From Hormuz to the Black Sea, shipping faces a new era of risk

September 12 ------ The global shipping industry is facing a “genuinely unprecedented” convergence of maritime crises, with vessels and seafarers increasingly being caught up in conflicts unrelated to their operations, a senior United Nations maritime official has warned.

Four key regions, the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, waters off Somalia and the Black Sea, are simultaneously experiencing serious security threats, creating a level of risk the industry has not faced before. Ships and their crews are increasingly being targeted, attacked or used as leverage in conflicts in which they have no direct involvement.

Damien Chevalier, director of the Maritime Safety Division at the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), told UN News that the scale and geographic spread of the threats were placing unprecedented pressure on the shipping sector and its workforce.

What crisis is the shipping industry facing?

The global shipping industry is facing an unprecedented convergence of security threats, with vessels and seafarers coming under pressure across several regions simultaneously.

The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the most significant flashpoint in terms of scale. About 2,000 vessels and 20,000 seafarers were affected at the beginning of the conflict, highlighting the vast impact on commercial shipping.

But the threat extends well beyond Hormuz. The industry is also contending with Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and a sharp increase in piracy off Somalia, where seafarers have been taken hostage.

The Black Sea has also seen a significant rise in attacks, with drones being used to target oil tankers and vessels carrying grain, further complicating an already volatile security environment.

Why is there an increase in piracy off Somalia?

With naval forces increasingly focused on threats in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, pirates have seized the opportunity to resume operations, targeting smaller and more vulnerable bulk carriers that are easier to attack.

A recent meeting on maritime law enforcement placed renewed emphasis on counter-piracy efforts amid a surge in incidents and worsening security conditions in Somalia. Somalia is also working on new anti-piracy legislation that could help close a longstanding legal gap: the lack of a clear framework for the humane prosecution of captured pirates, even when naval forces are available to apprehend them.

What is happening in the Black Sea?

There is no direct link between what is happening in the Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, so, in that sense, it is a separate crisis.

Verifying information is difficult and disinformation from warring parties is common. Although precise figures cannot be confirmed, the number of attacks, vessels targeted, and crew fatalities or injuries in the Black Sea is extremely concerning.

What is known is that Ukraine grain ports are seeing only one or two vessels a day, despite it being harvest season, when normally is expected to see 20 to 30.

Why is shipping the common thread across these conflicts?

What makes the current situation unprecedented is not simply the number of incidents, but the broader pattern emerging across the world’s major shipping routes.

Commercial shipping is increasingly being used as a tool of geopolitical leverage. In the Black Sea, drones have targeted oil tankers and grain carriers. In the Red Sea, Houthi attacks have threatened commercial vessels, while off Somalia, pirates have exploited a security vacuum created as naval forces focus on other conflicts.

As a result, merchant ships are increasingly becoming pressure points in disputes between states, despite having no direct role in those conflicts. Seafarers are bearing the brunt of the growing risks. They also face additional dangers from substandard vessels operating in various parts of the world.

The International Maritime Organization is working to address these vulnerabilities, including by tackling fraudulent ship registries and the illegal or fraudulent registration of vessels.

Source: safety4sea.com