ITF News Update

Finland Begins Port State Inspection On Detained Tanker Eagle S

Jan 2, 2025 (Bloomberg) —Finland began a so-called port state control inspection of the detained Eagle S tanker that’s being held after undersea cable ruptures last week, seeking to probe if the vessel meets international safety norms. …A travel ban was imposed on seven members of the ship’s crew on Tuesday after they were identified as suspects in the criminal probe by the National Bureau of Investigation.

Finland Begins Port State Inspection On Detained Tanker Eagle S

 

Four Evacuated From Drifting Bulker After Engine Room Fire

Taiwan’s coast guard has rescued four injured survivors from a bulker that caught fire off the coast of Kaohsiung, including one seafarer who needed treatment for serious burns. At about 1700 hours on Saturday, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) received notice that the 50,000 dwt bulker Panoria had suffered an engine room fire off the coast of Pintung County.

Four Evacuated From Drifting Bulker After Engine Room Fire

 

IMO’s 2025 Vision: Prioritising seafarers, security and sustainability under Dominguez’s leadership

In a recent video address, Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), outlined his main priorities for the organisation’s agenda in 2025. Highlighting critical focus areas, Dominguez emphasised the strategic initiatives that will shape the future of maritime governance.

IMO’s 2025 Vision: Prioritising seafarers, security and sustainability under Dominguez’s leadership – Sea News

 

ITF Elects MWUN’s Comrade Funmi Fasan As Chairperson, Women Wing

The Nigerian women wing of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has elected Comrade Funmi Fasan, the Vice President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) as the Chairperson of its women wing. The new set of executives are to lead the organisation for the next four years.

https://dailytrend.com.ng/2025/01/08/itf-elects-mwuns-comrade-funmi-fasan-as-chairperson-women-wing/

 

Challenges Faced by Seafarers in Australian Waters

Seafarers navigating the global sea lanes to facilitate billions of dollars of imports and exports in and out of Australia encounter various hardships, as highlighted by advocates in the industry. International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) reported recovering substantial sums in stolen wages for seafarers, indicating a prevalent issue of wage theft impacting crew members aboard cargo vessels.

https://fa.news/articles/716767/

 

Report: White House Plans to Sanction 100 More Russian Dark Fleet Tankers

In its final days, the Biden administration plans to sanction a large number of additional “shadow fleet” tankers involved in the Russian energy trade, two officials told Reuters last weekend. The U.S. Treasury has more than 200 Russian vessels of various types on its blacklist, and this final round of designations could make the list far longer.

https://maritime-executive.com/article/report-white-house-plans-to-sanction-100-more-russian-dark-fleet-tankers

 

India and ITF join forces to protect seafarers’ mental health

Indian seafarers will now benefit from mental health training thanks to a new agreement signed by India and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). Under the agreement on ‘Mental Health Awareness for Indian Seafarers’, signed this week in India, training will be provided to maritime faculty members leading to the incorporation of a dedicated stress management module into India’s national maritime curriculum.

India and ITF join forces to protect seafarers’ mental health | ITF Global

 

IRR of Magna Carta of seafarers signed

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and  Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) yesterday signed and presented to President Marcos Jr. the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Magna Carta of Filipino seafarers that codifies the seafarer’s rights based on international laws, standards and practices, and conventions and protected the rights of women in the maritime industry, among others.

IRR of Magna Carta of seafarers signed – Malaya Business Insight

 

One in three seafarers still being forced to pay illegal recruitment fees, survey finds

A third of seafarers have said that they have paid a fee to get a job, with many reporting that they had gone into debt to do so, according to a 2024 survey. 31% of respondents had paid a fee during their career, with 28% saying they were asked during 2024 – demonstrating that this remains a serious problem for maritime workers.

https://www.nautilusint.org/en/news-insight/news/one-in-three-seafarers-still-being-forced-to-pay-illegal-recruitment-fees-survey-finds/

 

Ship alleged to have damaged Taiwan’s undersea cable ‘has multiple IDs’

Taiwan is investigating whether a ship linked to China is responsible for damaging one of the undersea cables that connects the island to the internet, the latest reminder of how vulnerable its critical infrastructure is to damage from China. The incident comes as anxiety in Europe has risen over apparent acts of sabotage, including ones aimed at such undersea communication cables.

Ship alleged to have damaged Taiwan’s undersea cable ‘has multiple IDs’ – The Japan Times

 

ITF welcomes tentative ILA-USMX Master Contract Agreement

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) today warmly welcomes the news that the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year Master Contract, narrowly averting strike action that would have crippled US East and Gulf Coast ports.

https://www.itfglobal.org/en/news/itf-welcomes-tentative-ila-usmx-master-contract-agreement

 

Terrifying record number of seafarers left to rot at sea

Cases of crew abandonment more than doubled last year from 2023’s record levels to set an alarming new high with experts linking the rise to the ongoing growth of the so-called shadow fleet. According to data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) there were 310 cases of crew abandonment registered last year, up 118% over 2023’s record total of 142.

https://splash247.com/terrifying-record-number-of-seafarers-left-to-rot-at-sea/

 

47 Nations and Shipping Industry Back Bold IMO Carbon Pricing Proposal

A coalition of 47 governments and the shipping industry is proposing a groundbreaking greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pricing mechanism for international shipping, marking a potentially landmark development for maritime decarbonization. The proposal, submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), introduces a mandatory GHG contribution system requiring vessels on international voyages to pay based on their CO2e emissions into a newly established “IMO GHG Strategy Implementation Fund.”

https://gcaptain.com/47-nations-and-shipping-industry-back-bold-imo-carbon-pricing-proposal/

 

False-flagging surges as global conflicts stoke shipping fraud

Major registries part of group looking at tightening practices to tackle fraudulent vessel registration. The number of falsely flagged ships has surged as fraudsters exploit poorly funded maritime authorities to keep sanctioned and substandard vessels in service during high-earning periods of geopolitical turmoil.

https://archive.ph/3JvWJ