New report: tired crews, poor mental health and fear of speaking up make ships less safeA report by the Sustainable Shipping Initiative, published on 22 October 2026, says fatigue, mental health and fear of reporting mistakes are linked to accidents at sea. It asks insurers, banks and investors to take crew welfare into account.
Seafarers are less happy again: shore leave, internet and wages get worse, new survey saysThe Seafarers Happiness Index for July to September 2026 fell to 6.81 out of 10. Shore leave, internet, wages and welfare ashore got worse, but crew relations and training got better.
New guide for shipping companies: how to hire women seafarers and keep them safe on boardWISTA Germany and the association Frauen zur See have published a free guide for shipowners and crewing companies. It gives practical advice on hiring women, stopping harassment, fitting safety gear and supporting careers at sea.
Philippines signs agreement with the Mission to Seafarers for more welfare and mental health supportThe Philippine Department of Migrant Workers and the charity The Mission to Seafarers signed an agreement on 19 October 2026. They will pass cases to each other and work together on welfare and mental health help for seafarers and their families.
Indian court orders the government to send home 23 seafarers stuck on an abandoned tanker off Paradip since MayThe crew of the tanker MT Unity have been stuck at anchor off Paradip, India, since May. On 6 October the Orissa High Court ordered the Indian government to take them off and send them home. As of 20 October they were still waiting for a replacement crew.
IMO warns that too many seafarers are detained for doing their jobs, as X-Press Pearl master passes five years stuck in Sri LankaAn IMO director told a crewing conference in Manila on 20 October 2026 that too many seafarers face detention and long legal cases for doing their jobs. The master of X-Press Pearl is still barred from leaving Sri Lanka more than five years after his ship burned and sank.
Ship detained at Safaga as ITF steps in for seven Egyptian seafarers without wages or foodThe ITF says seven Egyptian crew on a ship in Safaga, Egypt, report delayed wages and no food, provisions or medical care. Egypt's Maritime Authority has detained the ship while a settlement is sought.
ITF calls for release of chief officer jailed in Türkiye over cocaine found on his shipThe ITF Executive Board has asked Turkish authorities to review the case of chief officer Ali Albokhari, in prison for three years over cocaine found on the bulk carrier Phoenician M, and to free him unless there is credible evidence he was personally involved.
ITF's Mind At Sea campaign brings mental health talks into ship visitsThe International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is running Mind At Sea, a mental health and suicide prevention campaign for seafarers, until early December 2026. Its inspectors will hold short wellbeing talks with crews during ship visits.