NAMMA was represented at the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) 22nd Annual Environmental Achievement Awards Dinner held in Washington, D.C. on November 12 by Christopher Graham, NAMMA Assistant Director, who provided the opening prayer.

At this event, the U.S. maritime industry publicly recognizes the merchant mariners responsible for environmental excellence. 57 companies representing 1377 vessels with 13,358 cumulative years of operation were recognized without a reportable environmental incident. Marco Sylvester.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and CSA’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Captain Garrett Huffman of Motiva addressed the attendees and congratulated the award recipients and the industry for their extraordinary performance.

Learn more about the event at CSA. (Photos courtesy of CSA)

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The evening’s theme, “Powering Progress: Maritime at the Crossroads of Innovation and Impact,” reflected on how the maritime industry can navigate rapid technological, regulatory, and social change. Deacon Paul Rosenblum, President of NAMMA, accepted the award and also offered the invocation at the dinner. He was joined by Rev. Marsh Drege of Seafarers International House and Matthew Morse of the Seamen’s Church Institute, representing NAMMA’s broad membership across North America.

“This award is not about me,” said Deacon Rosenblum. “It is a recognition of the organization as a whole — and even more, of the members and volunteers who serve seafarers every day. It’s an acknowledgment by our friends at NAMEPA that this work is an important contribution to the maritime industry.”

Reflecting on his conversations during the conference, Rosenblum highlighted the need for greater visibility of seafarers’ welfare within NAMEPA’s educational outreach.

“We need to do a better job of getting the word out about seafarers’ welfare,” he said. “Students in maritime schools — even cadets — need to know that there are people around the world ready to support them. Many young people are hesitant about going to sea because of the separation from family. We can help them see that while they may be away, they won’t be abandoned.”

He noted that NAMEPA’s expanding focus on workforce development presents an opportunity for collaboration:

“Helping seafarers care about the environment also means safer vessels and healthier workplaces. Seafarers’ welfare and environmental protection go hand in hand — keeping seafarers safe at work helps the environment, and protecting the environment keeps seafarers safe.”

Rosenblum also observed that NAMEPA continues to emphasize education and stewardship of the marine environment. “Their leadership in promoting responsible shipping and awareness of marine environmental issues remains vital,” he said.

NAMMA extends its sincere thanks to NAMEPA for this recognition and for its continued partnership in promoting safe, sustainable, and humane practices across the maritime world.

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The research confirms that many seafarers are taking positive steps to improve their personal health. As the authors note, “Seafarers in 2024 smoked less, consumed alcohol less frequently, and in smaller quantities, and ate fried food less often than they did in 2011 or 2016.” In the cargo sector, 60% of those surveyed said they never drank alcohol at sea, a significant increase from earlier years. This growing health consciousness was matched by a greater awareness among seafarers of the importance of staying fit for duty. Yet, despite these improvements, the reports also point to stark differences in the support structures available to cruise and cargo seafarers, especially when it comes to food provision, rest, medical care, and access to the shore. Cargo workers in particular expressed frustration with the lack of fresh produce, describing how “insufficient provisions in terms of fruit and vegetables and of poor food preparation on board” meant that their diets were consistently worse at sea than at home. Cruise ship workers, by contrast, were more likely to agree that they could “eat as much fruit and vegetables as I want.”

Sleep deprivation and chronic fatigue were another recurring theme, particularly among cargo seafarers working with small crews. As one Georgian second officer put it, “Over fatigue is not exception, it’s like normal… I never get enough sleep, during cargo operations or whatever, and yes, it’s normal.” Such exhaustion was not limited to emergencies or isolated incidents; it was woven into the fabric of daily working life. Officers in both sectors—especially on cargo ships—described round-the-clock operations during port calls, ship-to-ship transfers, or cargo loading, with no opportunity to recover. These conditions were found to correlate with short-term anxiety and depression, with more than 40% of senior officers in the cargo sector reporting symptoms of mental distress in 2024. The study also found that incidents of sexual harassment and assault remain underreported, often due to fear of retaliation, disbelief, or losing one’s job.

Of particular importance to shore-based welfare organizations was the extensive attention paid to the issue of shore leave. The study found that shore leave is “very much needed” by seafarers and functions as a key protective factor for mental and emotional health. “When I do shore leave, I feel like I regain my strength,” said one cruise catering worker. “Even if you don’t buy anything, you just go out, use the internet outside. It feels different when you are outside.” Another seafarer linked his recent health issues to the inability to leave the ship, explaining, “I tell you, if you can’t do shore leave, it feels different, it does something to your brain.” A cruise manager likewise emphasized the health benefits of getting off the ship: “Even a 30 minute walk outside would make a big difference… it makes a difference going out.”

Unfortunately, the ability to take shore leave remains severely limited in the cargo sector. The research showed that while 84% of cruise workers had taken shore leave in the previous two weeks, only 42% of cargo workers had done the same. Fifteen percent of cargo seafarers reported having had no shore leave for 43 days or more. Several explained that the vessels they worked on—particularly VLCCs and tankers—almost never came alongside, making disembarkation impossible: “VLCC no shore leave.” Others pointed to port-specific immigration rules or political tensions between countries that barred them from disembarking. A Pakistani captain explained, “If you are Pakistani and you are going to discharge cargo in India you won’t be allowed to go out because of the political tension out there.” Even when ships were anchored close to shore, shore leave was often blocked by company unwillingness to pay for launch services. As one third officer recounted, “The vessel will stay, for example in anchor two days… The company won’t pay for… the boat who will take you from vessel to the port.”

The publication of these findings comes just after the 2025 amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), which now affirm that seafarers “shall be allowed shore leave to benefit their health and well-being, consistent with the operational requirements of their positions.” The amendments further state that “shipowners shall allow shore leave to seafarers when off duty, upon the ship’s arrival in port, except when leaving the ship is prohibited or restricted by relevant authorities.” While these changes are a welcome recognition of the problem, the study’s authors argue they still fall short. “The 2025 MLC amendments stop short of requiring companies to organise or pay for transportation to facilitate seafarers’ shore leave,” they note. For welfare advocates, this gap between principle and practice highlights the need for continued pressure on both flag states and companies. The study concludes that “to make sure that cargo seafarers do not spend their entire contracts confined on board their vessel, a means needs to be found to address the issue of companies saving money by not paying for launch services from anchorages.”

Finally, the study reflects on the wider economic realities that prevent meaningful reform. The authors observe that “finance, profit and competition between companies is invariably cited as a reason for inaction, or worse still for cutting the existing resources… that support seafarers’ health and wellbeing.” And yet, they suggest, in an era where fuel taxes or consumer tariffs are accepted for environmental or political goals, the marginal cost of improving seafarers’ health support should not be seen as prohibitive. Improvements that fulfill the promise of the MLC to ensure “healthcare for seafarers as comparable as possible to that which is generally available to workers ashore” are long overdue. For those who work alongside seafarers in ports, this research provides the data, testimonies, and international standards to continue making the case for dignity, access, and care for all who serve at sea.

Links to these reports and similar research are found on the NAMMA research bibliography.

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