Issue of Seafarer Criminalization Highlighted in New Effort by InterManager

InterManager is concerned by the increasingly harsh treatment of ships’ crew in some parts of the world. The trade association for the ship management sector is starting an effort to collect data and highlight to the IMO and other industry stakeholders the harsh treatment of seafarers including the number of cases where seafarers are being “criminalized” for events involving their ships.

“There is a concern within the shipping industry that seafarers are being unfairly detained when authorities find something wrong with their ship, often when drugs are found onboard but also in other circumstances. Most frequently senior officers are detained, although the whole crew can be, and held without charge for long periods of time and often without any prope…