Meeting the challenge of the seafarer crisis

For ship operators, it was no surprise that Drewry’s 2023/24 Manning Annual Review and Forecast found that seafarer labour shortages are at a 17-year high. It is the latest in a line of reports highlighting that while global demand for shipping has increased over the years, recruiting and retaining seafarers is much more challenging than ever before.

“Ships are still sailing, but if the supply doesn’t improve significantly, there could be problems,” says Rhett Harris, senior manning analyst at Drewry. Those problems could eventually result in vessels being stuck at port, but vessels could increasingly sail with skeleton crews before then. The result – seafarers become overworked. Vessel maintenance may take a back seat, resulting in more significant repair jobs in dry docks. In a worst-case scenario, accidents will become more frequent.

Supply and demand

Although seafarers come from across the world, some countries supply a greater proportion than others. Among the major seafarer supply countries, intake numbers vary.

“In India and the Philippines, the government provides excellent support to seafarers, so their intake is actually good,” says Harris. China is also one of the major supply countries seeing good intake. Chinese seafarers tend to favour Chinese-flagged vessels however, so are less likely to contribute to the global supply.

Some supply countries are seeing declining rates. Among the most prominent are Russia and Ukraine – a trend that is unlikely to change until the war in Ukraine ends.

For some, it isn’t the number of seafarers available globally that matters but the number of seafarers available in a particular country. For example, “the USA has the Jones Act, which says any vessel starting a voyage from a US port and finishing voyage in a US port has to have US National seafarers on board,” says Harris. “In a way, they’re self-limiting.”

Changing aspirations

Regardless of whether seafarers from a particular country are needed or not, recruitment has to be a priority if current – let alone projected – demand for seafarers is to be met. Seafaring needs to be seen as an attractive option. One of the biggest challenges is the extended periods spent at sea. “You're away for several months, and then you come back, and things are normal for a few months, and then you go away again,” Harris says.

Historically, long periods away were more of an issue for women, who were often expected to be at home (especially if they had children). However, men are increasingly finding an away-from-home lifestyle less attractive. Part of this relates to changes in family dynamics, with men taking on a greater role in family life than they would have done 50 or even 10 years ago.

It also partly relates to changes in aspirations. Long work hours, small, often shared and uncomfortable cabins, unpleasant-tasting water, and few entertainment options certainly don’t suit everyone. Then there is the issue of connectivity. “Young people now have grown up in a connected world, so they've always had the Internet,” Harris points out. “Now they’re going to go away and be completely disconnected.”

Fortunately, life on board is improving, particularly in the higher-earning sectors. “Companies are looking at better food, better entertainment. So some ships have gyms, a library, some might have a little cinema room,” says Harris.

Perhaps one of the most dramatic changes is the ability to have Internet connectivity, allowing seafarers to stay in touch with family and friends and stay connected with world events. However, for the most part, connectivity on board is often slower and less reliable than on land. It is also much more expensive, and seafarers often face data use limitations. Developments like Starlink from SpaceX could help drive costs down and resolve issues like speed and reliability.

“Solving the seafarer shortage” was written for On the Radar.