54 ships (and crews) abandoned so far this year

54 ships abandoned so far this year
Sam Chambers April 17, 2025 https://splash247.com/54-ships-abandoned-so-far-this-year/

The scourge of crew abandonment is proving very hard for global administrators to rein in.

A total of 54 ships and their crews have been abandoned so far this year, according to data carried by the International Labour Organization (ILO), putting 2025 potentially on track to be the second-highest toll for ships being ditched by their owners.

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.

Cases of seafarers being left to rot on abandoned vessels have picked up dramatically in the 2020s, first thanks to the covid pandemic, and latterly in step with the increasing size of the dark fleet.

Crew abandonment was discussed at the headquarters of the ILO where officials met to update the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).

Among the suite of MLC amendments agreed last week to improve the working and living conditions of seafarers onboard ships were provisions for seafarers to be designated as key workers; strengthened requirements to support seafarer repatriation; new mandatory measures to ensure that they have access to shore leave without needing a visa or special permit; and enhanced protections against bullying and harassment.

Guidelines on how to deal with seafarer abandonment were adopted by a joint ILO and IMO tripartite working group in late 2022, although the continued rise in crew abandonment cases in the intervening years shows how intractable the problem is.

“The rising tide of seafarer abandonment must be stemmed. Shipping’s good deeds are overshadowed by this abuse. Fake flags, dark fleets, and turmoil create a breeding ground for exploitation. This should serve as a red flag for our entire industry, and we need a system overhaul to protect seafarers and to hold abusers to account,” Steven Jones, the founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, told Splash last year.