When it comes to human rights at sea, worse things happen on land
The NGO Human Rights at Sea is right to highlight abuses still seen in shipping. But things have moved on from the days when European shipmanagers were happily providing the Burmese military junta with hard currency in exchange for forced labour
Without the efforts of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, as well as religiously based missions to seafarers, human rights issues would clearly be much worse. But the vast majority of owners deserve a clean bill of health