Panama, which hosts the world's largest ship registry, has requested the assistance of Kitack Lim, the secretary general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to mediate and assist seafarers and shipowners in the ongoing Australian coal carrier prohibition, which has left 74 ships and over 1,500 seafarers stranded for months off the Chinese coast.

“Our mission in this regard is to find a reasonable and positive solution for the crew of these ships to return home,” commented the minister of maritime affairs, Noriel Araúz.

Many ships awaiting discharge in China have been stranded for over nine months.

The International Labour Organization's Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations examined the Maritime Labour Convention and concluded that crews should not be involved in commercial disputes or prevented from disembarking, particularly if their employment contract has expired.

Maritime Business World