Flags of Convenience: The Unseen Horrors Maritime Workers Endure

Below the deck: The horrific truth of flags of convenience

Each year, 11 billion tons of goods are transported around the world by ship. Although these vessels bring delicious treats, fresh produce, and fashionable clothing all to the doorsteps of consumers, just below the decks, thousands of workers are deprived from basic necessities. Today, the disregard for stricter maritime laws has threatened not only human rights, but also the environment. Theoretically, most ships should be registered under countries with the highest levels of imports and exports, such as America, China, and Germany. Surprisingly, the majority of the world’s ships are registered under Panama, a relatively small nation in comparison to the aforementioned countries. The reason for this is rooted in a legal loophole named “flags of convenience”, where large shipping corporations from wealthier nations register their vessels under countries lacking in maritime laws, allowing them to escape repercussions for damaging the environment and abusing their workers.

Human Rights Abuses: The Mistreatment of Workers Aboard Ships of Convenience

The absence of maritime laws that entail how workers should be treated provides the perfect opportunity for shipowners to underpay their workers, and dump toxic waste into the oceans. There are many countries in the world who do not have strict laws when it comes to how workers are treated and how we treat those who hurt the environment. Knowing this, many shipowners are keen to take advantage of that by registering their ships under countries like Panama because it offers them the ability to employ cheap, foreign labor, and to dump waste into the ocean.

Whichever country a ship registers under is ultimately the one responsible for regular checkups, and holding the vessel accountable if they break safety regulations or any other laws. What this means is that certain, smaller, states, who have much more lax laws when it comes to ensuring the well-being of workers, and protecting the environment, are now responsible for the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers on these ships, leading to their devastation. For example, in America, ship owners are obligated, by law, to provide medical expenses and costs of living to workers. Now, compare this to Panama, the country with the highest number of registered ships, these laws, unfortunately, do not exist to protect the workers. The UN estimates that nearly 73% of the world’s ships are registered under a different state than the one they are from, making accountability nearly impossible.

Without the protection of the law, many workers are forced to endure horrendous working conditions, and face abuse on a daily basis. According to the Humans Right Watch, seafarers who work below the deck of shipping vessels, cruises, and merchant ships are exposed to starvation, diseases, and oftentimes, given no pay.

In an interview conducted by the International Maritime Organization, Abdul Badar , who was a seafarer aboard a ship registered to Tanzania, reported, “I was in a great distress. Living conditions were extremely poor. And that can't be compared to my stress and my family's. Imagine the absence of the family's breadwinner, who cannot provide them with support. My son had a heart attack and my wife suffered from a nervous breakdown.” On that ship, Abdul was held captive, refused pay, and told that he would never receive the money if he chose to leave the vessel, which forced him to be away from home for a devastating 12 whole years.

Similarly, the ITF reports that at least 2,200 seafarers die each year, and the crews on these ships are at least twice as likely to die due to the horrible working conditions. Instead of this behavior being prevented by regular checkups, however, there are no methods of recourse because many of the laws which govern them are not strong enough to protect the seafarers, and that’s exactly why these companies register under the laws of countries which are too weak to keep them accountable.

Environmental Damages: Mass Amounts of Ocean Pollution

Less stringent laws are in place to protect the environment from vast amounts of pollution. On a mild level, this might look like dumping too much wastewater and sewage in the ocean. But the consequences can also be far more severe. In 2019, the Yetagun, a Dutch ship flagged under Palau, was sent to a ship-breaking company in Bangladesh. Under the laws of Palau, the destruction of the vessel no longer had to comply with the EU’s environmental laws, and led to the release of high amounts of pollutants, like deadly asbestos, which is capable of ruining entire ecosystems. So the Dutch ship owner’s efforts to cut down on costs came at a far higher price.

Despite this legal loophole taking the lives of hundreds of thousands of maritime workers every year, the average consumer is completely unaware of this problem. Governments around the world continue to let large international corporations exploit their employees every day, all so they are able to spend less on pay. While this issue will take many years to abolish, the international community must be informed to act.