New Zealand recently led an inspection campaign to assess seafarers' employment conditions on board ships of various flag states subject to Port State Control. The campaign was a collaboration between both the Tokyo and Paris Memoranda of Understanding, with Maritime NZ staff participating throughout.
The memoranda focus on eliminating substandard shipping, enhancing maritime safety, protecting the marine environment, and ensuring good working and living conditions on ships.
The campaign was conducted from September to November 2024 and focused on crew wages and employment agreements in line with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006.
During the three-month period, 8,134 inspections were carried out, with 6,580 specifically addressing the campaign's focus areas that promote fair treatment and enhance the welfare of seafarers globally. The campaign resulted in 297 ship detentions, including 20 directly related to MLC violations, accounting for 7% of all detentions.
Common deficiencies included the absence of signed seafarer employment agreements (16%) and seafarers being unable to access information about their employment conditions on board (28%).
Ships from Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands were most frequently inspected - 39% of the total. Some ships from Panama, Liberia, Mongolia, and Gambia were detained more than once.
A comprehensive report detailing the findings will be published later this year.
