ITF News Update
Iran confirms it seized tanker in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed it seized a tanker on Friday morning in the Strait of Hormuz. The Talara tanker, sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands, was travelling from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Singapore. The IRGC said it was found to be “in violation of the law by carrying unauthorised cargo”, but did not provide details of the violation. Reports suggest it was carrying high-sulphur gasoil. Iran has periodically seized tankers and cargo ships travelling in and around the Persian Gulf, which is a key global shipping route for oil and liquefied natural gas. It has often cited maritime violations such as smuggling or legal issues.
Iran confirms it seized tanker in Strait of Hormuz – BBC News
Fishermen, Residents Concerned About Weather Damage to MSC Baltic III
Residents and fishermen in Newfoundland are growing concerned about the deteriorating state of the boxship MSC Baltic III, which ran aground on a rocky shelf in Lark Harbour on February 15. The North Atlantic’s winter weather has arrived in earnest, and heavy wave action is smashing the ship upon the rocks, causing more damage by the day. The concern, local stakeholders say, is that the ship will break up and release debris and pollutants into coastal waters.
Fishermen, Residents Concerned About Weather Damage to MSC Baltic III
Shipping training strains under pressure, eroding seafarer skills
Shipping’s training ecosystem is straining under accelerating change, with senior figures warning that operational pressures, shrinking manning levels and a compliance culture are eroding seafarer competence. Although companies acknowledge the need for reform, few agree on how to achieve it. Across interviews for Seafarers magazine, a common thread runs through every conversation: training is too time-hungry, too detached from daily shipboard work, and too focused on ticking regulatory boxes.
Shipping training strains under pressure, eroding seafarer skills | Cyprus Mail
Maritime Academy of Nigeria boosts training capacity…establishes new seatime opportunities for cadets
Okonna tasks 221 graduating cadets on promoting Nigeria’s maritime industry alongside their career advancement. The Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa Ibom, has continued to improve its training capacity, drawing from new strategic partnerships. The latest of such new partnerships is the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Shipping and Marine Services Limited (NSML), with which the Academy is soon to seal an onboard ship training agreement.
Shipping broadens the search for seafarers
Shipping’s human capital crunch is fast becoming one of its defining challenges of the decade. The latest chapter from our brand-new Seafarers magazine which is being distributed across Hong Kong Maritime Week. From Singapore to Copenhagen, shipowners and managers are grappling with a shrinking supply of qualified crew just as fleets grow larger, more complex, and more technologically advanced. The numbers are sobering: the International Chamber of Shipping forecasts a shortfall of nearly 90,000 officers by 2026, a figure that echoes across boardrooms and crewing desks alike.
Shipping broadens the search for seafarers – Splash247
Global demand for Filipino seafarers up on shipping, offshore demand growth — ATPI
Global demand for Filipino seafarers is on a sustained upswing, with industry projections pointing to 5 to 7 percent annual growth over the next 12 to 18 months as shipping, cruise and offshore sectors expand worldwide, a leading marine travel and logistics company said. ATPI Travel Philippines said on Sunday continued growth of international fleets, the recovery of cruise and offshore segments, as well as the emergence of new regional hubs, are driving the need for more skilled Filipino crew.
INTERVIEW: Japan’s MOL faces geopolitical hurdles for LNG shipping, decarbonization
Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K Lines is facing more challenges from volatile geopolitics for its LNG shipping business and decarbonization strategies, the shipping group’s president and CEO, Takeshi Hashimoto, said in a recent interview with Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights. The EU sanctioned three of MOL’s LNG tankers for supporting Russia’s energy trade in May, but the ships were delisted in July when Brussels said they received “firm commitments” that they would not be deployed to transport cargoes from the Yamal and Arctic LNG 2 projects.
