Pursuant to the ship MT Heroic Idun being ‘arrested’ by authorities of Equatorial Guinea at the behest of Nigerian authorities for alleged theft of crude oil from Nigeria, the 26 crew members on board, out of which 16 are Indian seafarers, have been through extreme stressful period. Despite them being interrogated over the past 3 months, the ship and crew have now been moved under the jurisdiction of Nigeria, for further queries and investigation.

FOSMA and MASSA, two of the major shipping bodies of India that represent 75% of Indian manpower on foreign flagships, in a joint statement have called for the Indian seafarers aboard the concerned vessel to be protected from criminalization of any sort, and that they not be allowed to fall victim to any hasty summary judgment not backed by a proper enquiry, while keeping in view at all times the seafarer’s rights as enshrined in the globally accepted terms of the Maritime Labour Convention.

The two associations hope also, in right earnest, that the detained seafarers will not be subjected to any undue stress nor duress, and that any enquiry in this regard will be fair and transparent, with seafarers treated fairly as resolved by IMO.

An appeal has been made to appropriate Ministries in India to intervene on behalf of the seafarers and hasten the process of logical culmination of this unfortunate episode.

Speaking on behalf of FOSMA & MASSA, both the CEOs Capt Rajesh Tandon & Capt Shiv Halbe have pointed out that IMO guidelines for fair treatment of seafarers must be adhered to and implemented worldwide. The safety of seafarers needs to be at the focal point of our attention. Working environment for seafarers should be without any uncertainty or fear, for them to discharge their duties diligently and safely.

Marex Media