Five seafarers were killed and several others seriously injured during the rescue of the hijacked HONOUR 25 off Somalia on 29 September, prompting renewed concern from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) over the mounting risks facing merchant crews.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said it was “troubling” to have to repeatedly mourn seafarers killed while simply doing their jobs. The deaths are the latest in a series of casualties involving commercial shipping in some of the world’s most dangerous waters, including the Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, Black Sea and waters off Somalia.
The IMO said it had verified 80 attacks on merchant vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began on 28 February, killing at least 22 seafarers and injuring many more. Dominguez has repeatedly stressed that seafarers are civilians and should not become casualties of conflicts beyond their control.
Meanwhile, renewed piracy in the Gulf of Aden led to the hijacking of several vessels and the capture of dozens of seafarers. The subsequent rescue of the HONOUR 25, SEAMULL and EUREKA freed 44 seafarers, but five crew members were killed during the operation. “We have come together to stop piracy in this region before.
We must do it again — with renewed resolve, targeted cooperation and the required resources,” Dominguez said. “Seafarers should not have to lose their lives for the service they provide for the world.”