Approximately 410 oil tankers and other ships were abandoned in 2025, and 6223 seafarers were left without pay, food or a way back home, per the global trade union the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
One such vessel was an oil tanker anchored off China, loaded with 750,000 barrels of Russian crude worth about $50 million.
It had sailed from Russia to China in November but was abandoned after the crew said they had not received salaries for months.
The ship is in international waters while the ITF is striving to secure wages up to December and also arrange food, water and other supplies.
One of the reasons behind an increase in ship abandonment cases is political instability.
The world is riddled with conflicts, war and disruption, which have caused supply chain issues and a sharp rise in freight costs, leaving some operators unable to continue operations.
Secondly, there is a rise in the number of shadow fleet vessels, old and obsolete tankers which sail without proper ownership, documents, and with poor safety standards and limited or no insurance.
They
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