The International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA) has issued an urgent call for stronger protection of merchant seafarers operating in areas affected by armed conflict, declaring that civilian crews must never be treated as legitimate military targets.

IFSMA, which represents more than 16,000 serving shipmasters and holds consultative status with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), expressed deep concern over the continuing loss of seafarers' lives in conflict zones. The federation pointed to recent attacks on merchant vessels as evidence of the escalating dangers confronting civilian crews responsible for transporting the food, energy, medicines, and other essential goods on which the global economy depends. With roughly 90 percent of world trade carried by sea, the safety of those crews is tightly bound to the continuity of international supply chains.

"Merchant seafarers are civilians," IFSMA said in a statement. "They are not participants in armed conflict and must never become legitimate military targets."

The federation emphasized that individual seafarers have little or no influence over a vessel's route, cargo, or the commercial decisions that place them in proximity to active hostilities. It stressed that international humanitarian law obligates all parties to distinguish between military objectives and civilian shipping, and that designated maritime exclusion zones must not be treated as free-fire zones.

IFSMA called for seafarers to be provided with accurate, timely information regarding security risks. It further asserted that crew members should have the right to decline service in high-risk areas — or to be safely repatriated — without facing dismissal, financial penalty, or any other form of retaliation.

The organization urged a broad coalition of stakeholders to take immediate and practical action, including the United Nations, the IMO, the International Labour Organization (ILO), member states, flag states, shipowners, charterers, insurers, and all parties to armed conflicts.

IFSMA also insisted that shipmasters must retain their overriding authority to delay, divert, or refuse a voyage whenever the safety of the ship or its crew cannot be reasonably assured, without fear of commercial or professional consequences. That principle is already enshrined in the IMO's International Safety Management Code and in SOLAS regulations, which prohibit shipowners and charterers from restricting the master's professional judgement on safety matters, though gaps in enforcement persist.

"No seafarer should lose their life simply for doing their job," IFSMA said.

Source: Ship & Bunker