Constant state of danger takes toll on shipping crews in Strait of Hormuz

The deaths of 25 seafarers in attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began have prompted shipping operators to rethink how they protect their crews and has renewed attention on sailors' legal right to refuse to go to conflict zones.

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation, called for greater protection for seafarers, regardless of their nationality, following the attack on the MT Velos Sapphire on November 5.

He warned that seafarers continued to be killed or suffered serious injuries or abandonment by shipping operators, while others were denied repatriation or deprived of basic human necessities.

More than 130 attacks on commercial vessels have been reported in the region since the conflict began on February 28.

Commercial vessels in our region are caught in a war that they have nothing to do with

Eugene Mayne

,
group chief executive, Tristar

Around a quarter of seafarers worldwide are from the Philippines, with about 500,000 of them deployed each year.

The country’s Department of Migrant Workers has declared the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman as warlike operational areas and prohibited the deployment of seafarers to vessels transiting the region’s high-risk zones.

Despite that, sailors continue to sign up to contracts at sea, with higher wages on offer to navigate the maritime threats.

At the annual Tristar Safety At Sea conference in Dubai on Monday, seafarers on board tankers off Mumbai, New Delhi and Manila dialled in to listen to the latest mental health support available for crew.

Show caption: More than 130 attacks on commercial vessels have been report…

The latest happiness index reported by the Mission to Seafarers, based on a survey conducted every three months to gauge mental health on board vessels, recorded a third consecutive decline. It was down from 7.18 out of 10 in the first three months of the year to 6.81.

Ben Bailey, director of programme at the Mission to Seafarers, said around eight vessels had been abandoned off the UAE coast by their owners, with crews receiving support.

“Seafarers remain very concerned and worried about what's going on in this part of the world and the relative regional instability,” he said. “We are being inundated with calls about seafarers seeking pastoral support and counselling.

“Many seafarers themselves have been suffering the trauma of feeling very much isolated and stuck, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Civilian attacks condemned

The IMO strongly condemned attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Bab Al Mandeb strait, as well as attacks by the Russian Federation on seafarers, shipping tankers and port infrastructure in the Black Sea.

Tankers face a daily threat of drone and missile attacks, as well as sea mines positioned to prevent the free movement of trade through important maritime routes.

An offshore oil leak originating from a tanker 25km off the coast of Umm Al Quwain has been linked to an incident involving the tanker Gem No 2, which is understood to have struck a mine.

On Sunday, a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman issued a distress call due to a fire on board. The blaze forced the evacuation of 22 crew members, with support from the UAE National Guard.

However, the number of abandonments at sea, where operators refuse to pay crew wages or go bankrupt, is down, Mr Bailey said.

“At the beginning of the crisis, we were dealing with around 15 to 20. Now we've got around 8 to 10 that we're looking after in varying states,” he said.

“They are surrounded by other vessels, they've seen other vessels explode and they've been surrounded by mines so they can't go forwards, and they can't go back.

Show caption: Commercial vessels and oil tankers anchored in the waters of…

“One seafarer said to me that when the war first began, he was so terrified of seeing the missiles and drones in the sky that now whenever he sees them, he treats them almost like a firework.

“That is a very worrying development because seafarers are beginning to normalise and rationalise the experience that they're going through, which is anything but normal.”

Crews are also dealing with an increase in piracy and armed robbery attacks in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden region.

The IMO said that it had recorded 17 instances of attempted and actual piracy and armed robbery at sea in the region since the start of the year.

Suicide at sea

According to the International Labour Organisation, which registers fatalities at sea, 26 deaths by suicide were among 449 deaths reported in 2024, the last full year of reported data.

Eugene Mayne, group chief executive of Tristar, said deaths by suicide on board vessels had forced ship owners to look at what mental health support was available to crew.

“A seafarer can be protected from the dangers around them, and yet still he's struggling with a pain that nobody sees,” he said.

“This can be loneliness, exhaustion, separation from family, the pressure to keep going and the fear of admitting difficulty.”

“We established safety at sea to make room for honest conversations and challenge stigma. Conflict in the Middle East has added to an already demanding profession.

“Commercial vessels in our region are caught in a war that they have nothing to do with.”

Mr Mayne called on ship owners to take responsibility for three practical commitments to improve life on board: to protect the person, provide basic necessities – food, fresh water, adequate rest and medical assistance; offer reliable communication with home; and provide safe repatriation where needed.

“During a crisis, those needs become even more urgent,” he said. “Our decisions about vessel passages, routes, schedules and operations must reflect the reality.”

“People need clear channels, confidential professional support, and they need leaders who know how to support and how to respond.”

Abdulla Al Hashmi, global chief operating officer of parks and economic zones at DP World, said the eighth Safety At Sea conference was the most significant yet due to the challenges regional crews are facing.

“Here in the Gulf, we have spent much of this year talking about disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Ships waiting, changing,” he said. “But behind every ship is a crew, and behind every crew, a family waiting at home for weeks has turned into months.”

As of late October, up to 400 ships carrying around 6,000 seafarers were still stuck at sea, he said.

“In UAE and in Dubai we have spared no effort to ensure that we support the seafarers that are stuck in the ocean with food supplies, water and medical care,” Mr Al Hashmi said.

“We inspect equipment, run drills and assess risks because life depends on it. Mental well-being deserves the same discipline.”