A Global Outcry From Communities Seeking Ocean Justice
The Global Shipping Industry needs to be held accountable for the extensive damage caused to vulnerable habitats and their communities.
A month after the oil spill caused by the Japanese ship Wakashio on the coast of Mauritius, International Condemnation Of Global Shipping Grows, as 47 whales have been confirmed dead , including pregnant females and juveniles .
The unheard voices of affected communities
Amidst a global pandemic, several countries have been hit by the negative externalities of the Global Shipping Industry, such as oil spills releasing toxic chemicals into fragile ecosystems. In most of these countries, the communities' livelihood depends on marine health.
As a result, protesters are marching everywhere in the world to demand justice for their ocean and their communities. Justice is not only being demanded by the local government but also from the leaders of the G20 whose economies drive most of the need for global shipping.
Another key target of protesters is the International Maritime Organization (IMO) , which is responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the environmental impact of ships. Yet, IMO has failed in this role by authorizing the transport of toxic fuels in single-hull vessels near marine and coastal protected habitats.
Protest in Mauritius
Anger had risen over the past three days as images of dead mammals have circulated on social media. On Saturday 29th of August 2020, thousands of Mauritians rose in protest not only in the capital but across the globe. They expressed frustration about the handling and secrecy surrounding the Wakashio oil spill.
Protest in Beirut
On the 4th of August 2020, more than 170 people were killed and over 6,000 wounded in a massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital. The blast was the result of unlawfully stored hazardous material at the Port of Beirut.
As a result, Lebanese people have risen in protest for weeks, on Beirut's debris-strewn streets, with citizens calling for the removal of the entire political class and a restructuring of the country's political system.
Protest in London
Environmental campaigners from Extinction Rebellion , Ecohustler and other groups have repeatedly called for urgent action from the IMO to cut pollution in the Arctic from the global shipping industry.
The Threats of the Global Shipping Industry
International law limits the ability of coastal nations to impose and enforce their own environmental and navigation regulations on foreign ships passing through their waters. Instead, countries must use international conventions established through the International Maritime Organization ( IMO ) and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS ).
The International Threat of the Global Shipping Industry
A Disastrous Timeline for our Marine and Terrestrial Protected Areas
Faux Cap, Madagascar
On the 26th of August 2009, the laden bulk carrier GULSER ANA ran aground on the southern coast of Madagascar. Within a few days, the vessel suffered serious structural deterioration which led to an immediate and significant oil spill and the loss of rock phosphate cargo. This had tremendous impacts on the livelihood of the communities.
Single-Hulled Vessels
Lessons from oil spills in the past show that only double-hulled ships are safe. Single-hulled vessels are dangerous ships that need to be banned to prevent more disasters from destroying wildlife and local communities.
Indian Ocean
The Wakashio Oil Spill is not the first incident involving the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. In August 2006, the Bright Artemis crude oil tanker collided with the freighter AMAR. An estimated 4,500 tonnes of crude oil leaked from the ship into the Indian Ocean.
Indian Ocean
The Mitsui O.S.K. line has also been involved in a number of smaller incidents, including the sinking of MOL Comfort on July 2013. The ship was caught in bad weather 200 miles off the coast of Yemen. Around dawn, the ship suffered a crack at mid-ship and broke in two.
Red Sea Countries
Since July 2020, concerns have been elevated that the Red Sea region is facing one of the world’s biggest environmental crisis: an oil spill of a magnitude never before seen in such a biodiversity sensitive area.
Ban Fossil Fuel in Ships
The global shipping industry opted out of the Paris Agreement and still uses highly toxic heavy fossil fuels. The global shipping industry claims that it only makes up 3% of total global emissions. Yet, how can you ignore the catastrophic impacts of fossil fuel when it hits Marine Protect Areas, like in the case of Mauritius.
Pointe d'Esny Mauritius
In Mauritius, the marine protected areas contain a rich variety of biodiversity . The oil spill occurred amid a network of internationally protected coral and mangrove reserves in Pointe d’Esny in the South East of the country, which was also home to rearing efforts of some of the rarest plants, birds, lizards, and butterflies on the planet.
Poudre d'Or, Mauritius
On 31 August, the barge carrying oil from The Wakashio vessel collided with a tug boat pulling it. The site of the accident is an area of protected mangrove forests, dolphin and whale nursing grounds around the edges of the reefs. 15 days after the initial oil leak, it was revealed that arsenic levels from local fish caught in that region had risen 500% above normal levels .
