On Wednesday 3 June during Posidonia in Athens, BIMCO hosted a seminar focusing on seafarers. The event raised the important questions of how we can sustain, attract and protect the 2 million men and women we rely on to operate the world’s commercial fleet. Below are some reflections and issues raised by BIMCO’s President, Secretary General and the panellists.
BIMCO’s President, Paul Pathy, delivered the opening address ahead of the first panel session focusing on the underlying need of securing a sustainable seafarer workforce and the second panel focusing on the challenges of protecting them.
“This could hardly be more topical at a time when around 20,000 seafarers are stuck in the Persian Gulf. At times like these, it’s not only the principle of freedom of navigation that is compromised, but also the freedom of our seafarers who are prevented from going home to their families. Once again, they are paying a very high price in the middle of a conflict. Their freedom of navigation should never be negotiable,” Pathy said.
BIMCO Secretary General & CEO, David Loosley rounded up the event:
“Today’s discussions leave me with some confidence that we are in good hands, and it feels like the right questions are being asked. I particularly like some of the suggestions as to how we might operationalise some of this to help our seafarers and turn it into seafarer language. As Paul said right at the beginning, when shipping makes the headlines, it’s usually because something has gone wrong, and too often what gets lost behind the headlines is the human dimension; the people,” Loosley said.
Fight for talent and need for upskilling
The first panel session was moderated by Dr Bev Mackenzie, Head of Intergovernmental Engagement at BIMCO. Aron Frank Sørensen, BIMCO’s Chief Environment Officer, started the discussions by taking the audience through the methodologies and reasoning behind the BIMCO & ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026 which will be published on 25 June.
Elpi Petraki, Chartering, Operations & Business Development Manager at ENEA MANAGEMENT INC, President of WISTA International and Secretary General of the Hellenic Short Sea Shipowners Association spoke about the importance of not only attracting the younger generation of seafarers, but also of focusing on retaining the experience and knowledge of seafarers who wish to go on shore. Supporting the transition from a career at sea to a shore based one is crucial, she said.
Julia Anastasiou, Chief Crew Management Officer at OSM Thome stated that when looking at the profile of a seafarer, and what is needed to prepare them for the future, there are gaps in the recruitment and training processes. She also said there is currently a fight for talent as opposed to a fight for recruitment and reminded everyone that when we are looking at gaps and costs, we are looking at human beings. Improvements must be done collectively and involving governments, flag states and other stakeholders, she said.
Marina Papaioannou, Regional Maritime Academies Manager at DNV, pointed out that hundreds of seafarers need to be upskilled. With the new fuels coming in, the industry will need to address this due to the transitional period. She warned that the industry must address issues of safety regarding the new fuels and that this is a large concern for seafarers. Additionally, she pointed out that also skills such as leadership and communication must be enhanced to make the seafarers feel safe and that the human element must never be left behind.
Criminalisation: Preparing our seafarer workforce for the worst
The second panel session was moderated by Katerina Elikonida Maroudi, Regulatory Manager at BIMCO.
Starting out, Eleni Antoniadou, Lawyer at Gard AS and English Solicitor, highlighted that when we see cases of drugs, the scapegoat is often the seafarer. She pointed out that such cases often get a lot of media attention and often lead to long detentions for the seafarers. In addition, she added that the industry is seeing a rise in drug cases and that shipowners must support the crew by providing legal support, accommodation, medical assistance and food etc.
Alan Croft Business Development Manager at the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) pointed out that many stakeholders are involved in cases of criminalisation. In these situations, the seafarers don’t know what will happen next and neither do the families back home, as information about the future financial situation and how long it will all last is unknown and unsettling. He said the role of the network is to reduce the human impact and that prevention and preparedness is critical, including education on the consequences, the risk of cutting corners, what to do, who to contact immediately, what their rights are and how to preserve evidence. He suggested that a practical emergency pack could make a real difference for our seafarers who are essential to global trade but often not treated as such.
Leo Bolivar Country Manager at IRI and The Marshall Islands Registry, Manila office, said that fair treatment of seafarers as a term somewhat predates a feeling that seafarers are treated unfairly, but that states will often say they offer due process. He pointed out that the flag states cannot override the coastal states, and that seafarers must be allowed access to consular offices. While complicated, a collective effort is necessary, and all stakeholders must collaborate.
Lastly, Dr Joanna-Eugenia Bakouni, Learning & Development Manager – Maritime at Maersk Training and Academic Course Director at Lloyd’s Maritime Academy said more must be done to implement drills for many different scenarios. She pointed out that guidelines sitting on a website at 3 am in the morning when a seafarer is facing prosecution is just that: a guideline, and that better training and support is needed. Compliance training is important, but when most seafarers fail it’s because they were not prepared to feel frightened, and that one cannot tick a box out of such a situation, she added. Also, she pointed out that seafarers need to practice realistic scenarios and seeing the consequences of mistakes made during those sessions. Rounding off, she offered a reminder that most of us don’t fear being arrested or detained when we go to work but that seafarers are exposed to such risks and that training beyond compliance is needed.
Seafarer Workforce Report - The global supply and demand for seafarers in 2026