Seatrade-Maritime: Geopolitical strain exposes shipping’s crew welfare failings

Published by Seatrade-Maritime

Crew welfare and operational safety face profound risks unless there are meaningful, systemic changes to shore leave, the latest Seafarer Happiness Index (SHI) warned.

While all 10 of the SHI’s categories declined compared to the first quarter 2026, shore leave recorded the steepest fall on-quarter in Q2 from 6.78 to 5.72.

SHI’s scores are put together from a voluntary, self-reported survey, the results of which showed that “that stepping ashore is no longer a dependable right; instead, it is routinely restricted, rushed, or sacrificed entirely to operational demands,” said the report.

Access to shore leave is limited by tight turnaround times in port, immigration controls, terminal restrictions, and by work schedules leaving no time for seafarers to step ashore.

“Shore leave is not a luxury; it is a vital psychological restoration mechanism. It allows seafarers to escape the confined shipboard environment, regain autonomy, access welfare services, and reconnect with society. When shore leave disappears, the vessel transforms from a workplace into a place of confinement,” the report said.

The overall score for the second quarter across all categories was 6.78, a steep drop from 7.18 in the first quarter 2026 and 7.26 in the last quarter of 2025. The latest report is the first full quarter since hostilities broke out in the Middle East in late March. SHI framed the progression as a move from a sudden shock in Q1 to chronic strain in Q2 as disruption is normalised.

Beyond the headline risk to life and health, the effects on seafarers of geopolitical disruption include prolonged rerouting, communication blackouts in high-risk areas, and anxieties over vessel supplies, according to SHI.

“These external pressures have intensified long-standing structural challenges, particularly around workload management and fatigue, leading to a critical trust deficit where rest hours are too often treated as a mere paper exercise for authorities rather than a tool for genuine recovery,” the report said.

Rest hours fraud and limited shore leave are perennial issues in the maritime industry, the strain of current geopolitics has simply highlighted these structural issues.

The report pointed to another ongoing challenge in crewing, that of recruitment and retention. “Young crew are leaving the industry because there are no advantages remaining compared with a shore job,” one respondent said.

The industry faces a broad challenge as wage stagnation and inflation erodes the benefits of a seafaring career compared to shore-based work, making the sacrifice of spending long periods at sea seem less worthwhile. “If the advantage of going to sea narrows, then recruitment and retention become harder,” said SHI.

Ben Bailey, director of programme, The Mission to Seafarers, said: “This quarter’s data should trouble the entire industry. Seafarers are extraordinarily resilient, but we must not mistake resilience for unlimited capacity; endurance is not the same as wellbeing. The fundamentals that crews are asking for are strikingly basic: enough rest to recover, connectivity to sustain family life, quality food, and pay that justifies the sacrifice. The brightest results prove happiness at sea is achievable.”

Gert-Jan Panken, GM and vice president of Inmarsat Maritim, said: “While the overall findings show there is still much work to do, they also demonstrate that when companies invest in their people, through reliable connectivity, supportive leadership and an onboard environment where crews feel safe and valued, the impact is real. Technology alone is never the answer, but when combined with a genuine commitment to crew welfare and safety, it can help create a more connected, resilient and rewarding experience at sea.”

Thom Herbert, Idwal’s head of global strategic accounts and part of the seafarer advocacy team, added: “Many of our technical team are recent former seafarers, while our surveyors spend every day working alongside crews on board, so we recognise both the resilience described in this report and the pressures behind it. Strong leadership, respectful relationships and meaningful support from shore make a tangible difference. The industry must ensure that seafarers’ professionalism and commitment are valued, not simply relied upon.”