Seafarers need a stronger voice in maritime Just Transition

Seafarers must be given a stronger voice in the maritime industry's decarbonisation process to ensure a Just Transition, according to MLA College senior lecturer Alina Prylipko, who spoke at a Nautilus International webinar.

The online event brought together Nautilus International members and maritime professionals to discuss how seafarers can navigate the challenges of the industry's green transition.

Ms Prylipko highlighted that while seafarers broadly support decarbonisation efforts, many harbour concerns about increased responsibilities, potential criminalisation, and how new regulations might affect their jobs.

‘Recent studies show seafarers are willing to train for the green transition, but they're worried about how all these responsibilities would translate to their liabilities,’ Ms Prylipko explained.

She emphasised that the current regulatory framework lacks sufficient policies to ensure a Just Transition for maritime workers. To address this gap, Prylipko recommended partnering with powerful industry stakeholders who already have significant influence such as maritime trade unions.

’The most effective approach would be using the voice of the most powerful and articulate stakeholders to help get our message loud and clear,’ she said. ’It's about creating a concise business case and using sophisticated communication to make that message substantiated.’

Ms Prylipko acknowledged that the pace of social change and policy development can be frustratingly slow but pointed to recent progress on seafarer fatigue research as evidence that well-researched, strongly substantiated advocacy can succeed.

Maritime professionals interested in furthering their education on these topics can explore courses through MLA College at mla.ac.uk

Those wishing to strengthen the collective voice of maritime professionals are encouraged to join Nautilus International at nautilusint.org