Criminalization of the Seafarer: A growing threat to the industry
- Criminalization can happen to anyone. Before it was always about the ship master but nowadays any seafarer can become criminalized. The damage and destruction affects not just the seafarers but also the family. I am not saying that every seafarer is innocent but I do believe that everybody is entitled to the rule of law and presumed innocent until proven guilty. At the moment, I am involved in building a database which goes back to the beginning of 2009, where there have been a number of major cases of criminalization. Whenever you have a master found guilty and fined by Port State Control that does not mean he is a criminal. In some of the cases that I deal with, I see that people cannot afford the cost of having lawyers represent them. So, there is a perception by seafarers who believe that the P&I Club will protect them. P&I Clubs are there for the shipowner and do help seafarers however there are limits to what they can do when it is contrary to the best interest of the shipowner. The basic cost is that they are put in prison as suspects of being involved in illegal activities such...
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