The ongoing missile attacks on merchant navy vessels in the Red Sea and the spurt witnessed in piracy incidents is a cause of serious concern for all stakeholders of the Indian maritime industry, including India’s leading and prestigious maritime association, The maritime association of Ship-owners, Ship-managers & agents (MASSa), which has sizable numbers of ship managers operating in India, as its members.
hence, the safety of Indian seafarers and seafarers of other nationalities aboard cargo vessels sailing in high risk areas like red Sea is of paramount importance for our association. Processes and discussions with Indian administration are ongoing and measures too are discussed on a continuous basis by MASSa to mitigate such risks.
The red Sea is a crucial maritime trade route, particularly for shipping between Europe, Asia and Africa. attacks in this region have disrupted global trade flows, leading to economic repercussions unfortunately. Increased piracy or security risks in the red Sea have led to higher insurance premiums for vessels transiting through this area. This does have financial implications for the shipping companies and potentially affect their operations. many ship owners have declared that their vessels would not sail through the red Sea corridor.
crew welfare is a priority for ship managers worldwide and, as the threat of missile attacks and piracy leads to heightened stress and anxiety amongst seafarers aboard vessels, ensuring their well-being and lending them mental health support is a top most priority for MASSa nowadays. “Seafarers just want to earn a living – and understandably they want to be safe while doing their jobs,” said Stephen cotton, general secretary, International Transport Workers’ Federation, while expressing his views on this grave situation. “Their voices have been pitifully absent in how this situation is playing out. We have heard from people on board vessels in the red Sea who can’t sleep because they are worried about being attacked or killed.”
Along with the other maritime bodies of India, MASSa and relevant authorities like Directorate General of Shipping of India are constantly collaborating to find solutions to implement effective security measures in the high risk maritime corridors in the interest of the Indian seafaring community. Such measures include naval patrols, security escorts for vessels, and intelligence sharing amongst various government and maritime bodies across the globe to mitigate maritime risks.
Addressing piracy and security threats in the Red Sea requires international co-operation among governments, maritime organisations and industry stakeholders. Such co-operation is absolutely necessary and essential for developing long-term strategies to enhance maritime security in the high risk maritime regions. Overall, while attacks in the red Sea are concerning for maritime associations and the safety of Indian seafarers, proactive measures can be taken to mitigate these risks and ensure safe passage of cargo vessels through these critical waterways.
Indian Navy plays a significant role in addressing security challenges such as maritime piracy by ensuring the safety of maritime traffic in high risk maritime corridors including red sea. Indian Navy’s presence in the red Sea is instrumental in safeguarding the interest of commercial shipping and safety of Indian and foreign seafarers who transit through these troubled waters. The Navy command has been proactive and, in recent times, has been instrumental in saving lives on board merchant vessels that have come under attacks of militants and pirates. Our Naval force contributes to humanitarian assistance & Disaster relief (HADR) and its presence aligns with India’s commitment to promote global maritime security by upholding the freedom of navigation.
Seafaring is a noble profession and thus a shipping association like MASSa endeavours to ensure the safety of Indian seafarers during their maritime voyages across the globe. There exists a shortage of skilled seafarers globally and hence maSSa also focusses a lot in increasing the global share of Indian seafarers. The Indian government created a ‘maritime India Vision 2030’ document in 2021. amongst other bold targets, the vision envisages Indian mariners to comprise 20 per cent of the global workforce. To fulfil this vision, all stakeholders of the Indian maritime industry should make a concerted effort. and, it is necessary to promote gender diversity in the Indian shipping sector through various initiatives including providing financial support and benefits to women seafarers. also, the Indian government should frame policies to promote merchant navy as an excellent career option among students in India. The seafaring profession needs to be more visible in the country. For example, a few academic chapters in the school curriculum indicating various trade routes, historical outreaches and the role played by merchant shipping in a country’s economic growth could influence millions of Indian students to become mariners in the years to come.
The Author is a master mariner and chairman, The Maritime Association of Shipowners, Ship-managers