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with 29 million tonnes of goods handled
Credit: EPA/ERDEM SAHIN
He stressed the need for Member States
by the Greek port in 2023. to uphold their obligations under the
Source: Eurostat established international standards
for safety, security, and environmental
Turkey changes stance protection in shipping.
on Israeli ships and cargo
Turkish port authorities have started – Tackling evolving threats
unofficially – requesting shipping agents In 2024, nearly 150 piracy and armed
to provide letters stating that their ves- robbery incidents were reported to
sels are not connected to Israel and the IMO, with the highest numbers in
are not carrying military or hazardous the Straits of Malacca and Singapore,
cargo destined for the country, accord- the Indian Ocean, and West Africa. That
ing to two shipping sources. same year, unlawful attacks in the Red
The sources said that the Turkish Coast Sea targeted ships, in violation of inter-
Guard headquarters verbally asked port national law and freedom of navigation.
agents to provide written assurances, Cyber-attacks, drug trafficking, and
adding that there is no official circular fraudulent activities continue to under-
on the matter. One of the sources noted mine maritime security, while emerging
that the directive applies to all ports in technologies bring both opportunities
Turkey. and risks, highlighting the urgency of
The letter of guarantee must state that strong cybersecurity governance.
the vessel’s owners and operators have “When geopolitical tensions disrupt
no ties to Israel and that certain types shipping and innocent seafarers lose
of cargo, including explosives, radioactive their lives, as we have seen recently
materials, or military equipment, are not in the Red Sea Area and during 2024,
on board the ship to be transported the only way forward is constructive
to Israel, the second source emphasised. dialogue”, said Mr Dominguez. “Maritime
It should be noted that last year, Turkey security is not just technical – it is deeply
suspended all trade with Israel (worth human”.
up to $7 billion annually) due to the war He also thanked the Security Council
that the latter is waging in Gaza against for its resolution and its call for an imme-
Hamas. diate end to attacks on international
shipping, as well as for its continued
IMO Secretary-General monitoring of the situation.
to UN Security Council:
“Maritime security is a shared Seafarers Happiness Index Q2
responsibility” 2025: The main findings
The IMO Secretary-General Arsenio The Q2 2025 “Seafarers Happiness
Dominguez has called for vigilance and Index” has once again revealed an
deeper cooperation among Member industry in a state of constant tension.
States and international partners There remain some seafarers fortunate
to address growing threats to global enough to experience the good the
maritime security. industry can offer, while all too many
Speaking at the United Nations Security see the bad, and sadly, some are left to
Council high-level open debate on 11 cope with the very ugliest of experiences
August, chaired by the President of and treatment. This quarter, the overall
the Republic of Panama, HE José Raúl happiness score of 7.54/10 represents
Mulino, Mr Dominguez outlined the a rising tide of sentiment, and a further
risks facing ships and seafarers as they quarter of improvement up from Q1’s
transport billions of tonnes of goods 6.98. However, the words of seafarers
worldwide. continue to paint a picture of systemic
“Our collective response must be rooted challenges that threaten the industry’s
in prevention, constant vigilance, inno- human sustainability efforts.
vation, and continuously strengthened Manning levels and crew shortages have
regional and international cooperation”, evolved from future concerns to present
he said. “Multilateralism is key here. Mar- realities. High-quality officer shortages
itime security is a shared responsibility”. are an issue, and minimum safe manning
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