Seafarer abandonment cases hit record high as ITF recovers $13m in unpaid wages

The International Transport Workers' Federation logs the highest number of crew abandonment cases ever recorded, urging cargo owners to vet vessel operators.

Abandonment of ships' crews — leaving seafarers unpaid and stranded without provisions — reached a record 312 cases last year. The ITF recovered $13 million in owed wages, but many crews waited months aboard powerless vessels.

Cargo owners and charterers face growing pressure to screen vessel operators for P&I insurance and wage payment history, as abandonment becomes recognised as a forced labour indicator within maritime supply chains.