Sandrien, Photo

During our photographic journey through the Harbour of Amsterdam in 2001, Raimond Wouda and I discovered a ship that was arrested by the Dutch authorities. The ship, Sandrien, was intended to be dismantled on the beaches of India. Our minister of environment wanted to stop this because the ship was full with asbestos and he saw this of exporting toxic waist. The indian crew onboard of the ship was left alone. In the 1,5 years we followed the crew onboard of the ship the situation deteriorated. There was no money left for food or heating. When the crew agreed to publish the story, things changed fast. The minister came on board and tried to cover up the fact he forgot about the crew. The crew was sent home with their wages from the last years. The ship was chained for years on end before it was dismanteld in Amsterdam