Shipping must urgently improve seafarer well-being and conditions across key areas, according to a report by a Global Maritime Forum initiative.

The findings of the forum’s Diversity@Sea pilot project identified addressing abuse and harassment, enhancing work-life balance and upgrading onboard facilities as critical to the future of the industry.

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“At a time of mounting pressure on global supply chains, poor work conditions pose long-term risks to global trade, with seafarer labour shortages reaching a 17-year high, and some banks in August indicating they could curb lending for shipowners who put seafarers’ welfare at risk,” the GMF said.

The Diversity@Seas preliminary report gathered data from 400 seafarers and 12 major first-mover shipping companies over 10 months.

Susanne Justesen, director of human sustainability at the forum, said improving working conditions is no longer just a question of seafarers’ well-being.

“As critical as that is, improving the well-being of the 1.9m seafarers globally is now critical to avoiding existential threats to the smooth operation of global trade we rely on every day,” she said.

“Our report seeks to offer a road map for change. By working with seafarers to identify the areas for positive change, we will not only begin to address the challenges we face today, but also anticipate the future needs of the maritime labour market.”

The project plans to develop the findings into a comprehensive report and guidelines by early 2025.

“The hope is that these guidelines will help maritime companies, institutions, regulators and academics shape the future work environment at sea and overcome some of the key workforce challenges faced by the industry,” the forum said.

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