The number of seafarers abandoned by shipowners globally continues to increase according to two United Nations agencies - the International Maritime Organisation and the International Labour Organisation International Labour Organization (ILO), the latter being the specialised agency dedicated to improving labour conditions.
Last year, the joint database of the two organisations received notice of 409 abandonments, according to the latest figures. That was an increase of almost one-third from the 312 cases reported in 2024, which was itself an increase over the 132 cases reported in 2023.
The Lead Representative at the IMO for the international organisation of maritime professionals, the Nautical Institute, Captain Chris O’Flaherty, says these cases involve 6,264 seafarers aboard 364 vessels. “Cases of seafarer abandonment continue to rise annually.”
Panama, which has the second-largest ship registry in the world, is the ‘Flag State’ with the most abandonments, 67 cases, while the largest nationality group of abandoned seafarers is Indian – 1,491.
