Seafarers News

A comprehensive independent investigation by Bloomberg into the 2020 sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1 has just been aired.For the families of the seafarers lost, it's been an ongoing saga of hope and sadness as some mounted their own search and rescue efforts and fought for more information on what went wrong. The livestock carrier was sailing from New Zealand to China with 43 crew and approximately 6,000 dairy cattle onboard when it capsized in the East China Sea during Typhoon Maysak.Around 8 p.m. on September 1, the Gulf Livestock 1’s engines failed.

A crew member of the Dutch cargo ship that was attacked by Houthis in the Gulf of Aden last week has died of his injuries, the vessel's Amsterdam-based operator Spliethoff said in a statement Monday evening.The company did not release further details about the deceased crew member, but a spokesperson told a Dutch broadcaster they were Filipino.The vessel, Minervagracht, was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden when it was struck by an explosive device that inflicted substantial damage and started a fire on the ship.

The United Nations is celebrating 80 years this year, and this week’s general assembly is meeting under the theme: Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development, and human rights.The UN Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, and came into force October 24 that year.From its founding, the United Nations has been at the heart of global cooperation. Highlights include:• Universal Declaration of Human Rights – 1948• UN peacekeeping created – 1948• Eradication of smallpox…

As World Maritime Day nears, (September 25) the Secretary General of InterManager points out that some senior managers need to look at themselves first if they are serious about improving the quality of life for seafarers.With the theme of this year’s International Maritime Organization event being “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity” Captain Kuba Szymanski says the future of the ocean as a place of work puts serious obligations on maritime leaders to adopt a different approach to seafarer welfare.“As a ship manager…

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a blanket purchase agreement to Stealth Solutions Inc. to modernize the service’s Mariner Credentialing Program (MCP) information technology system and support revitalization of the maritime workforce and industry.The MCP is essential to vetting and denying criminals access to critical maritime infrastructure and supporting the Marine Transportation System (MTS). The National Maritime Center (NMC) processed nearly 75,000 credential requests and 66…

A new report from the All Aboard Alliance found that its 26 members have remained firm in their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) despite political pushback against such initiatives from some factions.The All Aboard Alliance Insights 2025 uses a maturity analysis framework to indicate how member companies are performing against the Alliance’s five guiding principles: accountability, learning and development, organizational culture, data, and communications.Now in its third iteration…

Twelve British seafarers have been recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty, receiving the prestigious Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service which is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Merchant Navy Day, September 3.Captain Chris Phillips, 56 from Pembrokeshire, bravely led his 30-person crew on a rescue mission during the dead of Winter in 2024, saving 89 lives at sea, including women and children, and a baby.Born from a long line of seafarers, Phillips was inspired by his father and grandfather, both sea Captains, to join the Merchant Navy at the age of 16.

A new report from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust (ITFST) and the World Maritime University (WMU) highlights the continuing absence of shore leave for the world’s seafarers.Analyzing the data from 5,879 seafarers who responded to the ITFST’s Shore Leave Survey, WMU researchers concluded that more than a quarter of seafarers did not get any shore leave at all, and a third only got ashore once or twice during their entire contract, based on an average of 6.6 months onboard.Officers were least likely to get shore leave, and seafarers on offshore vessels and tankers were the least likely to get ashore.

When the maritime trade union Nautilus International asked memberswhat they thought of AI at a forum in January, there was some positive sentiment:“We shouldn’t automatically assume there will be problems with AI, as we’ve adopted other tech over the years without it being too intrusive for crew.”Others were not so sure:“There are worrying issues around liability and culpability if an incident happens involving a vessel operated using AI. Seafarers could take the blame when the…

There’s a master on the run right now.It was 4am, about 10 years ago. Two crewmembers died, 15 others were hospitalized. The master didn’t receive prior notification of the cargo fumigation that occurred, yet it is the master who is being held accountable.Captain Kuba Szymanski, Secretary General of InterManager, recounts the story as he explains why he is pleased about some of the outcomes of MSC 100 but feels more work still needs to be done.“Very often people onboard a ship do not have enough information.

