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Thousands of seafarers abandoned on hundreds of ships
RightShip research puts UAE as the top spot for vessel and crew abandonment, with more Indian seafarers stuck on board than any other nationality
Ahead of the International Day of the Seafarer on 25 June 2022, maritime vessel vetting, safety and compliance company RightShip’s Marine Assurance team has compiled research to show that some 3,623 seafarers are unable to return home because of ship abandonments.
With 247 vessels officially abandoned around the world, the organisation cautions that the figures are likely underreported, as many ship abandonments are undocumented.
Righship used information provided by the International Labour Organization (ILO) – including the vessel name, the IMO number and date of abandonment. The organisation analysed the information alongside information including the Document of Compliance (DoC) company, the ship’s technical manager, commercial manager, and registered owner.
RightShip said it also makes connections with entities involved with, or with knowledge of, an abandonment which did not help alleviate or resolve the issue. Using these official sources, RightShip is charting patterns on the nationalities of crew, locations of abandonment, vessel type and age, as well as logging the length of time taken to resolve abandonment issues, among many other data points.
Righship chief executive Steen Lund said, “The welfare of seafarers can no longer be ignored. When a ship is abandoned, if the crew leave the vessel it is far less likely they will be paid, so they are forced to stay put, waiting, for months and sometimes years on end. The uncertainty of these circumstances is incredibly stressful for both the crew and their families left at home.”
The highest number of vessels left adrift is in the United Arab Emirates waters, with 26 abandoned vessels, and when the data is sorted by flag state, Panama heads the list.
Vessels that are between 26 and 30 years of age see the highest number of abandonments, but surprisingly, 32 new ships sailing for fewer than five years have also been cut off, RightShip said.
The majority of seafarers known to be abandoned are from India, with 724 seafarers stranded in various locations around the world, closely followed by 368 crew from Ukraine and 318 crew from the Philippines, all renowned nations of seafarers.
In 2013, the IMO adopted the ILO Maritime Labour Convention. While the convention has been ratified by the equivalent of 95% of world tonnage, less than 60% of IMO’s 174 individual member states have ratified the convention. This, along with a lack of adequate and competent inspectorates across IMO member states to regularly inspect against MLC requirements and take necessary action are key challenges which compound the situation.
“In the last four years, the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) has been approached by more than 1,100 seafarers who have found themselves on abandoned vessels. The painful ordeal suffered by these innocent seafarers is disgraceful. Not only must the seafarers endure a traumatic experience for often a considerable period of time – their loved ones at home find themselves in desperate need of support," ISWAN chief executive Simon Grainge told Rightship.
“Seafarers are often the sole earner in their families, and in cases of abandonment, the entire family has to suffer both an uncertain financial situation and great emotional stress. We are working with partners to the best of our ability to assist such seafarers and their families during this difficult time.”
“Though the majority of vessel owners and managers strive to do the right thing by their crews, there are those who will only act when the issue affects their bottom line. In the absence of rigorous international enforcement of seafarers’ rights, we help responsible organisations shine a spotlight on themselves so that best practice can be recognised and rewarded, and by extension, those who abuse the rights of seafarers suffer competitively,” Rightship’s Mr Lund said.
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