The Moral Imperative: Protecting Seafarers in War-Torn Waters

By Andrew Mwangura

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

The time has come for the international maritime community to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth that the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, and Israel’s ports have become maritime war zones where merchant seafarers face unacceptable risks to their lives and safety.

The International Maritime Labor Movement and seafarers’ welfare agencies must urgently push for the formal designation of these areas as warlike operations areas (WOA), providing crucial protections that have been long overdue.

The statistics paint a grim picture of maritime peril. From October 2023 to March 2024, the Houthis attacked more than 60 vessels in the Red Sea, while Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed 3 mariners with an attack on a ship in the Red Sea.

Recent incidents have escalated further, with the deaths being the first since June 2024 and bringing the total number of fatalities in the Red Sea, a vital waterway for global shipping, to at least six.

In the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, recent incidents include the April 2024 Iranian seizure of a Portuguese-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, demonstrating the persistent threat to commercial shipping.

The vulnerability of these waterways has forced the number of transits to plummet from around 2,068 in November 2023 to about 877 in October 2024 through the Suez Canal alone.

Major maritime insurers have already recognized what labor organizations and governments have been slow to acknowledge. These waters are classified as war-risk zones by the insurance industry, which bases its assessments on hard security intelligence rather than diplomatic sensitivities or economic considerations.

When Lloyd’s of London and other major insurers categorize these areas as warlike risk zones, they are responding to real threats that have already claimed seafarers’ lives and destroyed vessels. Their professional risk assessments should carry more weight than political reluctance to formally acknowledge the dangers.

The designation of WOA would provide seafarers with fundamental protections that are currently absent. Most critically, it would grant them the legal right to refuse passage through these high-risk zones without facing disciplinary action, termination, or other penalties from their employers.

This protection is essential because seafarers currently face an impossible choice: risk their lives by transiting dangerous waters or risk their careers by refusing unsafe assignments.

The designation would also guarantee safe repatriation for crew members who exercise their right to refuse dangerous voyages, ensuring they can return home without financial penalty or career consequences.

The maritime industry has a moral obligation to protect its workforce. Seafarers are not soldiers who have voluntarily accepted combat risks; they are civilian workers who deserve the same workplace safety protections as their shore-based counterparts.

The current situation forces them to navigate waters where much of the maritime shipping industry may stay away given the risks, yet individual crew members have no formal right to refuse these assignments. This creates an unconscionable situation where economic pressure overrides personal safety.

The legal framework for such designations already exists within international maritime law. The International Labour Organization’s Maritime Labour Convention provides the foundation for establishing enhanced protections in high-risk areas.

What is needed now is the political will to implement these protections. The International Maritime Organization, national maritime authorities, and seafarers’ unions must work together to establish clear criteria for WOA designations and ensure they are updated regularly based on current threat assessments.

The economic argument for these designations is also compelling. The uncertainty surrounding crew availability and vessel routing in these areas is already disrupting global supply chains and increasing costs.

Formal designations would provide clarity for shipowners, crew, and insurers, allowing for better planning and risk management.

Companies would be able to make informed decisions about routing and crewing, while seafarers would have clear rights and protections.

The maritime community cannot continue to ignore the reality that these waters have become battlegrounds where civilian seafarers are caught in the crossfire.

The insurance industry has already acknowledged this reality through their risk assessments and premium structures.

The time has come for labor organizations and maritime authorities to follow suit by establishing formal WOA designations that prioritize seafarer safety over economic convenience.

Every day that passes without these protections in place is another day that seafarers are forced to choose between their livelihoods and their lives.

The international maritime community must act now to ensure that no seafarer is compelled to transit waters where their safety cannot be reasonably guaranteed.

The designation of WOAs is not just a bureaucratic necessity; it is a moral imperative that recognizes the fundamental human right to workplace safety, even on the high seas.

The writer is a policy analyst specializing in maritime governance and blue economy development.