Stella Maris has warned of the escalating dangers faced by seafarers navigating through the Red and Black Seas en route to Ukraine.
According to Stella Maris, the seafarers are working on vessels travelling to Ukraine via the Red then the Black Sea, navigating Houthi and Russian military threats as they sail through two major conflict zones. In particular, the seafarers face the threat of Houthi missiles, drone attacks and raiding parties in the Red Sea. And once they enter the Black Sea the danger levels remain high, with the collapse of a ‘grain corridor ‘agreement in July 2023 heightening the tension. The Black Sea Grain Initiative ensured a safe passage of commercial vessels carrying grain, foodstuffs, and fertilizers, including ammonia, in and out of three Ukrainian ports: Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi.
Shortly after the collapse of the deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain, it was reported that the Russian military would regard any vessel bound for Ukraine to be a potential carrier of military cargo, in effect making it a legitimate target.
Meanwhile, Houthis from Yemen have resumed their attacks on shipping, firing missiles and drones. Since last November they have targeted more than 80 merchant ships.
The right to saying no
To remind, following continued incidents in the Southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the IBF Warlike Operations Area Committee (WOAC) convened on 7 February 2024 and agreed additional measures to support seafarers’ safety and welfare. IBF WOAC agreed:
- To include into the existing conditions for the designated IBF High Risk Area for the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the seafarers’ right to refuse to sail into the area with repatriation at company’s cost and compensation equal to two months basic wage.
- The two months basic pay compensation shall not be applicable if the seafarer is transferred to another vessel belonging or related to the same owner/manager, on the same rank and wages and all other terms. There shall be no loss of earnings or entitlements during the transfer and the company shall be liable for all costs and subsistence during the transfer.
- Seafarers must give seven days’ notice prior to entering the area, given the logistical constraints of passage and the difficulty to facilitate disembarkation in a safe port and mobilise repatriation in the area.
- Seafarers who are onboard vessels within the High Risk Area or are due to transit into the High Risk Area within the seven-day window from the initial date of publication, will not be able to exercise their right to repatriation.
- Collaboration between local and international governments, flag states, ports and airports will be crucial for seafarers to be repatriated safely and expeditiously, should they request it.
- In the event that a vessel which was not scheduled to sail through the High Risk Area but has received instructions to cross within the seven-day notice period, seafarers will have the right to refuse to sail in the area, be repatriated at the company’s cost and receive compensation equal to two months basic pay.
As Stella Maris points out, Russian drone and missile attacks on the strategically vital Ukrainian port of Odesa occur regularly, with devastating consequences – claiming human casualties and destroying infrastructure. Stella Maris also highlights that safe arrival in port offers little or no respite from jeopardy for seafarers. The charity’s chaplains in the port report high levels of stress and anxiety among many of the seafarers on ships that dock there.
Stella Maris Odesa port chaplain Father Alexander Smerechynskyy, known as ‘Fr Alex’, and Rostyslav ‘Rostik’ Inzhestoikov, director of its local centre, make regular visits to ships that arrive in the port. Chaplains hear first-hand the experiences of the international community of seafarers working on the vessels, drawn from countries ranging from Syria and Turkey to, Egypt and Indonesia.
With many shipowners not allowing crew members to go ashore during their time in port, for security reasons, these visits are proving increasingly important in countering feelings of isolation and loneliness among seafarers.
Fr Alex says the resumed visits have a big role to play in supporting seafarers living and working in dangerous conditions. He explained: “One of the most important things we do is to listen, to show them they are not forgotten and that we are here for them, whatever their troubles or problems.”
Some of the seafarers have travelled through the conflict area of the Red Sea, with its risks of attacks from Houthis, then have travelled onto the Black Sea with its own dangers, given there is no agreement on maritime safety. They have signed on knowing the risks and receive additional pay as a result, but there is no respite for them and that has an effect. Once here in Odesa they can witness the drone attacks on the port and the town at close hand.
… Fr Alex added
As the charity informs, the ship visits resumed in January last year, after being banned at the start of the conflict for safety reasons. During that time, the Stella Maris team ensured the practical delivery of food parcels to seafarers trapped on ships in the Black Sea, as well as using social media for remote pastoral support.
Meanwhile, Rostik recalled talking to one seafarer shortly after they had witnessed one of those attacks close to where their ship was docked. He said: “When you look up and see a drone just a few hundreds of metres from a ship, or see an explosion close by, it is little wonder it adds to the stress and anxiety you are feeling. Not being able to go ashore can also have a negative impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing, especially after large periods of time at sea. It can be a very difficult time for them.”
