End-of-life boats are ‘not just an owner problem'

There are calls for a ‘collaborative approach’ by governments, the marine industry, stakeholders and the public to tackle the problem of end-of-life boats.

In a recent policy statement, the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), a global trade association, has said the disposal of old boats is ‘not purely an owner problem’ and the failure to deal with abandoned vessels, especially glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) boats, has the ‘potential to damage’ the marine industry.

According to figures from the European Boating Industry, which represents the European leisure marine industry, around 80,000 boats under 24m reach the end of their life each year in Europe.