International conference “Wellbeing, Safety and Quality of Life of Seafarers”
3 October, 2025
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The Conference Wellbeing, Safety and Quality of Life of Seafarers was held in Odesa on September 26, 2025. It was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Nautical Institute of Ukraine. It has become an important event for the Ukrainian and international shipping community, bringing together experts in shipping, marine education and medicine, law and digital technologies on a single platform. The conference was held at the central office of Interlegal law firm, a long-time partner of the Nautical Institute of Ukraine.
The jubilee conference was a vivid confirmation of the role that the Nautical Institute of Ukraine plays in the Ukrainian shipping industry. Founded in 2000 in Odesa as the first branch of the prestigious UK Nautical Institute in Eastern Europe, the Institute has gained recognition on the world stage for over a quarter of the century. Today, the Institute unites over 300 members, such as masters, ship officers, teachers, scientists, representatives of coastal structures, and actively influences formation of the Ukrainian maritime professional environment.
Mykhailo Miyusov, Advisor to the Rector of the National University “Odesa Maritime Academy”, emphasized in his welcome speech at the opening ceremony that thanks to the Nautical Institute Ukraine gained access to global experience and was able to integrate its seafarers into the international professional community.
“Membership in the Nautical Institute of Ukraine gave access to global experience, participation in seminars, forums and exhibitions. Today, the Nautical Institute of Ukraine is part of a network that unites over 10,000 experts from 120 countries, including over 350 Ukrainian members. For the past 25 years, the Nautical Institute of Ukraine has gained authority both in Ukraine and abroad, contributed to improvement of the seafaring personnel qualifications, development of maritime education and navigation safety.”
International partners of the Institute expressed their special greetings.
Julian Parker, who was the Secretary of The Nautical Institute for over 30 years, noted that the conference was “a perfect example of the way in which professional organizations can enhance the knowledge, skills and understanding of navigators both ashore and afloat”.
Philip Wake, former CEO of The Nautical Institute, emphasized the resilience of the Ukrainian maritime community:
“This Anniversary International Scientific and Practical Conference on “Welfare, safety and quality of life of seafarers” is a shining example of the NIU’s unceasing work. That it is taking place despite the war situation inflicted upon Ukraine by Russia is further proof of the resilience and professionalism of the NIU and our seafaring friends in Ukraine.”
Captain Trevor Bailey, the current President of The Nautical Institute, addressed the NIU members with support in his video greeting:
“I’m standing here representing the Institute and taking this great opportunity to send special congratulations to you, the Ukraine Branch, on your 25th anniversary as members of our worldwide community.
We really appreciate all that you have done throughout the time you’ve been part of our Nautical Institute family. We also recognize, of course, that you have not had the easiest of times in recent years.
Wherever you may be – at home or at sea – you are members of the Nautical Institute family. We welcome you with open arms and support everything you do.”
Captain John Lloyd, CEO of The Nautical Institute, FNI, congratulated the Ukrainian branch on its jubilee directly at the head office of the International Maritime Organization in London:
“Today is very special as we recognize the 25th anniversary of The Nautical Institute in Ukraine. This branch is one of the most active we have in the world. It does a great job recruiting members, holding technical meetings, and I’d like to salute the work of Volodymyr Torsky, who has contributed so much over many years.
Thank you for the work you do for The Nautical Institute and the global maritime community. You make an amazing contribution, and I hope you have a fantastic event.”
Additionally, all speakers noted the contribution of Professor Volodymyr Torsky, the Honorary Secretary of the Nautical Institute of Ukraine, who stood at the origins of the Ukrainian branch and has tirelessly supported its activities for all 25 years. Colleagues emphasized his role as unchanging heart of the Institute, around which the Ukrainian team unites.
Julian Parker highlighted, “I believe the success of the branch with a consistently growing membership reflects a deep sense of purpose. More than anyone Professor Torsky has been able to demonstrate the value of professionalism through the style of his many books and in particular as Editor in Chief of The International Maritime Journal Sea Review, published by The Nautical Institute of Ukraine.”
