Latest posts
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Flag-Hopping at Record Highs: Is Maritime Safety at Risk?
Flag-hopping is the practice whereby a ship owner or an operator frequently and strategically changes their vessel’s flag state (or registry) to circumvent legal, regulatory, or economic obligations. According to the latest data from maritime analytics company Windward, flag-hopping is now a standard operating procedure for a parallel shipping network designed to circumvent international sanctions.…
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International Bodies Address Rising Criminalization of Seafarers and Safety Concerns
London, July 2025 — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), alongside industry stakeholders, recently convened in London to address pressing challenges facing seafarers, including growing incidents of criminalization and ongoing safety risks. Criminalization of Seafarers: A Call for Fair Treatment A key focus was the conference “Protecting Seafarers Against Criminalization: What…
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Life at Sea: The World’s Most Dangerous Profession, Study Reveals
Working at sea is the riskiest way to earn a living, with ocean workers facing higher injury rates than any land-based industry, according to a new global study by Lloyd’s Register Foundation and Gallup. Key Findings: A Perilous Workplace Why Is Maritime Work So Dangerous? The study defines “ocean workers” broadly to include fishermen, offshore oil workers, merchant…
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$8.5 Million in Unpaid Seafarer Wages Recovered in 2024
The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) recovered $8.5 million in unpaid wages for seafarers in 2024, which is a 52.7% increase from the $5.59 million reclaimed the previous year. This highlights the persistent issue of wage theft in the shipping industry. The figures were disclosed during a meeting between the PMA’s General Directorate of Seafarers (DGGM)…
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2024 Marks Worst Year Ever for Seafarer Abandonment, ITF Reports
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.…
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Seafarers Secure Landmark Reforms to Global Maritime Labour Agreement
In a historic move, shipowners, governments, and labor unions have reached a consensus on major updates to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), the cornerstone international agreement safeguarding seafarers’ working and living conditions. These groundbreaking amendments come as the modern MLC approaches its 20th anniversary, having consolidated 37 previous conventions when adopted in 2006. The revisions address…