Certificates and trainingPhilippines gives a six-month extension to STCW certificates of seafarers stuck on ships in the Middle East and Black SeaMARINA, the Philippine maritime authority, can extend expired or expiring certificates of Filipino seafarers by six months. This is for crew who cannot leave their ships as planned because of the crises in the Middle East, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Welfare and rightsIndian 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.
Lessons from accidentsPhilippine ferry fire that killed 77: fire officials say a pool chemical and asphalt near a hot exhaust started itPhilippine fire officials say pool chemical and asphalt cargo spilled and mixed near the engine exhaust of the ferry June Aster. The fire killed 77 people. The master, officers and some crew may face criminal charges.
Certificates and trainingDigital certificates for seafarers: BIMCO test shows they can move between different systemsIn a BIMCO test, seven digital certificate platforms shared seafarer certificates with each other. BIMCO now wants one common certificate file and clear rules to check that digital certificates are real.
Rescues and medevacsOff northern Japan, 17 crew rescued from a burning fishing boat, and a Filipino fisherman is still missingAll 17 crew of the Japanese fishing boat Tenryu Maru were rescued after an engine-room fire in the North Pacific on 20 October 2026. Two days earlier, a Filipino crew member died and another went missing after falling from a Taiwanese fishing boat.
Jobs and wagesIndia starts new online licence system for crewing agencies and plans digital job contracts from 1 NovemberIndia's maritime administration has started an upgraded online system for licensed crewing agencies. It plans online joining consent and digital employment agreements from 1 November 2026. Agencies that send technicians or security guards to foreign ships now need a full licence.
Lessons from accidentsToxic gas H2S: more than half of known seafarer deaths happened outside enclosed spacesAn IMO review found that at least 29 of 56 hydrogen sulphide deaths happened outside tanks and other enclosed spaces. The insurer Gard explains how crews were hit during normal work and how to stay safe.
Security and piracySomali pirates still hold the tanker Asana and its crew after three months, as EU naval force closes four other casesThe EU's anti-piracy force off Somalia says the tanker Asana, hijacked on 17 July with up to 22 crew, is still held by pirates. Four other hijacked ships are now free, but five seafarers died when one of them was retaken.
Lessons from accidentsSecond engineer killed by falling crane parts on a rolling bulk carrier: lessons from the Singapore reportA crane hook, shackles and a chain block slid off a platform on the bulk carrier Viyada Naree as the ship rolled. They fell on a second engineer walking below. Singapore's investigators explain what went wrong and how to prevent it.
Jobs and wagesIndia bans its seafarers from small-boat jobs in Sarawak, Malaysia, after repeated deathsIndia's maritime authority told licensed agencies not to send Indian seafarers to ships that work only in Sarawak's rivers, coast and ports. It says young Indian seafarers died in accidents in Malaysia year after year. A second rule: agencies must check insurance before seafarers join foreign ships.
Welfare and rightsIMO 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.
Rescues and medevacsRescue ship's chief officer lost after 28 crew saved from burning container ship in the South AtlanticThe Portuguese-flagged bulk carrier Aeolian Arrow rescued all 28 crew of the burning container ship Espirito Santo Express on 15 October 2026. Its own chief officer fell into the sea while the rescue boat was being recovered and could not be saved.