Addressing Criminalisation of seafarers

Criminalisation of seafarers, often for matters outwit their direct control, is a significant issue for our industry.

On 6 June 2025, the International Maritime Organisation hosted a joint event with the International Labour Organisation, International Chamber of Shipping and International Transport Workers Federation, focussed on what more can be done to address this unfortunate trend.  

Seeking a process which gives justice to seafarers, the Secretary General of the IMO emphasised that there is no intention to intervene or question the prosecution of individuals in sovereign jurisdictions, but there will be a need to hold possibly difficult conversations with various states.

One task to be addressed is the forming of a framework of what can be done practically to reduce criminalisation cases. The generally accepted answer was the need for strong enforcement of the recently adopted Fair Treatment Guidelines.

Putting seafarers first, practical implementation requires all those in authority to ‘never give up’ our collective efforts to reduce incidences of inappropriate criminalisation. There is a concurrent need to prioritise seafarers’ human rights over the motivation of some prosecuting authorities to convict them of ‘crimes’, which had not been crimes before.

The clear message conveyed to Governments is that, notwithstanding sovereign jurisdiction, the Fair Treatment Guidelines must be implemented. Seafarer rights are human rights and must be protected.

The Nautical Institute was represented by Dr Simon Daniels FNI and Captain John Lloyd FNI.