The Conference Wellbeing, Safety and Quality of Life of Seafarers became one of the few discussion platforms in Ukraine, where the emphasis was placed not only on the professional training of seafarers, but also on their wellbeing, working conditions and career development – key factors in sustainable development of the shipping industry.
Program of the event covered a wide range of issues, namely: IMO’s comprehensive approach to the safety and quality of life of seafarers, the impact of working conditions on physical and psychological well-being of crew members, current issues of marine medicine and professional training of seafarers in a globalized world, as well as combatting sexual harassment on board.
The speakers paid special attention to digitalization of the maritime labor market, legal aspects of the activities of vessels and shipping companies, as well as organization of effective safety procedures on board, including the training of specialists in marine fumigation and LNG bunkering.
Captain Illya Tykhonov, Head of the River Information Service at the State Enterprise “UKRVODSHLYAKH”, dedicated his speech to IMO approach to the safety and quality of life of seafarers. He emphasized the role of three key conventions (SOLAS, STCW and MLC) in setting standards for training and competence of crew members, facilitating proper working conditions and protecting the lives of seafarers. The report highlighted specific steps taken by the IMO, such as implementation of resolutions of the Manila Conference on adequate living conditions for crews, preventing violence and sexual harassment on board, securing equal access for women to the maritime profession, regulating working hours and medical examinations of seafarers. The speaker also highlighted the institution’s continuous efforts aimed to improve the requirements of international conventions in view of up-to-date technologies and changes in working conditions, in particular, updating STCW and development of standards for training crews and remote operators for controlling autonomous vessels.
Illya Tykhonov emphasized that IMO, jointly with ILO, has been developing practical tools aimed to facilitate safety, well-being and professional development of seafarers, while the Nautical Institute of Ukraine, as an active branch of the UK Nautical Institute, plays a vital role in implementation of such standards at the national level.
Vitalii Kamianoi, MNI, raised the issue of the loss of attractiveness of the seafaring profession and its impact on the morale, motivation and professionalism of crews. He noted that harsh working conditions, long periods away from home, economic instability, competition from the IT industry and several other factors have reduced interest of the youth in the career of seafarers. The war in Ukraine has disrupted supply of officers for the global fleet, while Europe is currently facing a decline in the recruitment of young seafarers. In contrast, the number of novice seafarers in Asia is expected to increase by 70%.
The prospects for loss of interest in the seafaring profession among the youth are extremely bleak: according to BIMCO forecast, global shortage of qualified officers will reach 90,000 people by 2025.
Vitalii Kamianoi proposed specific strategies aimed to increase attractiveness of the profession that could save the industry from a shortage of personnel, such as competitive pay and benefits, improved working conditions and work-life balance, mentoring programs, technology development (especially stable Internet) on board, as well as inclusion and diversity initiatives.
Viktoriya Razumova, MARPO Managing Director, and Oleh Manko, MARPO Data AI Engineer, highlighted in their joint report the gaps in up-to-date seafaring recruitment processes and the potential for digital transformation of such industry. They emphasized that today recruitment process is extremely inefficient: there is neither single resume format nor centralized database of seafarers; employers and crewing agencies waste time on manual processing of documents without any opportunity to confirm even the seafarer’s identity, not to mention the authenticity of his/her certificates, qualifications, reviews about his/her work, etc. Information about candidates quickly gets outdated, which complicates selection of the personnel, so talented seafarers often remain unnoticed.
As a solution to such problems, the speakers propose the IMO Seafarer Number – a unique identifier of a seafarer, which will combine his/her personal data, information about his/her qualifications and practical experience in a single structure. Key stages of the project implementation shall include creation of a single standard seafarer’s profile (CV) with all the necessary data about his/her qualifications, an interactive interface for seafarers to update their data, as well as an open database of seafarers with verified up-to-date information.
