Human rights violations in the ocean freight industry have become one of the most disturbing aspects of global sea trade as crew abandonment and other abuses of seafarers continue to increase on the back of unscrupulous operators assailing global maritime law.
A database on the topic, compiled by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the UN’s International Labour Organization, has recorded 31 crew abandonment cases so far this year.
This number represents 21% of the 142 crew abandonment cases last year, which had increased 30.28% year-on-year on the 109 cases recorded in 2022.
The allegation that one in eight seafarers don’t have access to the internet when at sea only highlights the plight of those who find themselves at the receiving end of illegal operators, often serving the so-called ‘dark fleet’ of vessels sailing under the radar of accepted global maritime practice.
Although not a new phenomenon, crew abandonment cases spiked during the Covid-19 pandemic as seafarers were increasingly left to their own devices by operators incapable of dealing with social distancing regimes and aviation restrictions, especially during crew changes.
The war Russia started waging against Ukraine in the aftermath of the pandemic, and the ensuing sanctions instituted against maritime movement serving Russia, only aided the rise of illegal shipping, generally known as ‘black’ or ‘dark fleet’ operations.
Earlier this week the IMO, ahead of convening a legal committee meeting in London, pointed out that the illegal country flagging of vessels continued to jeopardise maritime law.
It had been found, among others, that an entity in India continues to fraudulently register vessels under the guise of representing maritime authorities in Guyana and Eswatini (Swaziland).
According to Asia Shipping Media, Steven Jones, founder of Seafarers Happiness Index, has said: “Fake flags, dark fleets, and turmoil create a breeding ground for exploitation. This should serve as a red flag for our entire industry, and we need a system overhaul to protect seafarers and to hold abusers to account.”
