Shipbreaking is currently one of the world's most dangerous and dirtiest industries. In search of maximum profits, 80 percent of the world's fleet is unscrupulously sold and dismantled on the beaches of South Asia. Ships are simply run ashore and broken apart by hand by the poorest and most vulnerable people of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The toxic waste contained in the ships (such as asbestos, lead, PCBs and heavy metals) is not properly treated and is released directly into the environment, polluting the coastal zones and harming the health of workers and the surrounding communities.