Stronger protection for marine mammals from shipping.
Every year dozens of ocean mammals are injured or killed by whale strikes from fast-sailing large ships in sensitive areas. To ensure the safety of these mammals, policies need to be created to restrict ships' passage in these areas.
Beirut, Lebanon
Prior to the explosion, the Rhosus vessel carried highly explosive ammonium nitrate into the Port of Beirut. Lebanese officials impounded the ship for breaching IMO standards and failing to pay charges including port fees. The ship was registered in Moldova, where ship registry is laxer.
End The 'Flags of Convenience' Regime.
For a decade, the G20 leaders have talked about ending Tax Havens. Yet, they allow the use of 'Flags of Convenience', giving the global shipping laxer regulations, such as the weak oversight allowing the Moldovan-flagged ship to carry such a dangerous cargo into the Port of Beirut.
Ships should be flagged where their head offices are and held to account. Why was a Japanese company running a ship that is flagged in Panama (a country it has never been to) into the waters of Mauritius? This allows shipping organizations to evade their responsibilities.
Venezuela
First detected on the 2nd of August 2020, Venezuela experienced a major oil spill in a region home to economically important fisheries and vulnerable marine life.
Warning about collateral damage from oil spill cleanup operations
In highly protected coastline areas of Mauritius and Venezuela, there has been growing concern about the use of chemical clean-up agents . Such chemicals (called dispersants) break down the oil into visible particles that become easier to be absorbed by marine creatures and corals.
Sri Lanka
On the 3rd of September 2020, an oil supertanker caught fire off the coast of Sri Lanka and began spilling oil. The risk of another Panama-flagged vessel so soon after Panama-flagged Wakashio's oil spill raises even more questions about the ability of the world’s largest ship registry to safely oversee vessels under its responsibility.
Omura Whales: the new and rare species of whale recently discovered in Sri Lanka’s waters
In 2017, Sri Lanka’s National Geographic Young Explorer, Asha de Vos , had discovered a rare species of whales in Sri Lanka’s waters for the first time. If the 2 million barrels of oil were to leak, it could spell devastation to many of the marine mammals that live in vibrant habitats along the coast of Sri Lanka.
40 Crew And 6,000 Cows Feared Drowned As Yet Another Panama-Flagged Ship Breaks Apart
On the 2nd of September 2020, the Panama-flagged vessel Gulf Livestock 1 sunk off the coast of Japan after it had been caught up in Typhoon Maysak . 40 crew members were reported missing with only 3 survivors found so far. The Gulf Livestock 1 ship was also carrying 5867 cows for breeding in China.
The vessel had been regularly inspected but had a history of deficiencies . It had once been detained once by Australian authorities. It is the responsibility of the flag state, in this case Panama, to ensure vessels under its registration comply with maritime safety standards and laws.
Shipbreaking: A dangerous & Dirty Business
Only a fraction of ships ends their operational lives in a safe and clean manner. The vast majority of the world's end-of-life fleet, full of toxic substances, is simply broken down - by hand - on the beaches of South Asia. There, unscrupulous shipping companies exploit minimal enforcement of environmental and safety rules to maximize profits.
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform is a global coalition of organisations working to reverse the environmental harm and human rights abuses caused by current shipbreaking practices and to ensure the safe and environmentally sound dismantling of end-of-life ships worldwide.
Find out more here:
International NGO criticism of global shipping industry
The international NGO community have also started to raise serious questions about the role of the global shipping industry in this incident. In a statement to Forbes, global ocean protection NGO, Ocean Conservancy has called for a full and independent investigation into the whale and dolphin deaths in Mauritius.
A call to Action: Your voice matters!
How much more destruction must we see from the global shipping industry and its global regulator - the IMO - that seems out of touch and no longer fit for purpose.
No longer can the G20 Leaders dance around these issues - they need to fix global shipping now. Here are four concrete actions we demand of G20 Leaders:
1. End The 'Flags of Convenience' Regime.
2. Ban Fossil Fuel in Ships.
3. Ban dangerous Single-Hull ships that use toxic fuels in its engines.
4. Stronger protection for marine mammals from the global shipping industry.
