The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has used this year’s Day of the Seafarer to call for greater protection for crews working in dangerous waters, warning that ships carry “more than cargo” when they pass through areas affected by conflict and geopolitical tension. 

In a special message for the campaign, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the day was an opportunity to recognise the millions of seafarers around the world who keep global trade moving every day. 

Behind the food, fuel, medicine and everyday goods relied upon by millions of people, he said, are men and women working at sea, often far from home and family. 

The 2026 campaign, held under the theme ‘Carrying world trade. Carrying the risks’, seeks to place seafarers at the centre of the global trade story, particularly at a time when many crews are sailing through areas affected by conflict and geopolitical tension. 

Dominguez said this year’s theme feels especially significant, as too many seafarers are facing long periods at sea, uncertainty over when they will return home and limited communication with their families, while continuing to operate in dangerous waters. 

Across several key routes, including the Red Sea, the Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, crews continue to work in regions shaped by war, regional tension and security uncertainty. 

“Seafarers should never become unintended victims of wider geopolitical conflict,” Dominguez said. 

He added that every ship carries more than cargo. 

“It carries people,” he said, referring to seafarers with families waiting for them at home, often spending long months at sea in isolation, fatigue and stress, while continuing to deliver the goods, energy and supplies on which the world relies. 

The campaign also features Third Officer Clarisse Bangga, who was stranded in Hormuz before safely making it through an exceptionally difficult period at sea. 

In a video shared by the IMO, Bangga speaks about navigating uncertainty and risk while continuing to do her job. Her experience gives the campaign a human face, showing how geopolitical disruption is felt not only in freight rates, oil prices and supply chains, but also in the lives of those onboard. 

That is the central point of this year’s campaign. While shipping disruption is often discussed in technical or financial terms, the IMO is urging the wider public to recognise the people behind global trade. 

The Day of the Seafarer is marked every year on June 25 and is recognised as a United Nations international observance day. It aims to raise awareness of the contribution made by seafarers to international trade, the world economy and society more broadly. 

This year, the IMO has invited seafarers to share their own experiences, the realities of life at sea and the moments that define their work, using the hashtag #DayOfTheSeafarer. 

At the same time, the campaign sends a clear message to governments, shipowners and the wider maritime industry. Protecting seafarers cannot be treated as a secondary issue. Their safety, welfare and mental health must remain central, particularly when ships are sent through regions affected by instability. 

“To all seafarers, thank you,” Dominguez said, adding that their safety and welfare remain a priority.