« Shipbreaking » # 47. The clear mirror of globalization
From January 1 to March 31, 2017, 225 ships out 240 were being demolished in India, in Bangladesh, in Pakistan, in China and in Turkey. 44 left for Asia for their last voyage under flags of financial or diplomatic convenience such as St. Kitts and Nevis, Palau, Togo, Niue or Mongolia. 76 ships had been built in Europe with European steel and Russian or Canadian asbestos. Only 5 ships are being broken up in European facilities.
Panama Papers in Brest
The Captain Tsarev has been rusting for 7 and a half years in basin n°5 of the commercial port of Brest. Built in 1982 in Lübeck (Germany), 153.60m in length, the ship suffered an engine failure and was towed to the Brittany port in November 2008. She never left. The crew has not been paid, 15 of the 24 Russian and Ukranian crew members disembarked in February 2009, the others remained on board until September 2009. The Captain Tsarev has been visited, pillaged, squatted, and suffered a fire in September 2014. The Russian ship-owner based in Piraeus (Greece) no longer gives any sign of life. The vessel is a dump. She contains 4 to 500 t of extinguishing water following the fire, asbestos and 5 to 600 t of fuel. She flies the Panama flag.
Panama Papers in Brest
The Captain Tsarev has been rusting for 7 and a half years in basin n°5 of the commercial port of Brest. Built in 1982 in Lübeck (Germany), 153.60m in length, the ship suffered an engine failure and was towed to the Brittany port in November 2008. She never left. The crew has not been paid, 15 of the 24 Russian and Ukranian crew members disembarked in February 2009, the others remained on board until September 2009. The Captain Tsarev has been visited, pillaged, squatted, and suffered a fire in September 2014. The Russian ship-owner based in Piraeus (Greece) no longer gives any sign of life. The vessel is a dump. She contains 4 to 500 t of extinguishing water following the fire, asbestos and 5 to 600 t of fuel. She flies the Panama flag.
Where is she going?
Press Release Modern Express no.2
The amended European Union Directive of June 27, 2002 asks all member States to establish plans to accomodate ships in distress in their ports or in any other protected area in the best possible conditions.
The Modern Express is currently under tow and is heading further out to sea. It is understandable that the French maritime authorities initially wish to keep her away from an inhospitable coastline.
Nevertheless, in order to avoid a shipwreck in the middle of the sea, or a potential sinking of the vessel in the Bay of Biscay, it is essential to designate a place of refuge where the salvage teams could benefit from better weather and technical conditions necessary to correct the list of the Modern Express. The vessel is currently in waters under French jurisdiction.
The solitary journey of the Modern Express
The scenario of the ship that refuses to sink is a familiar situation for rescue teams and maritime authorities since the Liberty Ship Flying Entreprise ran adrift in the English Channel in the winter of 1952. A notable difference with the Modern Express is that the master stayed on board till the very end, until he was evacuated, following 15 days of drift and futile efforts to restore the stability of the vessel.
Although relatively recently built, a number of deficiencies have been reported on the Modern Express in the Port of Antwerp since 2012.
