Commentary: Stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz face missile fears, exhaustion and isolation

SHADOW FLEETS

Most abandonments are linked to the shadow fleet, meaning ships that carry oil, gas and other goods in breach of sanctions. The shadow fleet has expanded to 20 per cent of the world’s tankers and 7.5 per cent of LPG carriers.

Shadow fleet vessels have opaque ownership, inadequate insurance and poorly trained crew obtained through illegal recruitment methods bordering on human trafficking.

They are registered in countries with lenient labour laws and poor labour protections, few safety regulations and little oversight. More than half of these ships are more than 15 years old (the traditional cut off age for tankers used by major oil companies) and are in substandard condition. They also use ports where they are unlikely to be inspected.

In addition, they are often run by small ship management companies with little technical knowledge or industry experience, about which very little information is available.

STRANDED IN THE STRAIT

Under the circumstances in the strait, seafarers have been denied the right of repatriation. First, the US blockade prevents ships accessing ports from which they could transit. Second, the fuel crisis has driven the price of flights to a level that many shipowners cannot afford.

India, which maintains diplomatic relations with Iran and imports 90 per cent of its gas from the Persian Gulf, has negotiated the safe passage of its seafarers. But thousands of others remain stranded, with no states coming to their aid.

Claudio Bozzi is a barrister practising in commercial matters with a special interest in shipping and maritime law, and a Lecturer at Deakin University. This commentary first appeared on The Conversation.