IMO prioritizes seafarer safety, environment
WE are pleased to hear IMO’s new secretary general, Arsenio Dominguez, assuring the maritime sector that the IMO is focusing on seafarer safety and environmental protection.
These priorities reflect the importance that IMO places on seafarers’ safety and well-being. This assurance, given by the secretary general in a speech last month at the IMO headquarters in London, came on the heels of news about the rising tension in the Red Sea.
Dominguez cited abandoned vessels, causing cessation of communication with or even payment to seafarers. This incidence has increased by 10 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, according to a recent report by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITWF). Dominguez called the seafarers “innocent victims” in this ongoing warfare, with adverse effects that get in the way of performing their essential role in the industry.
Dominguez stressed the role of seafarers in our daily lives with the phrase “No seafarers, no shipping, no shopping.”
The conflict exacerbates the difficulty of making shipping an attractive career path for potential seafarers. He reiterated his demand for the release of the crew of the car carrier Galaxy Leader, which was hijacked by Houthi rebels last November. He said continued dialogue with member states within the region is necessary to reinforce and maintain maritime safety, hopefully with the help of funds from wealthier nations.
These concerted efforts are necessary in light of the continuing decline of seafarer happiness.
The results of the latest Seafarers Happiness Index show that for the fourth successive quarter, there has been a decline in seafarer happiness. Common causes of this trend, as cited by seafarers, include “feeling overburdened, underappreciated and disconnected, as well as concerns over a lack of shore leave and an inability to contact family,” although the sense of isolation and lack of connection with family have been addressed by improved onboard connectivity.
Seafarers also expressed dissatisfaction over wages that do not keep up with inflation, as well as the lack of opportunities for career development.
More urgent concerns are the growing security threats, such as piracy, terrorism and war, that are not helped by the conflict in the Red Sea, which adds to the burden of seafarers.
The secretary general of The Mission to Seafarers, Andrew Wright, noted that while some ship owners and managers are “doing fantastic work to invest in the well-being of their crew... the overall picture remains concerning . ... From perennial concerns over an unsustainable workload, insufficient shore leave, limited rest hours, financial concerns [to] the burden of separation from family, we now see rising concerns over the security risks facing seafarers, whether in the Red Sea or high-risk piracy waters.”
“Seafarers often feel the world’s crises first and hardest, as we have seen in recent years. While it is not within the power of industry to change such events, we are reminded of the vulnerability of seafarers and the imperatives of prioritizing their well-being,” Wright said. “With a global workforce, the maritime industry must be conscious of how easily changes in international relationships have a bearing on the well-being of seafarers.”
As for IMO’s role in environmental protection, Dominguez stressed the decarbonization of the maritime industry, in line with the landmark pledge to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050. As a complex and interdependent ecosystem, the industry requires the collaboration of all stakeholders to achieve its decarbonization goals and build a sustainable, clean-energy future.
We are part of this collaboration, too. Every one of us has a role to play in protecting the environment and making it safe for seafarers and everyone in it.
We do not live in the best of all possible worlds, but let us heed and find inspiration from the words of American novelist Alice Walker: “In every horrid situation or condition we witness, anywhere on the earth, we must imagine ourselves, our children, our parents, our grandparents, and our friends, there as well. This is the beginning of compassion. Love of the whole of humanity, the whole of the planet, not just the part you feel belongs to you, or the part you feel you will always enjoy in comfort or safety.”