Calling for digital transformation of seafarers’ data accounting, experts convince that it will facilitate a transparent, convenient and effective recruitment market, will optimize management of documentation and qualification data and even will significantly increase the career prospects of the seafarers themselves.
Pavlo Svertilov, Managing Partner and Legal Advisor at Svertilov Marine Consulting, spoke about P&I correspondent’s work in Ukraine under martial law. The speaker outlined principal challenges that shipowners and P&I clubs are facing in Ukraine today, namely: restricted access to ports, physical risks due to hostilities and the need to comply with safety measures during navigation.
The expert noted that correspondents actively inform P&I clubs and shipowners about the risks faced by crew members while calling at the Ukrainian ports. For example, if a seafarer aged 18–60 left Ukraine without special permission from military authorities or has a residence permit at the temporarily occupied territories, in case of calling at the Ukrainian port (s)he may be interrogated and even disembarked. The same applies to crew members with Russian passports (mainly seafarers from the temporarily occupied territories). One of the common problems is sanctions which include ban on financial transactions in favor of Ukrainian citizens registered (residing) at the temporarily occupied territories. Therefore, Ukrainian seafarers and their relatives with the appropriate registration will not be able to receive reimbursement in case of the seafarer’s injury or death.
Pavlo Svertilov emphasized that in each situation, P&I correspondents apply an individual and proactive approach in order to provide qualified service and to mitigate risks both for shipowners and crew members.
Oleksii Chepok, Quality Manager NHCS, AFNI, raised a complex and sensitive issue concerning sexual harassment on board of vessels. He stated that sexual harassment has deep cultural roots associated with a historically male profession, gender stereotypes and isolated environment on board, so such problem in shipping industry remains acute despite increasing demands for corporate responsibility and crew welfare. The speaker gave examples of how different cultural and ethnic contexts influence the perception of harassment, as well as noted that victims often do not report about incidents due to fear of retaliation or impact on their careers, which creates a culture of silence.
Meantime, shipping industry is striving to change the situation by taking certain measures. Recently, international campaigns such as #MyHarassmentFreeShip from IMO 2025 have become widespread, mandatory harassment prevention training has been introduced (adopted in the framework of STCW 2026), while ILO resolutions are being adopted in order to emphasize the importance of safe and inclusive environment on board of vessels.
The consequences of ignoring and inaction in case of sexual harassment among crew members are obvious: reduced motivation and problems with retaining seafarers, reputational and legal risks for companies, violations of safety standards. The expert sees an opportunity to overcome the problem in a systematic approach that combines prevention, clear policies, confidential reporting mechanisms, psychosocial support and crew training. But it is important to remember that even one gap in such system can increase the risk of incidents and reduce the effectiveness of all other measures, so the key is comprehensive and continuous implementation of a culture of respect and safety on board.
Captain Denys Levytsky, AFNI, confidently declared in his speech that the future of seafarers is in the traditions of the past. He also noted that high-quality education, practical skills, as well as discipline and order, have always been the key to effective work of merchant seafarers. But now, in his opinion, such traditional values are being replaced by bureaucratic procedures and a formal approach.
The speaker gave examples of how excessive paperwork, mandatory weekly and monthly reports and inspections distract the crew from practical tasks and undermine the operational efficiency of the vessel. Due to decrease in mentoring and too short training courses, junior officers and ratings are not sufficiently prepared for real crisis situations on board, while the widespread introduction of automation and the latest control tools ultimately causes loss of knowledge necessary to manage the vessel without any automatic systems involved.
Master paid special attention to the lack of shipboard doctors and the risks associated with reliance on telemedicine, as well as the impact of digital navigational publications on depth of training and situational awareness of officers. He also noted that today in the Port State Control commercial priorities often prevail, with fines and detentions taking precedence over the educational component, which increases stress and burden on the crew.
Finally, Denys Levytsky called on the industry to return to the traditions of comprehensive practical training, quality education, discipline and care on board as the basis of the future of seafaring.
