This article by BIMCO Secretary General and CEO David Loosley was originally sent to the CEOs of all BIMCO member companies and organisations on 27 May 2026 We talk about ships, operations and trade flows. But in the end, our industry depends on people. This is why BIMCO has chosen to speak plainly about the pressures seafarers face today. And it is why I know some are uneasy about it. I have heard the concern: that by drawing attention to the risks and injustices, we might discourage people from choosing a career at sea. I understand that reaction. The issues we are highlighting are uncomfortable - and that is precisely the point. Pretending these realities do not exist does not make seafaring safer, fairer, or more attractive in the long term. It simply delays change. A career at sea depends on trust. Trust that seafarers will be treated fairly. Trust that the law will protect them offshore as it does on land. And trust that when things go wrong, they will be supported and not be left isolated, criminalised or presumed guilty without due process. When that trust weakens, recruitment and retention suffer anyway. Whether we talk about it or not. Young people pay attention to what is happening in the world. Families read the headlines. And the gap between official reassurance and lived experience is impossible to hide in today’s connected world. But honesty alone is not enough. It must be matched by action. And I want to be clear about what we are doing at BIMCO to help move this agenda forward. BIMCO’s Maritime Safety & Security Committee, chaired by Bjørn Højgaard, plays a critical role in ensuring that seafarer safety, security and fair treatment do not slip down the list of industry priorities when attention shifts elsewhere. It is a priority shared across BIMCO leadership, with the President placing seafarers at the heart of his presidency. These issues are complex, often political, and sometimes inconvenient. Which is precisely why they need constant focus at s