- Geopolitical conflicts, extreme weather, and cyberattacks drive risks.
- Seafarers face welfare strain from rapid digitalisation and reporting demands.
- Tankers, bulk carriers, and dry cargo ships account for most distress calls.
Inmarsat Maritime has just rolled out its 2025 edition of the Future of Maritime Safety Report, revealing that distress calls at sea are still on the rise and emphasising the crucial role that human factors play in maintaining safe shipping practices, reports Safety4Sea.
Compounding Threats in 2024
The report points out that 2024 has brought a host of challenges to maritime operations, including missile strikes in the Red Sea, typhoons in the Pacific, cyberattacks on port infrastructure, and the increasing activities of the shadow fleet.
According to Inmarsat, the number of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) calls saw a slight uptick from 788 in 2023 to 801 in 2024. This aligns with the annual average of around 800 calls from 2018 to 2023. Factors like geopolitical instability, conflict, severe weather, piracy, and cyber threats have all piled on the pressure for operators and crews.
Human Factors and Digitalisation Challenges
In addition to these external risks, the report highlights that seafarers are grappling with welfare challenges tied to the rapid pace of new technology adoption. While digitalisation and decarbonisation are essential for the future, the swift implementation of new systems and reporting requirements has led to an overwhelming amount of information.
This situation underscores the need for technology that supports crew welfare rather than adds to their stress.
Tankers Lead Distress Calls
An analysis of the 2024 distress data showed that tankers, bulk carriers, and dry cargo vessels accounted for 56.9% of all distress calls. Interestingly, vessels that are sixteen years old sent the most distress signals, closely followed by newer ships, indicating risks at both ends of the vessel lifecycle. July 2024 recorded the highest number of distress calls, coinciding with Typhoon Gaemi and security incidents in the Red Sea.
Tankers, which are vital to the global economy for transporting crude oil, refined products, chemicals, and liquefied gas, continue to be high-risk. For the seventh year in a row, tankers led the distress calls, logging 194 in 2024 compared to 159 in 2023, a 22% increase. This translates to 65 calls per 10,000 vessels.
Smarter Data Use Needed
“Accurate data holds immense potential to transform shipping safety – from predictive maintenance to casualty and near-miss reporting and human-factor analysis. But data must empower crews, not overwhelm them. We need smarter systems to capture, evaluate, and utilise data more effectively without placing an extra burden on already overworked seafarers,” said Peter Broadhurst, Senior Vice President, Safety and Regulatory, Inmarsat Maritime.
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Source: Safety4Sea
