Rising numbers of seafarers sought help after suffering violence and bullying on board ships this year, as they complained of being forced to work excessively long hours and denied medical care, according to a helpline.
Calls to the helpline run by the International Seafarers’ Welfare & Assistance Network (ISWAN) increased during the first six months from crew members abandoned by shipowners and suffering mental health concerns and abuse at work.
The charity said the cases highlighted long-running issues within the industry, including seafarers paying fees to fake recruitment agencies, bullying, harassment and discrimination on the basis of nationality or religion.
Complaints about abuse, violence and discrimination increased by 28% to reach 92 calls in the first half of the year compared with 2023, said ISWAN.
Many callers “experienced bullying by senior officers, with some citing being required to work excessively long hours or being denied necessary medical care”.
It said it helped 227 seafarers from 25 cases of abandonment, up from 10 cases in the first half of 2023. “Many of these seafarers had not been paid for a number of months and, in some cases, lacked drinking water and other essential provisions,” it said.
Calls about mental health concerns increased by 17% to 109 in the first six months, including 15 cases in which the seafarers raised thoughts of suicide.
ISWAN chief executive Simon Grainge said: “At a time when the focus of the maritime sector is on the ongoing crisis in the Red Sea and the pressing requirements to decarbonise, it’s essential that we do not lose sight of the many welfare challenges that seafarers are encountering every day at sea.”
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