The EU has blocked dozens of superyachts belonging to Russian businessmen. Now experts are sounding the alarm.
The world is hitting Russia with sanctions for the war of aggression against Ukraine. Oligarchs close to Russian President Vladimir Putin are also affected. Among other things, the EU confiscated several superyachts belonging to very wealthy businessmen.
These ships are currently based in German, Italian, French or British ports. How the yachts will continue is unclear. The fact is, ships need to be serviced regularly. If this does not happen, there is a risk to the environment, as the “Business Insider” writes.
Ships can fall apart
Experts are therefore sounding the alarm. An unmanned vessel can wither in a matter of weeks, threatening the local marine ecosystem. “As the ship disintegrates, pollutants are released into the marine environment,” Anna Barford of the environmental organization Stand.Earth says in the report.
One of the problems is corrosion, that is, the decomposition of the metallic hull by the salt water of the sea. According to Barford, this could contaminate the water and cause the death of plants and other marine life. In other words, if the fuselage is not maintained, it will disintegrate.
yachts lose value
“Salt water is very aggressive and makes metal rust faster,” confirms Cornelius Kistler, founder and CEO of Breezeyachting.swiss, upon request. However, he emphasizes the temporal aspect: it takes several decades for environmentally harmful substances to enter the water.
However, a yacht quickly loses value if not used. “Ships are built to be used. The machines need to run regularly, otherwise they won’t work properly,” says Kistler.
Placing yachts in a dry dock is also not a solution. If ships are not stored properly, one-sided loading can occur. “As a result, yachts also break down,” says Kistler.
Diseases spread through the sewer
Another risk to the environment is sewage, writes Business Insider. If toilets, kitchen or shower are used, this water flows directly into the sea in the port area. This endangers fish, can spread disease or make seawater acidic.
In principle, these ships are already a burden on the environment. “Even normal operation has a negative impact on marine life,” says environmentalist Anna Barford. With a ship more or less unattended, it only gets worse.
Maintenance can cost millions
An expert tells Business Insider that European authorities are responsible. They are responsible for maintenance when a ship is impounded. But maintaining a luxury yacht is extremely expensive.
Cornelius Kistler estimates that the costs of ships that are very complex to build can be as high as 20% of the total value. “Typically, annual maintenance is about five to a maximum of ten percent of the total amount.”
Time of 20 minutes of the navigation account09.04.2022, 09:27| Act: 04/09/2022, 09:27