Captain Yevgen Bogachenko, AFNI, also highlighted the role of mentoring in today’s realities in the context of career prospects for seafarers. He revealed how changes in the shipping industry, starting from digitalization and technological transformation up to increased environmental and regulatory pressure, are shaping new development paths for seafarers. The speaker outlined both traditional career paths from trainee to officer and opportunities for transition to shore-based positions, where seafarers can effectively apply their existing knowledge and experience, in particular, in such industries as clean energy, maritime IT, consulting and others. In any case, the speaker noted, mentoring for seafarers plays a key role in mastering new skills both on board and in the office, helping them to adapt to changes and unfamiliar environment, transforming their theoretical knowledge into practical achievements, reducing mistakes, contributing to faster career growth and professional sustainability.
Yevgen Bogachenko gave examples from the practice of The Nautical Institute, Maersk, Shell and NYK, demonstrating how systemic support improves safety on board and becomes a significant factor in retaining seafarers and qualified personnel. He emphasized that even in the world of automation and digital systems, advice and emotional support from a living person still remain a necessary component for making the right decisions. Therefore, mentoring helps not only to overcome the lack of experience, but also to strengthen team bonds and maintain mental health of the crew members.
Captain Yevgeniy Kalinichenko, Head of NCS Department ONMU, revealed the impact of working conditions on physical and mental health of seafarers, declared the main problems that crew members face during voyages and suggested practical ways to improve their wellbeing both on board and ashore.
He reminded that the maritime profession is one of the most demanding and dangerous in the world, where physical exertion is combined with psychological stress, isolation from family and high responsibility for the lives of colleagues, the vessel and the cargo. Long night shifts, noise and vibration in the engine room, extreme weather and restricted living conditions – everything creates an environment where even a slight deterioration in working conditions threatens physical health. Chronic sleep deprivation, exhaustion, injuries and limited access to medical care – all of these are commonplace for seafarers. Loneliness, social isolation, language barriers, prolonged separation from loved ones, uncertainty due to wars or bureaucratic obstacles create additional psychological pressure, while long-term absence of voyages can provoke depression even ashore.
Statistics from international organizations confirm that every third seafarer experiences symptoms of depression, while over 10% of deaths on board are suicidal and mental disorders double the likelihood of injuries.
In order to solve these problems, the speaker proposed a systematic approach with state, industry and international coordination: creation of a national program to support seafarers, e-cabinet with psychosocial support, integration of psychological education into maritime training, activation of trade unions and formation of the aid fund.
Oleg Hryhoryuk, Chairman of the Trade Union of Maritime Transport Workers of Ukraine (MTWTU), outlined the principal challenges that Ukrainian seafarers face today and scopes of work conducted by the trade union every day in order support them.
He noted that today the trade union’s activity has been focused on sailors and trainees who temporarily live outside Ukraine. Support of trainees is one of the most important scopes of its activity. In addition, Oleg Hryhoryuk named key achievements in this aspect, such as settlement of the issue concerning taking the Unified State Qualification Exam (USQI) abroad.
Thanks to efforts of the trade union, in 2023, examination centers have been organized in Chisinau, Varna, Klaipeda and Munich, which enabled over 1,600 Ukrainian trainees to take the exam, to receive diplomas and to start working in their specialty. In addition, the trade union develops dual diploma projects between Ukrainian and European academies, provides financial support to trainees who are unable to pay for their studies and conducts systematic educational activities.
Another area of work is humanitarian and financial assistance to the Ukrainian seafarers who find themselves in difficult circumstances. Just during the full-scale war, over 3,500 families of seafarers received support in aggregate amount exceeding 63 million UAH, while the UNION DENTAL CLINIC provided free services to the trade union members and their families in the amount exceeding 10 million UAH.
An important factor was the cooperation between the Trade Union of Maritime Transport Workers of Ukraine and its international partners, such as ITF, Ver.di and SEKO trade unions, ISWAN Foundation and other entities. Due to such support, Ukrainian seafarers receive humanitarian assistance, medical services, financial reimbursement, food kits, while the trade union receives equipment for operation of trade union centers in wartime.
