SOS Cosette

The 9th commitment of the “Grenelle de la Mer” (Seas Summit, environmental roundtables about the sea and the coastline in France in 2009) regarding the development of a local end-of-life ship scrapping and recycling process struggles to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Yet it was specified that this commitment, which is supported by the current Ministry of Transport, covered overseas territories. According to converging information that is still confidential, the prefect of Martinique is about to order the immersion of Cosette IMO 6617025, a 99-meter long roll-on roll-off cargo ship abandoned 4 years ago at Fort-de-France. The same drastic operation, which is illegal with regard to the international commitments of France, could also happen to Lady Grace II, which is a 48-meter long coaster, unclaimed, that has also remained in Fort-de-France since October 2008, whereas her location favors, or rather requires, her destruction in situ.

These immersions would take place outside of territorial waters in an area designated by authorities for dumping. This would be at the same location that the Master Endeavour, a “drug cargo ship”, was sunk in July 2008.

Martinique and Guadeloupe need, economically and technologically speaking, a proper dismantling industry for trade ships, fishing boats, pleasure boats, and National Marine fleet based in Caribbean waters. This industry is fully in line with the autonomous management plan for island waste, especially as some particularly violent hurricanes damage many pleasure boats beyond repair.