BY ANDY DALISAY
Shore leave, once a cherished respite for seafarers, is now teetering on the brink of extinction.
A recent survey conducted by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust (ITFST) and analyzed by the World Maritime University (WMU) reveals a stark reality: nearly 70% of seafarers rarely or never go ashore during their contracts. More thana quarter of seafarers did not get any shore leave at all and a third only got ashore once or twice during their entire contract, based on an average of 6.6 months onboard, WMU concluded.
The survey from nearly 6,000 seafarers found that only 26% of respondents managed to take shore leave during their contract period, and 19.8% went ashore just once.
ITFST said, ship officers were “least likely to get shore leave, and seafarers on offshore vessels and tankers were the least likely to get ashore. Across all respondents, even when seafarers did get shore leave, 47% were able to spend less than 3 hours ashore and overall, 93.5% spent less than 6 hours ashore.”
Historically, shore leave has been an integral part of maritime life, offering seafarers a chance to step away from the confines of their vessels, reconnect with the world and recharge. However, modern maritime operations have introduced barriers that make shore leave increasingly rare.
The study identifies several key obstacles which include:
- Port restrictions: Bureaucratic hurdles, security measures, and local regulations have tightened access to shore leave, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- High workloads: Onboard responsibilities often leave little time for seafarers to disembark.
- Quick turnarounds: The pressure to minimize port time has further reduced opportunities for shore leave.
- Transport costs and distance: The financial and logistical challenges of reaching shore facilities add to the difficulty.
The report also includes feedback from seafarers themselves, showing a strong depth of feeling evident from their responses to the open questions. A Turkish deck officer, after 4.5 months on board a tanker, reported: “As a deck officer, most of the time, our shore leave is based on our port watch schedule and chief officers’ approach to officers; while having 6 on 6 off watch it is almost impossible to go out without making another officer take your watch for a couple of hours, and after you are back in port you have to take night watch which makes it hard to stand. […].”
An Indian deck officer, after six months on board stated: “I have been working in the shipping industry since 2006. I have noticed that all the ports have slowly found ways to deny shore leave to the ship’s crew. If they can’t say NO! straightaway, then they will impose heavy charges so that everyone automatically refuses to go ashore. Plus, the workload and the commercial pressure on senior officers are so much that they find it difficult to go ashore. Generally, oil/chemical refineries where our tankers go for loading or discharging are far away from the cities. There is nothing close by where we can go and relax a bit, have some nice food or go shopping. There are ports which force us to use boats for shore leave, and those boats are very expensive and unaffordable! After a long sailing, we feel exhausted, and it’s our right, I think, to get a shore leave.”
Katie Higginbottom, the head of ITFST said, “This survey confirms our fears. Seafarers are not getting shore leave because it hasn’t been prioritized as essential for crew wellbeing and the safety of the vessel. This is about setting the scene, and it is stark.” She’s hoping that the findings will “promote discussion and acknowledgement that seafarers deserve a break from the vessel. Action must be taken to preserve the possibility of shore leave.” Higginbottom points out in a press statement that the report is clear: The industry faces “systemic and multifaceted” problems. She suggests that all stakeholders, “from flag States to port States, agents to shipping companies and seafarers themselves, need to collaborate to ensure that this vital component of life at sea is maintained and expanded. All parties need to recognize that, unchecked, the current regime risks the extinction of shore leave as a viable concept, reinforcing the strains on an already pressurized work force.”SF