Finally, Oleg Hryhoryuk thanked international partners for their cooperation and emphasized that the trade union will remain a reliable support for Ukrainian sailors and trainees in the most difficult times.
Interlegal associate attorney Dmytro Ockolias analyzed for the audience legal nature of the General Average concept, the conditions and practical challenges of its application.
The speaker outlined in detail four mandatory conditions for recognition of general average: common danger to the vessel, cargo and crew; intentional and justified actions to preserve property; extraordinary nature of the costs; effectiveness of measures that allow saving at least part of the property.
Based on the example of fire on board of the vessel in Sulina, Dmytro Ockolias showed how GA mechanism should be apply in practice, in particular, legal support of the client starting from analysis of documents and communication with average adjusters up to facilitating payment via a Ukrainian bank and receiving insurance indemnity. He also drew attention to key problematic aspects, such as acceptability of guarantees, risks during repairs at the port of refuge and cargo owner’s possible actions in case of delay or lack of notification on terminating the voyage.
The lawyer emphasized the importance of flexible approach, proper reasoning before average adjusters and legal support at all stages, in particular under conditions of restrictions on international payments. General average remains an effective cost-sharing mechanism, but its implementation requires attention to legal details and practical cooperation between all participants to sea transportation.
Professor Alex Ignatyev, Head of the Department of Occupational Pathology at the Odesa National Medical University, highlighted the extremely important issue of training specialists in maritime medicine in Ukraine for shipping industry.
He outlined the current problems of maritime medicine, namely: lack of medical personnel on board of vessels, lack of systematic monitoring of the seafarers’ health, especially on board of vessels flying flags of convenience, as well as limited access to medical care. Today, in Ukraine, like in many other maritime states, there is no unified system for collecting data on morbidity of seafarers. In fact, there are no statistics upon illnesses and deaths of crews on board of vessels flying flags of convenience, which complicates medical support and prevention of health risks for seafarers.
Alex Ignatyev noted that maritime medicine encompasses not only clinical skills, but also ability to act in conditions of limited resources, isolation and high responsibility for the lives of the crew. Therefore, specialized education plays a special role in securing health and safety of seafarers, speaking about work of the Department of Occupational Pathology at the Odesa National Medical University. Its specialists are engaged in training doctors and ship medical officers, have been implementing telemedicine, developing electronic medical passports for seafarers, improving medical examination algorithms with regards to professional and age groups, as well as studying the impact of adverse factors of the working environment on the body of maritime complex workers.
Professor Ignatyev highlighted that today it is important to strengthen work with seafarers in several key areas, namely: to secure control over the work of medical commissions, to check quality of crew training on medical issues in specialized centers, as well as to control organization and effectiveness of seafarers’ training courses before sending them to countries with unfavorable quarantine and non-standard conditions and to provide them with means and materials for prevention of dangerous diseases such as malaria.
Globalization dictates new requirements for seafarers’ training, but at the same time up-to-date technologies offer new unique opportunities for this, as reported by Captain Alex Pipchenko, Director of the educational platform Learnmarine.
Traditional methods of training crew members are not sufficient in today’s world where seafarers face increasingly complex challenges, such as rapid development of digital systems, implementation of alternative fuels, environmental technologies with new safety protocols and strict regulatory standards. Expert noted that today only ca. 60% of graduates of maritime educational institutions have the necessary practical skills, and it is difficult to practice modern technologies on outdated simulators. In addition, limited Internet connectivity on board of vessels complicates online training and access to new courses.
As an alternative to traditional seafarers’ training, the speaker proposed the concept of Blended Training, which combines online theory, practical simulators and data-based assessment. Special attention is paid to VR/AR technologies, distance simulations and modular courses with credit accumulation, which allow adapting training courses to the needs of Generation Z and the international labor market.
Such combination allows the trainees to effectively master new competencies, to overcome gaps in infrastructure and to increase readiness for work in today’s conditions.
