Ship owners and traders are having to increase salaries to entice some seafarers back to the Strait of Hormuz, according to a maritime legal expert.
His comments come as the global trade route prepares to reopen for business. Crew preparing to leave the region have spoken of their relief about the US-Iran agreement, which signals an end to almost four months of turmoil that had brought shipping in the Arabian Gulf to a standstill.
A backlog of hundreds of vessels and tankers will probably take months to clear, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which welcomed the news.
A 30-day timeline has been set to reopen the strait and resume safe transport of goods through the vital trade artery.
Mohamed El Hawawy, a legal expert with Stephenson Harwood in Dubai who specialises in maritime disputes, warned that shipping will get more expensive.
“Some owners are taking advantage of the situation that the UAE is looking after the crew and that clubs are also primarily looking after them,” he said. “We are receiving calls every day about abandoned ships. There are now bonuses being offered to crew to come and work in this area.
“They are being offered extra salaries, extra payments, because it is now considered dangerous. The owners will have to pay more, for crew, and for insurance risk, for transporting goods within a war zone, even now the war is over.
“The traders will definitely say the war is over. Whether or not, actually, the crew will think that this war is over and it's not a risky area any more... this is the question.”
The first tankers have begun to cross the strait, with shipping data showing three tankers carrying oil have passed the waterway.
Seafarers caught up in the conflict, in which tankers were struck by Iranian and US missiles, said they were looking to return home to their families. Many crew members have been supported across the region by the Mission to Seafarers charity.
Baen, from the Philippines, has been a seafarer for three years. Speaking to The National from Bahrain, he said he hoped this period of peace would be sustained. He said he had felt afraid when missiles were seen in the sky, worrying that one might strike his vessel.
These fears were particularly intense while the ship was at anchor. He said he and his family had experienced significant stress and concern during the conflict.
“There has been too much tension here in the Middle East and we have been afraid for our families,” he said. “It has been difficult to speak with our families, only by chat messaging and WhatsApp.
“Our internet was sometimes not working, so we were out of contact for days at a time. My contract ended this month, so I am very happy I can now go home to my family.”
Maritime deaths
More than 17 vessels are understood to have been damaged during the conflict, and 14 seafarers were killed.
“When we were in Dubai Dry Dock, we saw many missiles coming, and the debris was coming down everywhere, in the morning, afternoon and evening,” Baen said.
“It was a life-threatening situation for us, for sure. It is much better to make peace, so no more civilians are caught in this. Too many innocent people have been caught up in this.”
Madan, from Pakistan, said being a seafarer in this region during the crisis was one of the most difficult periods of his life. “The most challenging aspect of being a seafarer [at this time] was not getting enough provisions, or repatriation,” he said.
“Still, there are a lot of people, other seafarers, stuck in this region expecting to get away. As seafarers, we are always on alert, but when we were on board, we just didn't know what would happen next.”
Vincent, from the Philippines, said the current peaceful situation had brought a sense of relief and freedom. After several months of uncertainty, his crew felt more at ease and able to move about freely.
They recalled the challenges during the conflict, particularly the frequent sirens and security alerts, which created fear and uncertainty about what might happen next. One particular alert was especially distressing and remained vivid in their memories.
“We are so happy this is now finished, and for all seafarers,” he said. “We didn’t hesitate to go to other countries to work, and we were travelling freely before this war. All we want is peace and love to all the countries.”
Ahmad, a chief engineer from Syria, said his vessel had been operating in Qatar, Jebel Ali and Bahrain.
One of the most unsettling experiences for him was seeing normally busy ports unusually quiet and almost empty. The sight of these inactive ports heightened his fear and concern about the situation.
“I am extremely happy after the ceasefire,” said Ahmad. “I hope now that it will remain and there can be peace. It was a very big problem. We had many attacks on the ships, and it was very disheartening for me.”
Due to the backlog of stranded vessels and the need for crew changes and rest, a realistic return to normal shipping patterns is unlikely for months.
Call for support
The ITF has called for guarantees that civilian transport and infrastructure will not be targeted under any framework to reopen the strait.
It has called for immediate measures to facilitate crew changes, repatriation, and the safe return of all transport workers.
The ITF also demanded the release of all detained civilian transport workers and of civilian vessels, aircraft and cargo, and called for humanitarian access and emergency support for affected workers and their families.
Stephen Cotton, the ITF general secretary, said transport workers should be the focus of any peace framework, with too many lives already lost.
“For more than 100 days, seafarers, aviation workers, port workers and other transport workers have been killed, injured, detained and stranded in a war they have no part in,” he said.
“We welcome this framework as a potential turning point towards a sustainable peace, but given that the full text or not been officially released by either government, we cannot yet fully assess what it means for transport workers.
“What we can say clearly is this: a signature on 19 June is not the end. It is, at best, the beginning.”
