat an elephant, one starts with the tail. |
