Brazil’s federal environmental watchdog Ibama is taking measures to ensure the nation’s big exporters do not offload their older ships to unsafe ship recyclers in south Asia.
A legal framework is being put in place whereby the likes of Vale and Petrobras will no longer be able to sell their ships for scrap to yards deemed not safe or green by Ibama. Companies could be fined around $3m if they are found to have sent their ships to substandard breaking yards under new laws being set up in the Latin American nation.
Ibama was forced into action after being lobbied earlier this year by NGO Shipbreaking Platform and subsequently Sindmar, Brazil’s maritime trade union.
