Freight News, Logistics, People, Sea

BIMCO Urges Stronger Protection for Seafarers

[ March 25, 2026   //   Gary Burrows ]

BIMCO has launched a campaign film, Fair Seas, calling on governments to strengthen protections for seafarers, citing rising geopolitical risks and growing concerns over criminalization.

The group said around 20,000 seafarers are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf amid heightened security risks and mounting mental strain as conflicts disrupt key shipping lanes.

BIMCO warned that seafarers are increasingly exposed to detention and legal action in cases involving drugs or environmental incidents, in some instances without sufficient evidence or due process.

“Every time a ship is stranded, attacked, detained or hijacked, there is a family back home fearing for the lives of those on board,” said David Loosley, BIMCO secretary general and CEO, who urged governments to address the human impact of supply chain disruption alongside trade concerns.

The organization is also pressing for wider recognition of seafarers as key workers to safeguard freedom of movement. The International Labor Organization has adopted amendments to the Maritime Labor Convention granting such status, while the European Union has already implemented the designation.

BIMCO said stronger enforcement of international conventions and opposition to liability regimes that presume guilt are critical to ensuring fair treatment of crews as global shipping faces continued disruption.

View Fair Seas at https://www.bimco.org/fairseas.

Tags: BIMCO, International Labor Organizatioon, Maritime Labor Convention