Takeaways from The Associated Press’ reporting on seafarers who are abandoned by shipowners in ports

The United Nations over the last decade has logged an increasing number of crew members abandoned by shipowners around the world, leaving sailors aboard months and sometimes years without pay. In dozens of cases, flag states that are signatories to the international treaty never even respond when told by the IMO that crews on board their ships were stranded without pay. Panama has registered 20% of all ships abandoned since 2020, according to AP’s analysis of the U.N. data, followed by Tanzania, Palau, and Togo which each were responsible for about 5%. A spokesperson for the country’s international ship registry said it is difficult to vet shipowners’ financial stability, and Togo is “deeply concerned about the complex phenomenon of abandonment.” The uneven regulations also influence the ports where ships are abandoned most often.