At a time when seafarer welfare is being brought into question more and more, one NGO that has fought for better conditions at sea has been forced to close down.
The UK’s Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) charity, founded 11 years ago by David Hammond, is closing as a sustainable funding and operating model cannot be secured.
“We simply could not continue financially unsupported despite every effort, and often a significant personal cost to those involved,” Hammond said in an emailed statement sent to Splash.
With crew shortages, fatigue, abandonment, and rising attrition rates continuing to challenge shipping, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is meeting this week in Geneva to consider changes to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).
“Human rights apply at sea as they do on land,” HRAS wrote in its final words on its site yesterday.