INTERVIEW: Japan’s MOL faces geopolitical hurdles for LNG shipping, decarbonization | S&P Global
Seafarer Criminalisation: Chief Officer Held in Iran Despite Acquittal
Abdelrahman Abbas has raised the alarm about his brother, Mohamed Abbas Elmaghraby, who, at the time of writing, is alleged to suffer severe medical issues whilst detained in Iran. *Reported with express permission of the family. Elmaghraby, an Egyptian citizen, was Chief Officer on the chemical tanker Sana when he was arrested within UAE territorial waters off the Port of Hamriyah in December 2023. Under armed threat, he and his colleagues were taken to Abu Musa Island, then Bandar Lengeh, and finally to Bandar Abbas, where they were imprisoned.
Migrant Fishers to be Protected During Recruitment Under Landmark ILO Guidelines
ITF and ETF demand action from governments and industry to ensure “crucial step forward” for fishers. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) welcome the adoption of the new ‘Guidelines for Fair Labour Market Services for Migrant Fishers’ by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva last week, calling the move a “crucial step forward” for the protection of migrant fishers worldwide. The new Guidelines, jointly developed by representatives of governments, fishing vessel owners and fishers’ organisations, set minimum global standards for how migrant fishers should be recruited, employed and protected at sea.
Adrift in a sea of uncertainty: the challenges of pregnancy at sea
Fifteen women of eight nationalities, working across six vessel types and ranks from cadet to master, shared their experiences of pregnancy at sea. For many women, their period ashore was marked first by uncertainty about what support, if any, they were entitled to. Not many had been briefed in advance on maternity rights or pay, leaving them to guess or assume the worst. “Pregnancy is a natural part of life, yet at sea it too often becomes a source of fear, stress, and uncertainty,” says Susanne Justesen, director of human sustainability at the Global Maritime Forum.
How to crack the seafarer retention riddle
Amid rising pay and shrinking shore leave, industry leaders tell Splash what it really takes to keep crews loyal. Retention has quietly become one of shipping’s biggest business headaches. Global pay packets may have risen across most ranks this year, but the data tells a starker story — only four in ten shipmanagers report any improvement in keeping crew. Wages are up, yet the exodus continues. At the heart of the problem is a changing value equation. For a new generation of officers and ratings, loyalty no longer comes from a payslip — it comes from being seen, supported and connected.
https://splash247.com/how-to-crack-the-seafarer-retention-riddle/
Looking Beyond Maritime’s “Moment”
It’s been said that American maritime is “having a moment” in Washington, DC. From President Trump’s Executive Order on Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, to introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral SHIPS for America Act in Congress, the U.S. maritime industry has been a subject of focused attention at the highest levels of government, and rightfully so. At their core, these initiatives are driven by recognition that a strong maritime industry is not only vital to the American economy, but also fundamental to our national security, particularly as China continues its rapid maritime expansion to further its own geopolitical ambitions.
https://www.marinelink.com/news/looking-beyond-maritimes-moment-532542
New Training Initiative to Prepare 120 Future Seafarers in Five Years
On February 14, 2024, the Tripartite Maritime Training Awards (TMTA) (Deck/Engine) programme was relaunched in Singapore at the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union’s Lunar New Year event, officiated by Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat and attended by NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng. This refreshed initiative, a collaboration between the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), and NTUC’s e2i, aims to cultivate a skilled workforce by grooming 120 deck and engine officers, thereby reinforcing the Singapore Core of talent in the maritime industry.
https://maritimefairtrade.org/new-training-initiative-to-prepare-120-future-seafarers-in-five-years/
SNSU Engages with DG Shipping to Enhance Protections for Indian Seafarers
In a significant initiative to enhance protections for Indian seafarers, representatives from the Shivsena Navik Sena Union (SNSU) recently met with the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) in Mumbai. The meeting, chaired by the Director General of Shipping, emphasized several pressing issues faced by the maritime community. Key challenges highlighted during the session included the alarming abandonment of seafarers and an increase in fraud and cheating incidents perpetrated by Recruitment and Placement Services License (RPSL) agencies.
