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and consumers worldwide. The rise of the so-called %u201cdark%u201d or %u201cparallel%u201d fleet is an example of this fragmentation: ships operating outside the rules-based order undermine safety and environmental standards and weaken the transparency on which the global maritime and trade system depends.The ICS is committed to working with governments and international organisations to ensure that shipping remains a rules-based, transparent, and safe sector, while ensuring that the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation and innocent passage are respected and maintained. This framework has enabled global trade to flourish for decades; therefore, we must protect it.As seafarers face increased responsibilities, higher stress levels, and greater exposure to risk, how can the industry ensure that crew welfare and safety are not sacrificed amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty?Seafarers are indeed operating in increasingly demanding conditions, often in areas affected by conflict or instability, and their safety and welfare must remain a central consideration in policy and operational decision-making. Without our seafarers, we have no industry.Equally important is ensuring that seafarers are not unfairly targeted by authorities for incidents or activities beyond their control. When detained, seafarers must have access to proper legal process and be treated with dignity and fairness.Seafarers must also feel safe while working at sea. The recent and ongoing focus at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on improving the implementation of international standards on crucial issues such as harassment, bullying, and sexual assault is something the ICS strongly supports and urges the entire industry to prioritise.Equally essential is the full and effective implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), which remains the cornerstone of seafarers%u2019 rights, ensuring decent working conditions, fair treatment, and protection for those who keep global trade moving.During recent global crises, seafarers proved how essential they are to the global economy. Why do you think they are still often overlooked in political decision-making, and how can this be changed?Seafarers must be at the heart of all our decision-making, as their wellbeing and safety are vital to maintaining a healthy industry. They are the lifeblood of global trade, and the time for viewing them as commodities is over. We need to change this mindset through collaboration with governments, employers, and unions to build an industry that puts people first and creates an environment where they will want to work.We must ensure that decent working and living conditions for seafarers are implemented as set out in the MLC, while also creating careers that offer growth opporSeafarers are indeed operating in increasingly demanding conditions, often in areas affected by conflict or instability, and their safety and welfare must remain a central consideration in policy and operational decision-making. Without our seafarers, we have no industry.Interview26 NX