The abandonment of seafarers has reached unprecedented levels, with new data from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) showing an 87% surge in cases in 2024 compared to the previous year.
A staggering 3,133 seafarers were abandoned last year, which is nearly double the 1,676 recorded in 2023. The number of abandoned vessels also skyrocketed by 136%, from 132 in 2023 to 312 in 2024. Shockingly, 28 ships were involved in multiple abandonments, with three vessels deserting crews three times and 25 doing so twice.
The ITF’s findings, submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), underscore the systemic failures of the Flags of Convenience (FOC) system, which enables shipowners to evade accountability.
Abandoned seafarers often endure unpaid wages, severe malnutrition, unsafe living conditions, and prolonged isolation—sometimes stranded for months or even years without recourse. Contributing factors include:
- Lax enforcement by flag and port states
- Uninsured or underinsured vessels
- Shipowners denying responsibility for crew welfare
Flags of Convenience Dominate Abandonment Cases
A shocking 90% of abandoned vessels in 2024 sailed under FOC registries. While Panama led with 43 cases, other flags saw alarming spikes:
- Palau (37)
- Tanzania (30)
- Comoros (29)
- Cameroon (20)
- Bahrain (16)
Even more concerning, 20 cases involved ships with no identifiable flag, more than doubling from previous years.
The ITF warns that without stricter regulations, stronger enforcement, and real consequences for negligent operators, this humanitarian crisis will only worsen. As abandonment cases spiral, the call for urgent global action grows louder — before more seafarers are left stranded and forgotten.
Leave a Reply