InterManager Outlook: Seafarer abandonment: A crisis of accountability, not compassion
The rising number of abandoned seafarers is not an anomaly. It is not a temporary spike. It is the predictable outcome of a system that has failed to align responsibility with power.
Each abandonment case follows the same script: statements of concern, condemnation of ‘unscrupulous owners’, and then the industry moves on. Meanwhile, seafarers remain unpaid, stranded on vessels and dependent on charities and unions for basic welfare and repatriation support.
We continue to treat abandonment as an unfortunate by-product of global shipping. In reality, it is a structural failure, rooted in weak accountability, fragmented responsibility, and regulatory frameworks that define obligations but fail to enforce consequences.
Only around 10% of seafarers work directly for shipowners. The rest are employed through professional crew managers, which is regulated properly. Owners are vetted and ships are checked to ensure compliance with MLC.
The real danger comes when seafarers are tempted by direct offers that look too good to be true. In reality, many of these offers come from owners who view a ship, and its crew, as a one-voyage disposable asset.
Some systems dramatically reduce this risk however. The model adopted by the Philippines creates clear responsibility. Government-certified agencies must follow the rules and are held accountable. As a result, Filipino crews appear far less frequently in abandonment cases than many other nationalities.
Compare that with countries where seafarers can “self-employ” or sign on with anyone, anywhere. Ukrainians, Poles, Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans and others often take the only offers available, especially if they are older, female, or considered less ‘employable’ by the mainstream market. That is exactly the demographic unscrupulous owners and shadow fleets target.
Shadow fleets have made the situation worse. Reputable managers and owners will not touch these ships, but they still need crews. The system therefore funnels the most vulnerable seafarers into the riskiest employment.
Who is really at fault? Owners who play the system are certainly culpable. But if we stop the conversation there, nothing will change.
Today, a flag state can collect registration fees, enjoy the business, and look the other way until disaster strikes. When a ship is abandoned, the humanitarian and financial burden falls on seafarers, their families, unions, charities and the wider industry’s reputation.
This is where a reset is needed. If flag states were made financially responsible for abandoned crews, including wages, repatriation and basic welfare, those incentives would change overnight. After a couple of high-profile cases, the ‘open door’ approach to registration would suddenly look far less attractive.
We don’t need more declarations. We need enforceable consequences. The Maritime Labour Convention already tells us what should happen. What it does not do is pin the bill on the party with the power to prevent the problem at source.
Abandonment exists in a convenient grey zone where everyone agrees it is terrible, but no one owns it. Until that changes, seafarers will continue to be treated as disposable assets.