World Toilet Day: real action needed now to turn rights into reality
Ensuring transport workers, especially women, have safe access to decent sanitation is critical for ensuring health, safety and dignity at work. Real action is needed now to end the crisis of a continuing lack of safe access to decent sanitation facilities – that is the message from transport trade unionists from around the world marking World Toilet Day today (November 19). …”Women seafarers are accustomed to a reality where we can’t find the menstrual products we need on board a ship, what we need to dispose of those products, or even the access to a toilet near where we are stationed – and, sadly, too often these issues just aren’t taken seriously,” said Lorena Pintor Silva, International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Seafarers’ Section Women’s Representative, and member of SINDMAR, Brazil.
World Toilet Day: real action needed now to turn rights into reality | ITF Global
“That’s slavery”: The seafarers stranded and forgotten at sea
Seafarer abandonment cases have reached unprecedented levels in 2025, with a 30% increase compared with the same period in 2024. NEW YORK – Every time a bomb exploded nearby when Satya Dev Rahul was stranded on board a ship in Yemen, the young seafarer feared for his life. For nine months in 2024, he was trapped on the M.V. Captain Tarek, anchored in Hodeidah Port, while Yemen was at war and subjected to regular bombing raids. As explosions lit up the sky, he could see terror on the faces of his colleagues. All of them had signed on as seafarers a year earlier, but none had been paid – a pattern of exploitation in the shipping industry that they were unaware of.
“That’s slavery”: The seafarers stranded and forgotten at sea | Context by TRF
UN maritime chief links rise of dark fleet to worker abuses
What’s the context? Seafarers face rising threats as shadow fleets and weak oversight of the industry endanger the backbone of global trade. NICE, France – The head of the United Nations’ maritime agency warned of a disturbing rise in the criminalisation of seafarers, driven by geopolitical tensions and a surge in substandard shipping practices linked to the so-called dark fleet operating outside international norms. …The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is “very concerned” about worsening conditions for workers, its secretary-general, Arsenio Dominguez, told Context.
UN maritime chief links rise of dark fleet to worker abuses | Context by TRF
Deal between Dali and U.S. has left crew ‘marooned’ in Baltimore for 19 months
The NTSB is set to discuss probable cause of the Key Bridge collapse during a meeting Tuesday. Nine crew members who sailed aboard the ill-fated Dali container ship more than 19 months ago are not under arrest. But they aren’t free to leave Baltimore, either. Their residency — and the release of the ship itself — is part of an apparent deal struck between the U.S. government and the Singaporean companies that own and operate the vessel. The crew’s senior members, including the captain and the chief engineer, have remained in the Baltimore area since the Dali lost power and smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, killing six construction workers.
https://archive.ph/DhgCV#selection-1453.0-1489.35
Flags of Convenience: A Cloak for Illicit Maritime Activity (Part I)
The Dark Side of Open Registries. In the global shipping industry, “flags of convenience” (FoC) refer to the practice of registering a vessel in a country other than where its owners are based. These open registries often feature lax oversight, lower fees, and looser regulations, attracting shipowners seeking to reduce costs or conceal their activities. Unfortunately, FoCs have also become a cloak for illicit maritime activity, enabling everything from drug smuggling and money laundering to illegal fishing and sanctions evasion.
Flags of Convenience: A Cloak for Illicit Maritime Activity (Part I) – Global Financial Integrity
Why true change for women at sea demands more than policy
Splash canvasses the industry on how to rethink the maritime blueprint to get more of a gender balance in maritime. For years, the shipping industry has promised inclusion. Campaigns have been launched, slogans crafted, panels convened. Yet, in 2025, women remain a rare sight on most bridges and engine rooms. The story isn’t about ability — it’s about design. The sea itself doesn’t discriminate, but the systems built around it still do. Across shipowners, crewing managers, and welfare leaders, a growing consensus has formed: the question is no longer how to bring women to sea but how to rebuild shipping so that they stay.
