Overview

Many merchant seamen around the world are, by and large, deprived of basic human rights. Often drawn from the poorest countries for the lowest rates of pay, they are frequently at the mercy of rogue shipowners who operate substandard and often dangerous vessels and who, in their reckless pursuit of profits, not only drive down the conditions of seafarers, but undermine the viability of decent shipping companies. This book details the deplorable conditions that exist in a minority sector of international shipping operating mainly, although not exclusively, under flags of convenience. In an account of human rights abuses that would be little tolerated on the mainland, the authors demonstrate that governments often pay little attention to cases of robbery, abandonment, deprivation and even death perpetrated by shipowners on vessels bearing their national flag. The financial and shipping institutions that support rogue shipowners are also prepared to ignore the plight of the individual seafarer serving on the ships under their tenure. The book draws on three case studies to illustrate the issues, including a perspective on South Adriatic Tankers and examples of management and finance in merchant shipping. The authors also examine the plight of seafarers' families, who are particularly vulnerable, and the legal rights of abused and abandoned seafarers. They conclude by arguing for a global governance of shipping.

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9780745315409

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Reviews

'A useful and much needed addition to the ocean literature ... The book is extremely well written and painstakingly documented ... The detailed case histories will shake some consciences' -- Elisabeth Mann Borgese, Founder and Honorary Chair for Life, International Ocean Institute, Malta 'This book is a fine contribution to the ongoing debate about global governance in shipping and will doubtless help in persuading those who remain opposed to the notion that with flag state rights come flag state responsibilities' -- David Cockroft, ITF General Secretary 'A useful and much needed addition to the ocean literature ... The book is extremely well written and painstakingly documented ... The detailed case histories will shake some consciences' -- Elisabeth Mann Borgese, Founder and Honorary Chair for Life, International Ocean Institute, Malta 'A fascinating book which avoids coming across as dry and academic. It is packed with facts and figures and allows the reader to see the real human cost of bad practices and problems seafarers can and have faced ... should also be of interest to anyone who is interested in the abuses faced by workers' -- New Worker

Author Information

A.D. Couper is former head of the Department of Maritime Studies and International Transport at the University of Cardiff and Director of the Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC) in that department, the world's leading maritime studies centre. He has several years of shipping experience and has been a consultant with UN agencies, IMO, ILO, and UNCTAD. C.J. Walsh has experience in tankers and pilotage. He has also worked in port operations, hydrography and salvage in East Africa and the Middle East. B.A. Stanberry is director of a research and consultancy company specialising in the legal aspects of seafarers' occupational health and safety, and is a regular contributor to journals in this field. G.L. Boerne has experience in seafaring and the small vessel sector in developing countries.

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