WASTE CRIME – WASTE RISKS

to other Asian countries. Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region (SAR) functions as a gateway into China for waste
shipments. From there, containers are shipped to smaller
ports in China (Lundgren 2012). (See the following chapter)
The illegal treatment of hazardous waste has evolved over the
past decades. Between 1970s and 1990s, toxic waste and nuclear
waste in barrels were being dumped in the high seas or on land,
typically in developing countries. Since the London Convention
on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes
and Other Matter came into force in 1975, this trend appears to
have slowed down. Later the Bamako Convention prohibited
the dumping at sea of hazardous wastes. However, due to the
shady nature of such dumping activities, it is difficult to know
whether and to what extent this is still happening. There are
indications that the waters around the Horn of Africa have been
used as a dumping ground since the London Convention came
into force (SomaliaReport 2011). Several reports refer to incidents
of Italian shipments of toxic or nuclear waste to Somalia
and other African countries in the 1990s (Greenpeace 2010).
According to Greenpeace (2010) there were 94 attempted
or actual cases of hazardous waste exports to Africa between
1994 and 1998 involving over 10 million tonnes of residues,
including radioactive material. The Ecologist reported in 2009
that 35 million tonnes of waste have been exported to Somalia
High profit, low risk
A case of importing municipal solid waste to
China, 2013
Profit made from smuggling 2 600 tonnes of waste
EXPORTER ?
MIDDLEMAN
Waste disposal subsidies paid by the
government and the sale income
26 000 USD
for USD 6.6 billion (The Ecologist 2009). According to a UN
Security Council report there are claims from reputable sources
of toxic waste in recent years being dumped in the waters off
Somalia, although there are no official sources to back up these
statements (2011). The security situation in Somalia hinders
proper investigation of such claims. Nonetheless, UNEP has
reported that, after the tsunami in 2004, dozens of containers
containing hazardous waste were washed up on the shores of
Somalia without any trace of where and when they had ended
up in the sea. As a consequence, local people suffered serious
health problems, such as acute respiratory infections, dry heavy
coughing and mouth bleeding, abdominal haemorrhages,
unusual skin conditions, and sudden deaths. In addition,
fishers have complained about depletion of fish stocks, believed
to be a consequence of toxic waste in the water (UNEP 2005).
The case of dumping hazardous waste in the waters around
the Horn of Africa shows some of the serious long-term environmental
effects on the local and global environment associated
with the illegal handling of hazardous waste.
Different streams, different profits
Shipbreaking
Shipbreaking – the dismantling of end-of-life vessels for the
recovery of steel and other materials – takes place mainly
within five countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and
Turkey. India and Bangladesh dismantle more than two-thirds
of the global total of end-of-life vessels annually. 15 End-of-life
vessels are considered hazardous waste under international
environmental law when they contain toxic materials, such
as asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs), organotins like tributyltin (TBT),
and heavy metals. According to the provisions of the Basel
Convention, these wastes must be managed in an environmentally
sound manner. Used oils, slops, and sludges also
require special consideration.
15. Shipbreaking Platform. [Online]. http://www.shipbreakingplatform.org/
IMPORTERS
Low estimate
520 000 USD
High estimate
650 000 USD
Fine for the smuggler arrested
10 000 USD
Source: Source: http://www3.customs.gov.cn/publish/portal0/tab49589/info434014.htm
(in Chinese); http://www.hjysh.cn/_d276234610.htm
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