The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) reports a dramatic 87% increase in seafarer abandonment in 2024, with 3,133 seafarers left stranded by shipowners. The report highlights the failure of the Flags of Convenience system and calls for stronger regulation and enforcement to protect seafarers.
2024 was the worst year on record for seafarer abandonment , with the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) reporting an 87 percent surge in cases from the previous year. A staggering 3,133 seafarers were abandoned by shipowners in 2024, compared to 1,676 in 2023.
This alarming trend reflects a systemic failure in the industry, with unscrupulous shipowners exploiting vulnerable workers and leaving them stranded at sea with unpaid wages, inadequate living conditions, and limited access to basic necessities. The ITF report, submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), highlights the critical need for stronger regulation and enforcement to protect seafarers' rights. According to the report, 312 vessels were abandoned last year, a 136 percent increase from 2023. Twenty-eight ships were responsible for abandoning multiple crews in the same year, with three vessels reported three times and 25 reported twice. This indicates a pattern of blatant disregard for seafarers' welfare and a lack of accountability within the industry.The report points to several contributing factors, including weak enforcement and responsiveness from flag and port states, inadequate insurance coverage for vessels, and shipowners' unwillingness to recognize their mistreatment of crew members. One such case involves Lakshmanan Venkateshwaran, an Indian seafarer stranded onboard the tug Navimar 3 off the coast of Bangladesh. He has been working for 28 months without full payment, witnessing three different crews come and go, each leaving unpaid. Lakshmanan is owed around $40,000, a sum vital for supporting his family. He has resorted to selling family heirlooms to make ends meet back home. While the UAE is the Port State of choice for vessel abandonments, accounting for 42 cases in 2024, Dubai's rapid growth as a maritime hub has also contributed to the problem. Lower taxes and cost of living have attracted many ship owners, brokers, managers, and other industry professionals, but the lack of regulation has left many seafarers vulnerable.The ITF urges governments and international regulators to take immediate action to address the crisis. They call for stricter enforcement of existing regulations, increased accountability for shipowners, and improved safeguards for seafarers. Stephen Cotton, ITF's general secretary, states, 'The scandalous rise in reported cases of seafarer abandonment exposes the ugly truth of an industry which has relied on unchecked exploitative practices and lack of global regulation for far too long. But the solution lies in plain sight: better regulation, enforcement, and accountability from governments.
SEAFARER ABANDONMENT INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT WORKERS' FEDERATION (ITF) FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE MARITIME INDUSTRY GLOBAL TRADE
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