Day of the Seafarer: crews under fire and shipping staring down double-barreled workforce and skills shortage

Shipping’s global regulator, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has issued a reminder to the world and we consumers who want energy and goods moved from far away closer to home: "seafarers must never become collateral victims of geopolitical conflicts".

IMO’s annually observed Day of the Seafarer for 2026 and its slogan, "Carrying world trade. Carrying the risks." comes a day after the organisation, in partnership with Oman’s navy, published, promulgated and publicised a navigational framework that aims to free more than 10,000 seafarers who have been stuck at the centre of a war since 28 February. 

By IMO’s count, at least 14 people have been killed while in the course of their work on board merchant ships in the latest US-led war in the Middle East. There have been 46 attacks on merchant vessels in that war, alone. 

Seafarers have been killed and injured by military attacks in the course of their duties with increasing regularity through this decade, in which shipping has seen a prolonged campaign of bombardment by the Houthi militia and casualties suffered from Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

"Heightened geopolitical tensions, including the evolving situations in the Strait of Hormuz, the Black Sea and the Sea of Asov, and the Red Sea region, have highlighted the increasing complexity and risk seafarers endure every day," IMO said in a campaign aiming to garner recognition for "the essential role of seafarers in global trade and the risks they bear in sustaining it".

"This year, IMO is highlighting the challenges faced by mariners who navigate through regions affected by conflict and insecurity. This includes the risks they take as well as the resilience they demonstrate in keeping world trade moving under difficult circumstances," the organisation said. "The Day of the Seafarer campaign serves as a reminder that seafarers must never become collateral victims of geopolitical conflicts."

A need for collaboration and coordinated action on behalf of seafarers

The Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI) group which, through its research, aims for "decent employment for seafarers", pointed to the need for more concerted and more collaborative efforts to reduce the extreme risks that seafarers can face.

"Recent events have also shown the limits of what any single actor can achieve alone," the SRI said. "The scale and complexity of the risks facing ships and crews require even more coordinated action between the IMO, ILO [International Labour Organization], governments, shipowners, seafarer representatives, flag states, port states and industry bodies."

Collaboration and cooperation on behalf of seafarers is "the only option," according to SRI CEO Professor Hilton Staniland, who said "geopolitical events now mean that seafarers carry unacceptable risks of being killed, injured, detained and stranded".

As IMO highlighted its central role in ongoing evacuation efforts for seafarers stranded in the Middle East Gulf, IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez thanked seafarers for their "essential" work that "may not always seem visible". 

"Your safety, security and welfare remain our highest priority," Secretary-General Dominguez said, noting that, worldwide, seaborne trades account for some 1.8 million men and women. 

Shortage of officers and skills hanging over shipping

The figure cited by IMO Secretary-General Dominguez may be conservative, according to a new report from shipowner lobbies BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).

The Seafarer Workforce Report 2026, timed to coincide with the Day of the Seafarer, estimates that 2.57 million seafarers currently serve the global merchant fleet, operating 85,148 merchant ships around the world.

The report also estimates that 2026 will see a shortage of 39,100 officers certified under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and a surplus of 56,890 ratings.

Published every five years and last issued in 2021, the report focuses on providing a comprehensive overview of the supply and demand balance for STCW certified seafarers.

Since the 2021 report, demand for STCW certified seafarers has increased by 35%, a significant increase from the previous two reports, according to the organisations.

Since 2021, demand for officers has increased by 23.1% and demand for ratings has increased by 46.3%, the report showed, attributing the growth in demand for both ratings and officers to the expansion of the global merchant fleet and the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The recruitment, training and retention of the seafarer workforce will be crucial to ensuring that our industry is prepared for the future. We have a big collective task ahead of us in working with all stakeholders and the countries that are the biggest suppliers of the seafarers operating our ships," BIMCO Secretary General and CEO, David Loosley said.

ICS Secretary General, Thomas A. Kazakos pointed to the need for access to training and skills and said a lack of investment in these areas could exacerbate the current workforce shortage faced by the industry.
“Without continued investment in both recruitment and training, the workforce gap risks growing at a time when the industry needs skilled seafarers more than ever,” he said.

Workforce ’falling dangerously behind the pace of digitalisation’ 

Another study timed to coincide with the Day of the Seafarer, from Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the World Maritime University, has found the maritime workforce is falling "dangerously behind the pace of digitalisation". 

The issue, the commissioner of the report said, raises "fresh concerns around safety and operational risk".

"Surveying 500+ seafarers across 64 countries, the report reveals that more than 80% rarely or never receive digital skills training, while just 13% say shore-based training reflects real onboard systems. This comes as automation and data-driven tools rapidly reshape vessel operations," Lloyd’s Register Foundation said.

The report’s findings are drawn from a survey of 532 seafarers across 64 countries and interviews with 110 of what the report called "stakeholders".

Respondents highlight what the report calls "a growing gap between technological change and the sector’s ability to use new systems effectively and safely".

"Digital tools - from automated navigation to data‑driven decision‑making - are already reshaping operations, but training and certification frameworks are not evolving at the same pace. More than 80% of seafarers report receiving digital skills training rarely or not at all, despite strong appetite to learn. Two‑thirds say they are willing to upskill, but a lack of shared understanding of what “digital skills” means is holding back progress," Lloyd’s Register Foundation said.

"Seafarers report confidence in traditional systems but feel far less prepared to work with automation and data‑intensive tools. Just 13% say shore‑based training consistently matches the systems they encounter onboard."

The report calls for coordinated action across the sector, including faster updates to global training standards, greater investment in education, and stronger collaboration between industry, regulators and training providers.