ICS urges protection for seafarers amid geopolitical risks

Hamburg, Germany. Seafarers must not be drawn into geopolitical conflicts or used as leverage in disputes over international waterways, International Chamber of Shipping secretary-general Thomas Kazakos told shipping leaders in Hamburg.

He said geopolitical disruption was putting crews at risk while making long-term investment decisions more difficult for companies renewing the global fleet.

Call to protect crews

Kazakos delivered the opening address at the Xinde Marine Forum, held under the theme ‘Navigate Uncertainty, Embrace Transition’.

Addressing growing dangers facing crews, he said seafarers “should not be caught in the middle of geopolitical conflicts”, stressing that “they are not combatants” but people working thousands of miles from home to keep essential goods, energy and food moving around the world.

Investment uncertainty

The remarks came during a busy week for the ICS at SMM Hamburg, where chairman John Denholm spoke about difficult investment decisions confronting shipowners.

At the opening press conference, entitled ‘Autonomy & Security: Shaping a Resilient and Intelligent Maritime Future’, Denholm said the problem was not a lack of willingness among shipowners to invest.

He said supply-chain instability and geopolitical risk had made it harder to determine which technologies and projects would remain commercially viable over the lifetime of a vessel. For shipowners considering major capital commitments, the central challenge was creating sufficient confidence to invest in a rapidly changing business environment.

Industry perspectives

Denholm was joined by International Maritime Organisation secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez and senior representatives from DNV, Everllence, the German Shipowners’ Association, Meyer Turku and Hamburg Messe und Congress, who shared perspectives on maritime security and the industry’s changing technological needs.

The ICS has also campaigned to protect freedom of navigation and oppose the possible introduction of compulsory tolls or service charges in the Strait of Hormuz.