The shipping sector must take steps to improve the working conditions in seven key areas and urgently increase the well-being of seafarers, making life at sea safe and inclusive and future-proof with respect to the changing needs of the maritime labour market in order to attract future generations of seafarers. This is highlighted by the pilot project Diversity@Sea, an initiative of the Global Maritime Forum over ten months involving 400 seafarers and 12 companies Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, bp, Cargill, Chevron Shipping, Diana Shipping, Dorian LPG, Gaslog, Hafnia, Stena, Synergy and Swire Shipping).

The results of the survey identify areas such as tackling abuse and harassment, improving the balance between work and and the modernisation of on-board facilities such as essential for the future of the sector and the preservation of the future of world trade. Among the other aspects on which to intervene there is the improvement of seafarers' contracts to avoid the pressure from having to work excessive hours and/or spending too much time away from home, with the consequences onset of severe states of anxiety, depression and fatigue.

Presenting the results of the pilot project today, The international non-profit organization highlighted that The results of the survey come at a time of increasing concern for the working conditions of the 1.9 million around the world keeping trade moving but spend much of their time outside the jurisdiction of national labour laws. The Global Maritime Forum highlighted that this is a moment in which, for almost a year, hundreds of ships continued to transit the Red Sea despite the attacks on ship traffic carried out by the militants Houthis with missiles and drones that caused the sinking of ships and the killing and wounding of seafarers, a situation is was preceded by the Covid-19 pandemic which saw thousands of seafarers stranded at sea for months beyond their obligations due to the closure of borders. A scenario which has led to the shortage of maritime labour reaching the highest in the last 17 years.