Indian National Shipowners' Association (INSA) reiterated the need for the ratification of Hong Kong Convention. At a meeting held at Mumbai, The Japanese Shipowners’ Association, represented by the chairman of the Ship Recycling Committee, Mr. Keijo Tomoda and Indian National Shipowners' Association, represented by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Anil Devli jointly pushed for the need for expeditious ratification of the Hong Kong Convention on Ship Recycling.
The Hong Kong International Convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships or HKC is a multilateral convention adopted in 2009 which has not entered into force as it is awaiting ratification by the large ship recycling countries like China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Countries such as Turkey, Germany, and Japan have already ratified the convention.
Mr. Anil Devli, CEO, INSA, said, “Early ratification of the HKC will ensure that the Indian ship recycling yards would substantially benefit. This is expected to lead to a growth of Indian ship recyclers in Alang, Gujarat as it would also raise increased business for Indian ship breakers and would also multiply employment opportunities”.
The Japanese government has been active in Alang, Gujarat to help the ship recycling facilities in Gujarat to upgrade with safe and environmentally friendly processes. With the encouragement of the Japanese Government, the number of HKC compliant yards in Alanghas reached 68 as on November 2018 as against nil in 2012.
Both the associations also discussed the impact of the European Unions Ship Recycling Rules (EUSRR) and INSA voiced its concern at the way the EU SRR could take away business and employment opportunity from India as well as add to the compliance costs of Indian shipyards. Both parties agreed to work in a coordinated manner on this issue.
