UK charity Human Rights at Sea has said it has been deluged by cases of seafarers stuck on vessels after companies struggled to come to terms with the coronavirus outbreak.
The crew members are being retained on ships after signing off or left ashore in foreign countries unable to return to their families without funds.
And they do not have sufficient information being passed to them due to the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis, it revealed, leading to what one captain called "mental agony".
Issues arising from the increasing closure of access to vessels, suspension of shore leave, the re-routing of vessels without crew changeovers and crew being unable to return home to their families are being addressed by the likes of the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Transport Workers' Federation and Intermanager.
But the charity said that, nonetheless, the flow of cases in to the charity, particularly from Indian seafarers, has been unprecedented.
In just four hours, 24 cases came in from seafarers seeking to raise greater awareness of their circumstances.
Reports of non-payment of wages, contract extensions without informed consent and crew being left in foreign states to pay hotel bills and to seek flights home using their own funds, appear to be increasing.
Many seafarers who have contacted the charity understand the gravity of the global pandemic, but the flow of information to them is making them feel even more isolated, Human Rights at Sea said.
Most concerning is the apparent lack of direct engagement with crew to keep them informed and updated, and, therefore, to be able to be part of the decision-making process involving their employment, personal liberty and access to their families, the group added.
'Mental agony'
"We understand the Covid-19 impact on the world community and we seafarers are suffering the most, especially where the crew changes are not allowed by the port authority," master Pradeep Kumar told the charity on Monday.
"It is making seafarers mentally sick, which is going to lead to accidents. At most of the ports, seafarers can disembark but need 14 days quarantine."
He added that ships are calling at ports with a pilot on board but said there is no talk about the danger of Covid-19 for pilots or seafarers.
"Regular cargo operation is going on with shore staff on board. Regular stores and spares are being supplied on board," he said.
He went on to highlight that it is only when the seafarer goes to sign off that there is a discussion about the coronavirus.
"No one cares about seafarers' mental agony especially at the time of their relief," he added.
Indian seafarer Mehrzad Wadiwalla contacted the charity after becoming stuck in Zarzis, Tunisia.
He arrived on 6 March via Tunis to join his ship, but by 16 March the port stopped crew changes and he had to return to a hotel.
Money running out
The crewman has since tried to book flights home to India from his own funds and is now paying for food and accommodation out of his own pocket. His funds will not last indefinitely and he remains away from his family.
Second officer Hitesh Jain is currently off Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, after his contract was completed on 15 January following a transit from China.
He has been on his ship for eight and a half months without being able to leave.
Visas have now been suspended in the UAE and he has a newborn baby he has yet to see.
Human Rights at Sea chief executive David Hammond said: "We did not expect such a significant response this morning."
He said the situation has passed the tipping point for seafarers, who now feel abandoned in the "widest sense of the word".
Hammond added: "Those who made contact are asking for their cases to be highlighted to prevent fellow seafarers from being placed in the same situation, with others recognising the necessary health constraints and reflecting on owners' efforts to assist.”