Why true change for women at sea demands more than policy – Splash247
Korean coast guard arrests helmsman who was on his phone when ferry ran aground
Two people have been arrested and a boat captain is under investigation after a ferry ran aground on rocks off South Korea’s south-west coast. All 267 passengers and crew on board the Queen Jenuvia 2 were rescued after it became stuck near the uninhabited island of Jogdo, off the coast of Jangsan Island in Shinan County, on Wednesday. Twenty-seven people sustained minor injuries from the impact of grounding. The coast guard told the BBC they had arrested the helmsman and the first mate for gross negligence resulting in injuries.
South Korea: Arrests made after ferry runs aground – BBC News
UK Branch Conference: members vote unanimously to crack down on lashing and unlashing demands
Nautilus International members have voted overwhelmingly to support a motion calling for stronger protections for seafarers being pressured to carry out lashing and unlashing of cargoes in UK ports. The decision was taken at the Union’s 2025 UK Branch Conference, following growing concerns about safety, fatigue, and failures in the current regulatory and investigative framework. Presenting the motion, Nautilus/ITF inspector Matt Parsonage told delegates: ‘How can we allow seafarers to be exploited in such as way? We can’t and we must not.
Filipina Master Mariner Wins Seafarer Of The Year At 2025 Crew Connect Global Awards
Capt. Zulaika Florin, a master mariner working at OSM Thome under Hafnia, has been named the Seafarer of the Year at the 2025 Crew Connect Global Awards, standing out among five shortlisted seafarers from around the world. The award recognises individuals who show exceptional leadership, dedication, and a strong contribution to the maritime community. Florin, who sails chemical tankers under Hafnia, the world’s largest tanker company, has been widely praised for her leadership and resilience at sea.
Filipina Master Mariner Wins Seafarer Of The Year At 2025 Crew Connect Global Awards
Seafarers Unity Day 2025: Celebrating India’s Maritime Power
The ‘Seafarers Unity Day 2025′ was celebrated at the Indian Sailors Home Society in Mumbai, honoring the dedication and resilience of India’s maritime workforce. Shri Sushil Mansing Khopde, the Additional Director General of Shipping and the chief guest at the event, addressed the significant contributions of Indian seafarers to the nation’s maritime growth, emphasizing their crucial role in maintaining India’s status as a leading provider of skilled maritime professionals globally. Khopde praised the efforts of seafarers’ unions in safeguarding their rights and promoting unity among maritime professionals.
Seafarers Unity Day 2025: Celebrating India’s Maritime Power – Maritime Fairtrade
Tokyo MoU: 2024 Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Crew Wages and SEAs
Highest compliance was generally observed in relation to wage payments. A Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on compliance with some provisions MLC, 2006 was carried out jointly by the Paris MoU and Tokyo MOU during the period from 1st September 2024 to 30th November 2024, with thre overall detention rate based on total CIC inspections at 0.32%. Between 1st September and 30th November 2024, Tokyo MOU member Authorities conducted 8,143 port State control (PSC) inspections on 7,561 individual ships.
Tokyo MoU: 2024 Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Crew Wages and SEAs – SAFETY4SEA
How the internet is transforming life and labour at sea
With the line between welfare and technology disappearing, the maritime industry faces a simple truth — connection is no longer optional. An in-depth Inmarsat survey of nearly 400 seafarers working on merchant ships, offshore support vessels or high-end fishing vessels across the globe shows that seafarers are increasingly experiencing a sense of a ‘floating home’ when it comes to their time onboard, a portent of what’s to come over the next decade. Seafarers spend an average 8% of their annual salary on internet connectivity, the survey found, with the cost split equally between their usage at home and onboard their vessels.
