Agreement Stolt Sincerity

From left to right: Otto Fritzner (managing director Shipowning Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group B.V), Martin Besieux (Greenpeace campaigner), the captain of the 'Stolt Sincerity', Walter Wattenbergh (Managing Director Europe Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group B.V) and Greenpeace campaigner Marietta Harjono. On the right are two crew members of Greenpeace vessel the Argus. These people got together on the bridge of the Stolt Sincerity for the details of the campaigners.

In original language:

Overeenkomst Stolt Sincerity

Van links naar rechts: Otto Fritzner (managing director Shipowning Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group B.V), Martin Besieux (Greenpeace campaigner), the captain of the 'Stolt Sincerity', Walter Wattenbergh (Managing Director Europe Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group B.V) en Greenpeace campaigner Marietta Harjono. Uiterst rechts, twee bemanningsleden van het Greenpeace Schip 'Argus'. Allen waren bijeen op de brug van de Stolt Sincerity.

Unique identifier: GP01MGM

Type: Image

Shoot date: 22/05/2003

Locations: Europe, Netherlands, Rotterdam Harbour

Credit line: © Greenpeace / Bas Beentjes

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

Containers

Shoot:

Toxics Agreement Vessel Stolt Sincerity Rotterdam the Netherlands

After negotiations with Greenpeace in the Port of Rotterdam, American/Norwegian shipowner Stolt Nielsen commits to prevent future pollution and health threats associated with the breaking of ships. The company has a history of dumping contaminated ships on Indian beaches. This important step needs follow up by IMO and other shipowners to safeguard Asian people and the environment. Stolt Nielsen's decision means that demolition of one of the company's vessels, the chemical tanker 'Stolt Sincerity', will be done only when the vessel has been properly decontaminated of hazardous substances, like PCBs, asbestos and oil. This is the first ship of the top 50 list of Greenpeace that will be decontaminated before delivery to the scrapyard. Stolt Nielsen agreed to study and report back to Greenpeace, and other shipping organisations including the International Maritime Organisation, Intertanko and ICS, before the end of 2003 about the possibilities to certify its tankers as contaminate-free. Greenpeace and Stolt Nielsen called upon the IMO and its parties to build on this agreement and adopt mandatory regulations for all shipowners at its upcoming meeting in July 2003. 'People in India have been suffering for years from the effects of hazardous substances as a result of ship breaking. This agreement is one small step toward protecting the environment and the people of India', said Marietta Harjono, from Greenpeace. 'The signed declaration of Stolt-Nielsen is a good base to continue further discussions with Stolt to make sure that all ships of Stolt-Nielsen will be delivered clean to the ship breaking yards'. This step comes in the same week that saw yet another explosion in Alang, India where six people died in a ship breaking yard while scrapping a vessel. This explosion serves to show the tragedies that occur when shipowners do not take responsibility for the status in which they deliver their ships to a breaking yard. This breakthrough with Stolt is part of Greenpeace's one month of intense 'Toxic Patrols' in the Port of Rotterdam. The patrols involved friendly visits by volunteers to ships to inform captains and crews of the environmental and health threats associated with the breaking of ships, which are not decontaminated. During these patrols it was clear that many captains and crew members agree with Greenpeace that owners need to take responsibility for the clean delivery of their ships.

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