THE NUMBER of abandonment cases so far in 2025 has increased by 30% on last year’s figure at this point in the year, which turned out to be the worst on record for seafarer abandonment.

New data from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) reveals the full scale of shipping’s growing problem.

At least 2,286 seafarers on 222 vessels have been left abandoned so far this year, up from 1,838 seafarers on 172 vessels by this point in 2024.

As reported in Lloyd’s List earlier this year, this is an issue which is growing in smaller registries. Vessels registered in what the ITF calls flags of convenience — St. Kitts & Nevis (26), Tanzania (26) and Comoros (18) — “dominate” the abandonment lists so far in 2025.

ITF inspectorate co-ordinator Steve Trowsdale called the “flags of convenience system” in shipping “parasitic”.

“It allows shipowners to hide behind paper jurisdictions while seafarers are left abandoned on rusting hulls. And when countries enable these crimes by looking the other way — or worse, profiting from them — they become complicit,” he said.

Flag states are not responsible for abandonments, but they do have responsibilities over the vessels that fly their flag and the companies that own those vessels.

They also have responsibilities under the Maritime Labour Convention, which St Kitts, Comoros and Tanzania have all ratified.

Under the amended MLC, flag states must ensure that a financial security system is in place for ships flying their flag to cover wages, food and other supplies, as well as the cost of repatriation.

They must also “facilitate the prompt repatriation of seafarers” when they are deemed abandoned under the MLC.

But the ITF said “a lack of enforcement and responsiveness from flag and port states, the absence of adequate insurance for vessels, and shipowners refusing to accept responsibility for crew welfare” was behind the increase in abandonments.

“These failures are not just administrative gaps; they are enabling an industry where seafarers are discarded when no longer convenient,” the federation added.

Trowsdale said there simply “must be accountability”.

“If we allow this exploitation to continue, we destroy the very workforce global trade depends on.”