The IMO is taking action to ensure that ships worldwide are safely managed and operated, with a renewed focus on seafarer issues such as work and rest hours, fatigue and violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault.Meeting in London for its 110th session (18 - 27 June), the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee focused on improving implementation of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. The Code sets the global standard for safe management…

In a webinar organized by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica this week, some of the top names in the maritime world came together to endorse the International Maritime Organization’s Day of the Seafarer initiative.This year Day of the Seafarer took the theme of ‘My Harassment-Free Ship,’ stating that bullying and harassment was unacceptable in all its forms, with those on the webinar looking at ways bullying could be stamped out.Hosted by Sean Moloney, the panel comprised of Captain Steven Spence (Head of Safety…

As there is currently a shortage of mariners, the U.S. Coast Guard has considered the barrier to mariner career progression presented by Title 46 CFR 11.211(d), Service on Articulated Tug Barges (ATB) and Integrated Tug Barges (ITB). This regulation limits the crediting of sea service based on the aggregate tonnage of the ATB or ITB to a two-for-one basis up to only 50% of the required service.The inability to receive sea service credit for the aggregate tonnage of the ATB or ITB limits career progression and is unnecessarily burdensome for mariners holding unlimited tonnage endorsements…

As the industry comes together this week to celebrate Day of the Seafarer and promote the theme #MyHarassmentFreeShip, mental health support provider MHSS reports a rise in the number of women reporting sexual harassment onboard.This reported increase follows participation in a mentorship program run by MHSS, member of OneCare Group, specifically designed for women cadets in the maritime industry. Despite the rise, MHSS believes this is a positive shift as more women feel supported enough to report incidents.The program…

On 25 June, the IMO leads the global celebration of the Day of the Seafarer – a day designated by the United Nations to recognize the critical role seafarers play in global trade, security and the flow of essential goods.This year, the theme #MyHarassmentFreeShip calls attention to the urgent need to eliminate bullying and harassment in the maritime industry and to foster a culture of dignity, safety and inclusion onboard every vessel.The IMO is taking concrete steps to tackle harassment in the maritime workplace.

Humans arose in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago and later trekked worldwide, eventually reaching some of Earth's most remote places. In doing so, they surmounted geographic barriers including treacherous ocean expanses. But how did they do that with only rudimentary technology available to them?Scientists now have undertaken an experimental voyage across a stretch of the East China Sea, paddling from Ushibi in eastern Taiwan to Japan's Yonaguni Island in a dugout canoe to demonstrate how such a trip may have been accomplished some 30…

On June 12, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) reached an agreement to acquire 100% of Kadmos Holding GmbH (Kadmos), a global end-to-end maritime salary payments platform provider headquartered in Germany.Founded in 2021 and based in Berlin and London, Kadmos provides salary payment solutions to shipowners, ship-management companies, and their global workforce of seafarers.In 2019, NYK established MarCoPay Inc. in Manila, Philippines, as a financial services platform. MarCoPay…

Global maritime leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to fair treatment, due process and coordinated action to protect seafarers’ rights.Seafarers detained in connection with their professional duties must be treated fairly and with dignity, with full respect for their human rights, high level participants from the IMO, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have urged, following…

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has signed an agreement with Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, one of the leading dry bulk carrier owners, to install NexusWave fully managed bonded connectivity service on board an initial five ships.Hong Kong-based Pacific Basin is prioritizing enhancements to both crew and business communications aboard its growing fleet of geared Handysize and Supramax bulk carriers, as part of a connectivity and digitalization strategy that also supports fuel efficiency and emissions reporting.Through its unique network bonding technology…

When coast guard officers boarded junior seafarer Omkar Pawar’s ship off Trinidad and Tobago in 2020, one of them pointed a gun at his face.“They searched the ship. After two days, they found 450 kilograms of cocaine in the tank,” said Pawar.Pawar and the rest of the crew were jailed and interrogated in a Trinidadian detention center for 15 days. The ship’s captain and second officer were later prosecuted.Pawar, who was 20 at the time, had no knowledge of the smuggling operation and was never charged.

President of New Wave Media, Greg Trauthwein, spoke to Knut Ørbeck Nilssen, CEO Maritime, DNV, for the latest episode of Maritime Reporter TV.Asked about what has remained the same over his 30+ year maritime career, Nilssen said: “If I look to the maritime industry, it has really maintained a fairly stable regulatory environment over all these 30 plus years. We still have the IMO, as a global regulator, which is quite rare for any industry.“We still have flag states, port states and not least…

The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) has strengthened its collaborative ties with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) during a recent visit by ITF delegates to the General Directorate of Seafarers (DGGM). The meeting focused on reinforcing the protection and well-being of seafarers sailing under the Panamanian flag.A central highlight of the meeting was the DGGM’s achievement in recovering $8.5 million in outstanding wages for seafarers by the end of 2024. This figure marks a 52.7% increase compared to the previous year’s recovery of $5…

The Institute for Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) has published a complimentary guide for ship managers entitled "Transforming Mental Health at Sea." Produced in partnership with the Guild of Benevolence, the IMarEST’s partner charity, the guide is part of the Institute’s ongoing commitment to enhance the sector’s approach to mental health. Designed to empower ship managers and owners to take leadership on mental health, the guide outlines how to create a robust policy and implement measures to safeguard seafarers.