Description
Internationally, there is increasing awareness and support for the need to address the issue presented by end-of-life (EoL) vessels.  An EU Study on Nautical Tourism indicates that up to 1-2% of over 6 million boats below 24 meters length (approximately 80,000) are reaching end of life each year. However, only around 2000 of those are dismantled for the purpose of recycling.
In order to prevent abandoned boats, several options exist, which are suggested in this policy position paper. There is currently a lack of appropriate information available to industry, boat owners and prospective owners to support a sustainable lifecycle of boats. What is needed is a collaborative approach involving stakeholders across governments, industry and the public to develop a strategic approach to the management of the issue of end-of-life boats.Â
