Saiful Karim

Recycling of Ships

A vessel may be a source of marine and coastal pollution even after the end of its commercial life. ‘Shipbreaking’, as an industry, is also known as ‘ship recycling’ or ‘ship dismantling’. It is one of the most hazardous industries in the world. Most of the shipbreaking industries are now located in the developing countries of Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and Turkey. There is no proper mechanism or integrated system for the recycling of end-of-life ships. Nevertheless, this industry makes some contribution to the global economy as well as to the smooth operation of international shipping.

Shipbreaking in developing countries: A requiem for environmental justice from the perspective of Bangladesh

This book explores the process of shipbreaking in developing countries, with a particular focus on Bangladesh. In the past, shipbreaking (the disposal of obsolete ships) was a very common industrial activity in many developed countries. However, due to stringent domestic environmental and labour laws it is almost impossible for the increasing number of vessels to be disposed of domestically, and now developing nations including Bangladesh, China, India, Turkey and Pakistan regularly participate in this activity. The shipbreaking yards in these countries are not only detrimental to the marine and coastal environment but also represent significant health hazards to local people and workers. Given the global importance of the issue, an effective legal and institutional framework for a sustainable operation of the shipbreaking industry is desperately needed. Sitting at the intersection of three distinct fields – environmental justice, international environmental law and international maritime law – this book offers an innovative take on the issues surrounding the shipbreaking process. Drawing on the case study of Bangladesh due to its prominence in the shipbreaking industry, the author implements an environmental justice framework to examine the issues of sustainability surrounding shipbreaking, and analyses the relationship between social development, economic development and environmental protection. Maritime perspectives of environmental justice will also be highlighted through a discussion of the International Maritime Organization’s role in the implementation of the Hong Kong Convention in developing countries. This book will be of great interest to scholars of environmental justice, international maritime law and international environmental law.

Implementation of IMO Legal Instruments: International Technical and Financial Cooperation

The previous chapters have examined the international legal instruments aimed at preventing vessel-source marine environmental pollution, and the role of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in the development of those legal instruments. This chapter highlights the legal and institutional aspects of the implementation of IMO marine environmental conventions.

Prevention of Pollution of the Marine Environment from Vessels

--Critically discusses the role of International Maritime Organization (IMO) in the protection of the marine environment --Presents a clear, updated, concise and critical overview of the IMO marine environmental legal instruments --A fresh outlook on the north-south tensions in the IMO marine environmental discourses --Critically examines the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in the context of IMO This book examines the role of The International Maritime Organization (IMO) in the prevention and control of pollution of the marine environment from vessels with a particular reference to the current north-south tensions regarding the strategy for combating climate change in the maritime sector as well as the prevention of marine pollution from the ship-breaking industry. The IMO, a United Nations specialized agency, has been entrusted with the duty to provide machinery for cooperation among governments for the prevention and control of pollution of the marine environment from vessels. The organization is responsible for drafting legal instruments as well as for facilitating technical cooperation for the protection of the marine environment. Although IMO legal instruments are mainly targeted at the prevention of pollution of the marine environment from vessels, there is a trend towards a liberal interpretation of this, and the organization has expanded its work to areas like shipbreaking, which is essentially a land-based industry.

International marine environmental law and policy

International Marine Environment Law and Policy presents a critical appraisal of the main issues, actors and institutions engaged in the legal aspects of marine environmental conservation. With contributions from an international range of authors, this volume provides a concise account of the legal and policy framework underlying international marine environmental issues, and of the fundamental concepts and strategies that are important to the protection of the marine environment. This work provides a solid foundation for researchers, practitioners and students interested seeking to gain an understanding of this hugely important subject.

South China Sea after the Philippines v. China Arbitration: Conflict and Cooperation in Troubled Waters.

The South China Sea encompasses the Straits of Malacca, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. It is also one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity areas, with abundant and diverse marine resources. On 12 July 2016, the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague handed down its Final Award on the Philippines v. China arbitration (South China Sea Arbitration). The Award attracted much attention across the globe. The arbitration was very disappointing from a Chinese perspective and a great victory for the Philippines. The South China Sea, however, is not only about China and the Philippines. Ten coastal States surround the sea area. Six of which have competing claims in the sea area. Leading economies like Japan, Korea and Australia also rely heavily on the South China Sea as a key trade route. While the South China Sea Arbitration sheds light on some legal issues it also generates further questions.

Prosecution of Maritime Terrorists

In Maritime Terrorism and the Role of Judicial Institutions in the International Legal Order, Md Saiful Karim offers a critical analysis of the role of judicial institutions in combating maritime terrorism.

Maritime Terrorism and the Role of Judicial Institutions in the International Legal Order

In Maritime Terrorism and the Role of Judicial Institutions in the International Legal Order , Md Saiful Karim offers a critical analysis of the role of judicial institutions in combating maritime terrorism.

IMO Institutional Structure and Law-Making Process

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has a very distinctive process of facilitating adoption and amendment of international legal instruments for the prevention of marine pollution from ships. The actors who influence the process of IMO law making are also diverse, including both states and non-states actors. Nevertheless, IMO is one of the most successful organisations in developing international law for the conservation and protection of the marine environment, particularly in preventing vessel-source marine pollution. This chapter will present a brief overview of the IMO law-making process and institutional structure of the organisation.

Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Biofouling

Apart from conventional vessel-source pollution, other problems—such as harmful aquatic organisms carried by ballast water and introduction of aquatic invasive species by bio-fouling—are also having devastating effects on the world marine environment. An unfortunate by-product of maritime transportation is the spread of invasive aquatic species. Historically, many pandemic vectors moved from one country to another through this system. For example, British ships were responsible for carrying the vector of the Cholera pandemic Vibrio Cholerae from its endemic heartland in Bengal, India to China, Japan, Indonesia and Europe. A World Health Organisation (WHO) report holds maritime transportation responsible for over a 100 disease outbreaks between 1970 and 2000. In a study conducted in 1994, Vibrio Cholerae was found in ballast and bilge water of five ships docked in an American port, of which four had taken ballast water from cholera-infected countries.