In November 2024 the International Chamber of shipping said it expected a shortfall of 90,000 trained seafarers by 2026. The reasons cited for the shortage are myriad, ranging from the global pandemic, poor pay and harsh conditions.This article focuses on just three.
Since the retreat of COVID many of the more responsible shipowners, operators and managers have embarked on improving crew welfare, increasing training and diversifying the workforce. But impediments to seafarer recruitment and these will have to be confronted to avoid the predicted shortfall or worse. Among them is a decline in shore leave opportunities, information overload, and a disturbing number of sexual misconduct allegations.
Shore leave
Historically, many young men went to sea to see the world. It was ample compensation for a tough, often dangerous occupation. Since those long-ago days, safety standards have improved immensely. Although life at sea for the fortunate may have improved with increased connectivity and potentially more opportunities for onboard leisure pursuits, when working an average six-month contract onboard a vessel, the need for relief through the occasional shore leave should be considered essential for its mental and physical health benefits and the safety of the vessel.
In fact, a global right to shore leave is enshrined in the Maritime Labour Convention (2025 Amendments). Paraphrased, the Amendments state:
Seafarers to have shore leave without a visa or special permit and to go ashore without any discrimination and irrespective of the flag state. In addition, public authorities cannot refuse shore leave for reasons of public health, public safety or public order and reasons for refusal of shore leave must be given to the seafarer or master in writing upon request.
Evidence that this regulation is being repeatedly flouted can be found in a report from the World Maritime University (WMU) based on survey data from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, where commercial pressures and port security procedures were cited as the main contributory factors to the demise of seafarers’ shore leave.
Some 5,879 responses to the survey revealed that 26% of respondents had not managed to take shore leave during their contract period, and 19.8% had only managed to get ashore once. The report also unearths data showing that 30.3% of officers never went ashore with 20.3% of ratings suffering similar deprivation.
A lack of time spent in port and workload onboard made it very difficult to take shore leave was the response of 50% of those questioned. Other barriers included transport costs, the distance to facilities and Port State restrictions.
The full report can be downloaded here::
Many of the findings contained in the report had previously been backed anecdotally in an interview given by Senior Chaplain Reverend Stephen Miller of the Hong Kong branch of the Mission to Seafarers for the Port of Hong Kong Handbook and Directory 2025 from page 52.
Information overload
The Inmarsat maritime safety report published in September notedthe number of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) distress calls registered on the Inmarsat Maritime network increased from 788 in 2023 to 801 in 2024, broadly in line with the 2018-2023 annual average of around 800 calls.
The report points to a turbulent year for international shipping, with geopolitical instability, conflict, severe weather events, piracy, and cyber-attacks all adding pressure on operators and crews.
Alongside these risks, seafarers are facing welfare challenges linked to the pace and volume of new technologies.
While digitalisation and decarbonisation are essential for the industry’s future, the rapid implementation of new systems and reporting requirements has created an information ‘overload challenge’ for seafarers, highlighting the need for new technologies to support, rather than strain, crew welfare.
The full report can be accessedhere.
Sexual misconduct
Sexual misconduct at sea, the most invidious challenge to seafarer recruitment and crew inclusiveness, was highlighted at the annual conference of the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) in Singapore on 8 September.
What must have been shocking to many was that despite women representing just 1% of the global seafaring workforce, 25% of women in maritime had reported having experienced physical or sexual assault. Commenting on the appalling practice,Charles Fernandez, Chair of the IUMI Legal & Liability Committee,said:
“Sadly, almost all women in maritime have experienced some form of sexual misconduct at sea, ranging from unconscious bias to full-scale assault.Sexual misconduct in any form is completely unacceptable and must be stopped.”
In March this year, Lloyd’s Register Foundation compiled a report “Deep dive on seafarer sustainability”. Chief among its recommendations was to source future seafarers from the African continent and double down on inclusion with the emphasis on easing women into a career at sea. Both recommendations are to be commended but to ensure seafarer retention, issues such as those outlined above must be dealt with expeditiously. The report can be found here:
