
Stella Maris, the global maritime network, is calling for urgent action in response to record levels of ship abandonment, which left thousands of seafarers stranded without pay, provisions, or a way home in 2024. In January 2025, joint IMO/ILO data confirms a staggering 310 ships were reported abandoned last year, a significant increase from 142 in 2023.
“These figures are not just statistics; they represent lives upended and families pushed into financial hardship. Abandoned seafarers often endure harrowing conditions – trapped on vessels without adequate provisions or wages and unsure when they’ll be able to return home to their loved ones. The physical and mental toll is devastating.”
– Tim Hill MBE, Stella Maris UK Chief Executive
Seafarers can spend months aboard vessels as they await resolution of their cases, without any income to send home. In one abandonment case supported by Stella Maris, a group of abandoned seafarers in Kenya faced over a year on their ship with little food and no wages.
Margaret Masibo, the Stella Maris chaplain in Mombasa, Kenya, recalls: “Men were crying, others were shouting, some had withdrawn into silence. For several days, they’d had no food or fresh water. They were starving to death. Since the ship had been abandoned, not a single person had stepped on board to help – until I did. The men had no money and couldn’t disembark because they didn’t have papers to be in Kenya. It was a terrible, heart-breaking sight to see people abandoned so carelessly.”
Often the primary breadwinners for their families, their absence can plunge loved ones into financial distress.
“The ripple effects of abandonment stretch far beyond the ship. Whole communities suffer when seafarers are left stranded and unpaid,” Hill added.
Stella Maris provides direct support to seafarers, including food parcels, legal assistance, and pastoral care. However, the charity warns that more needs to be done to prevent this crisis from escalating.
“The world relies on seafarers to keep trade moving, yet they remain among the most vulnerable workers. We must stand together to enforce international laws, hold negligent companies accountable, and provide immediate assistance to abandoned crew to ensure that seafarers’ rights are respected and their dignity upheld. ,” Hill said.
In a recent press briefing, International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez, underscored IMO’s commitment to addressing the problem of seafarer abandonment, but stressed the need for better compliance with existing regulations.
“There is a responsibility for member states and ship owners to treat their people better. The framework is in place, but we need everyone to do their part“
– Arsenio Dominguez, IMO Secretary General