How the internet is transforming life and labour at sea – Splash247
The Grim Reality of Crew Criminalisation
An interview with Ali Albokhari, convicted of negligence in a Turkish court, sentenced to 30 years in jail, speaks out about life in prison. Sentenced to 30 years in prison seafarer Ali Albokhari, was exonerated by the Turkish prosecutor who prosecuted his case in the spring of this year. Yet he remains in prison. This week he spoke from his cell describing the conditions he lives in and the impact on his life. Crew criminalisation came into sharp focus this year with the sentencing of chief mate Ali Albokhari and the master of the Phoenician-M, Capt Marko Bekavac.
The grim reality of crew criminalisation
South Korea ferry runs aground after officer distracted by phone: Coast guard
SEOUL: A South Korean ferry ran aground after the helmsman became distracted by his mobile phone, a member of the coast guard told AFP on Thursday (Nov 20). All 267 passengers and crew were safely brought to a nearby port after the ferry crashed on an uninhabited island off South Korea’s southwestern coast. … A preliminary investigation found that “the officer responsible for steering had been looking at his mobile phone and allowed autopilot to take control in an area where the ship should have been manually operated”, a Korea Coast Guard official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
South Korea ferry runs aground after officer distracted by phone: Coast guard – CNA
Setting standards for seafarers
Nautilus head of professional and technical David Appleton talks about the year in maritime healthcare, training and safety with Sarah Robinson – with some notable advances achieved for members SARAH ROBINSON (SR): I’d like to start with a recent success that will mean a lot to many members in the UK, and that’s what you did with the Dreadnought medical service. Can you tell us what the service is and what problems you were dealing with this year? DAVID APPLETON (DA): The Dreadnought Medical Service is a priority medical service aimed at getting seafarers back to sea as soon as possible if they experience any medical conditions. The idea is, essentially, that the treatment should be faster than you would receive in your local NHS area.
Setting standards for seafarers
Fighting FOCs at home and abroad
Nautilus head of international relations Danny McGowan review’s the Union’s involvement in a United States investigation into Flags of Convenience and the national security risks, poor labour standards, and seafarer abuse that they cause. During 2025, the USA’s Federal Maritime Commission called for submissions to an investigation into the use of Flags of Convenience (FOCs). I was pleased to be able to respond on behalf of the Union, alongside Nautilus Federation affiliates based in America.
Fighting FOCs at home and abroad
IMO Gender Equality Award to go to Professor Momoko Kitada
Renowned World Maritime University Professor has inspired generations of students. Professor Momoko Kitada, Nippon Foundation Professorial Chair in Gender and Innovation; Head, Maritime Education & Training at the World Maritime University (WMU), has been selected to receive the 2025 IMO Gender Equality Award, following her nomination by Japan. The Award is bestowed on individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in the maritime sector.
IMO Gender Equality Award to go to Professor Momoko Kitada – All About Shipping
SHS: Seafarer wellbeing should be a priority for sustainable shipping
Seafarer wellbeing should be the next strategic priority for sustainable shipping, a new report published by the Seafarers Hospital Society highlights. As the maritime industry enters a period of rapid change, “The human heart of sustainable shipping: Why seafarer wellbeing is the next strategic priority en route to net zero” report makes a case that supporting seafarer health and wellbeing is no longer merely a welfare concern, but a business-critical strategy essential for the maritime industry to achieve its ambitious decarbonisation and digitalisation goals.
SHS: Seafarer wellbeing should be a priority for sustainable shipping – SAFETY4SEA
Interview: ICS chairman hopes Hong Kong’s port strengths can empower global green shipping
HONG KONG, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) — Hong Kong’s blend of strengths gives it a rare edge in green shipping, Emanuele Grimaldi, chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), recently told Xinhua, voicing hope that the city will step up its role in this pivotal global transition. In a recent exclusive interview, Grimaldi said that as a hub bridging the Chinese mainland and global markets, “Hong Kong is well-positioned to become a promising green maritime fuel bunkering and trading center.”
Interview: ICS chairman hopes Hong Kong’s port strengths can empower global green shipping-Xinhua