Greenpeace calls on Malta to act on ship pollution

Greenpeace activists yesterday scaled the gates of the Competitiveness and Communications Ministry in Sta Venera to display a banner with the words Clean Shipbreaking Now, calling for an immediate solution to the "inhuman trade of toxic ships".

Greenpeace is calling on Malta to act on the growing environmental pollution in Asian countries caused by shipbreaking.

It is asking the government to guarantee the clean breaking of Maltese-flagged oil tankers and to bring the issue of polluting ship dismantling onto the EU agenda.

"Malta should take a leading role in correcting the problem," said Greenpeace campaigner Erdem Vardar. It expected Competitiveness and Communications Minister Censu Galea to put the issue on the agenda of the EU transport ministers meeting in Luxembourg next week.

"Since there are many single-hull oil tankers registered in Malta, the country can play an important role in the EU," Mr Vardar maintained.

The activisits presented a report, Destination Unknown: European Single-Hull Oil Tankers... No place To Go, and an EU flag, with the words Clean Shipbreaking Now, to ministry officials in the absence of the minister, who is abroad.

They were then told by the police, who arrived on the scene shortly after the protest began, to descend the gate.

The event was staged a week after the international ban on single-hull tankers, which was pushed by the EU, entered into force.

Greenpeace representatives had met Mr Galea last October, when, they said, he promised to consider measures. However, no action has been taken yet, they maintained.

Mr Vardar said about 600 vessels worldwide are removed from service every year. These end-of-life ships, containing asbestos, toxic chemicals and heavy metals, head to poor Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Greenpeace research shows that the burden of toxic ships being dumped on Asian beaches is estimated to grow in the next five years due to the recent global ban on single-hull tankers.

As a result, more than 2,000 oil tankers will be decommissioned protecting the beaches of Europe but leading to the dumping of even more ships in Asia. The EU pushed for the phase-out to protect its shores from oil pollution, meaning it was being exported to Asian countries, which was "unacceptable" for the whole world.

More than 2,000 oil tankers can be translated into 130 million litres of oil residue, which means twice the oil pollution caused by the Prestige in Spain.

The environmental organisation pointed out that 14 per cent of European-flagged tankers were registered under the Maltese flag. Mr Vardar said Malta was the leading country, with 61 single-hull oil vessels, thereby "carrying serious responsibility in the shipbreaking issue".

Malta needed to push the EU, which would push the International Maritime Organisation to find a real, international solution, he said.

Greenpeace is urging EU institutions to take urgent action on EU-controlled single-hull oil tankers by enforcing the EU Waste Shipment Regulation and to fight the lack of transparency in shipping.

It is also demanding an immediate commitment from EU transport ministers and the European Commission so that the toxic burden of Europe's ships for scrap does not end up on Asian beaches.

With reference to what it called the "illegal stunt by Greenpeace" at the Ministry for Competitiveness and Communications, the ministry said that when it comes to the promotion of environment protection and maritime safety, "Malta has always taken a very active role in international fora".

The ministry said in a statement that Malta is committed, through the relevant international merchant shipping organisations, such as the International Maritime Organisation, to see that activities related to merchant shipping should become more environmentally sustainable and that safety standards are steadily improved.

"Malta holds a very good track record and has been very active in adopting and enacting legislation that is sensitive to issues affecting ship safety and environmental regulations," the ministry said.

The ministry added that it does not condone illegal stunts, that are self-gratifying attempts at attracting public attention.