上海国际海事信息与文献网

来源：Hellenic Shipping News 2024-01-20

翻译：国际海事信息网 赵扬捷 张运鸿

        航运业官员周四表示，随着商船遇袭事件的恶化，红海地区各国需要加强安全，以保护面临危险的海员。

        自 11 月以来，与伊朗结盟的也门胡塞民兵组织对船只的袭击导致亚洲和欧洲之间的贸易放缓，并在以色列和巴勒斯坦哈马斯武装分子在加沙的战争升级中引起了大国的恐慌。

        联合国航运机构国际海事组织（International Maritime Organization）秘书长阿塞尼奥-多明格斯（Arsenio Dominguez）在周四与航运业官员举行的一次会议上说，海员是无辜的受害者。

        国际运输工人联合会（ITF）是海员的主要工会组织，其秘书长斯蒂芬-科顿（Stephen Cotton）说，该组织 "非常关切"，并补充说 "海员的安全必须是第一要务"。

        胡塞武装组织扣押了 25 名 "银河领袖 "号上的船员，这艘船于 11 月 19 日被该武装组织劫持。

        科顿说，必须无条件释放 "银河领袖 "号上的船员。

        印度海军周四表示，在胡塞武装发动袭击后，印度海军在亚丁湾营救了一艘美国船只上的船员，这是积极的一步。

        12 月，作为海员和商业航运公司之间协商安排的一部分，被认为是战争和高风险的地区扩展到了红海南部地区，这就是所谓的国际协商论坛（ IBF）。

        律师们说，这项措施加强了对海员的保护。

        全球律师事务所里德-史密斯（Reed Smith）的就业律师大卫-阿什莫尔（David Ashmore）说："这一指定增加了船东的成本，因为国际协商论坛协议覆盖的海员有权获得双倍的基本工资，以及双倍的死亡或伤残赔偿。

        据估计，约有 12% 的全球贸易通过红海。

        （本文版权归国际海事信息网所有，图片版权归原作者，转载请注明出处。）

Seafarers’ safety must be enhanced in Red Sea, shipping industry says

Countries in the Red Sea region need to enhance security to protect seafarers at risk as attacks on merchant shipping worsen, industry officials said on Thursday.

Attacks on ships by Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi militia since November have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major powers in an escalation of the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.

Seafarers were innocent victims, Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of UN shipping agency the International Maritime Organization, told a meeting with shipping industry officials on Thursday, adding that freedom of navigation must be upheld, to guarantee the flow of goods by sea.

Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the leading union organisation for seafarers, said the body was “very concerned”, adding “seafarers’ safety must be the number one priority”.

The Houthis are holding 25 crew members from the Galaxy Leader, which was hijacked by the militant group on Nov. 19.

Cotton said the Galaxy Leader’s crew must be unconditionally released.

In a positive step, the Indian Navy said on Thursday it had rescued the crew of a U.S.-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden after a Houthi attack.

In December areas deemed warlike and high risk were extended into the southern area of the Red Sea as part of negotiated arrangements between seafarers and commercial shipping companies, known as the IBF.

Lawyers said the measure increased protection for seafarers.

“This designation triggers increased costs for shipowners, as seafarers covered by IBF agreements are entitled to double their basic pay, along with double compensation for death or disability,” David Ashmore, employment lawyer at global law firm Reed Smith, said.

Some 12% of global trade is estimated to pass through the Red Sea.