Professor Yevhenii Belobrov, Emergency Commissioner for Marine Cargo Fumigation, dedicated his speech to up-to-date approaches to training specialists in marine cargo fumigation. He highlighted such problems as unqualified and dangerous work with fumigation substances during the voyage, which previously caused mass poisonings and accidents on board of vessels.
The speaker reported about training methodology, promotion and training courses of fumigation specialists, including training courses for masters, crew members, port supervision inspectors and ecologists. Special attention was drawn to international safety standards, implementation of regulatory documents, development of specialized instructions and methods of action in emergency situations.
Professor Belobrov noted that, based on the results of cooperation between the Maritime Institute of Ukraine and fumigation companies Scallops-Ukraine and L.P.S., in recent years it has become possible to significantly improve safety of grain and feed transportation by sea, to eliminate cases of acute phosphine poisoning and to introduce a new profession, Marine Cargo Fumigator, in the State Classifier of Professions.
His report illustrated how systematic training of fumigators contributes to protection of the life and health of seafarers, safety of shipping and protection of the marine environment, as well as showed an example of effective international cooperation in marine fumigation and cargo degassing.
Ihor Surinov, Navigator at Nordic Hamburg, in his report raised the issue of proper crew training for the purpose of safe conduct of LNG bunkering operations on board of modern vessels. He emphasized that LNG bunkering in general is quite a safe procedure, while precautions related thereto are effectively eliminated by a series of measures. However, the risks of LNG differ significantly from those of traditional bunker fuels due to volatility and cryogenic storage conditions of this gas, which requires personnel to have a clear understanding of the existing dangers.
The speaker highlighted specific risks associated with cryogenic and volatile properties of LNG, in particular, phenomena of liquid boiling, evaporation resulting in formation of flammable vapors, as well as contamination of bunkering lines and connections. Also, he reported about methods for risk mitigation by means of creating safety zones, equipment control and systematic training of the crew.
In particular, the expert focused on the response procedures during emergency situations (e.g. fires, leaks and technical failures), as well as cooperation between ship and port services.
Ihor Surinov noted that procedures and training play a crucial role in facilitating the crew’s readiness to the potential risks of LNG bunkering, while such training should be implemented in good shipping practice. On the other hand, he recommended further development of safety standards, including mandatory use of personal protective equipment, as well as further research into the safe operation of vessels equipped with LNG engines.
The Conference Wellbeing, Safety and Quality of Life of Seafarers confirmed the importance of a comprehensive approach to development of the profession of seafarers in Ukraine. The event became a platform for sharing experience between national and international experts, cementing the role of the Nautical Institute of Ukraine as a center for integration of the Ukrainian seafarers into global professional community and promoting development of a safe, modern and attractive maritime environment.
Finally, the Conference ended with adoption of the Final Act, which summarized principal theses of speeches and identified directions of further work of the Nautical Institute of Ukraine in wellbeing, safety and improving quality of life of seafarers. One of the key outcomes of this extraordinary meeting was understanding that the future of the maritime community is built on combination of experience and the latest technologies with a systemic approach aimed to improve life and working conditions of seafarers.
The modern maritime industry stands at the crossroads of traditions and innovations. On the one hand, digitalization, new technologies, alternative fuels and global changes in labor market require the industry to be flexible and responsive, increasing the pressure on crews. On the other hand, safety, practical skills, mutual support and dedication of seafarers to their profession still remain the main driving force of shipping. A strategic, holistic approach to seafarers’ wellbeing is the key to retaining experienced personnel and attracting a new generation of professionals. People engaged in facilitating global trade should not remain isolated with their problems – neither on board of the vessel nor ashore. The industry is able to effectively change the environment in which seafarers spend most of their lives by creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and support on board, securing access to medical care, including psychological care, developing transparent standards and proper working conditions. Combination of practical training and digital tools, modern innovations and traditional values of this difficult profession – all this may guarantee sustainability of the industry and development of the Ukrainian maritime professional environment in future.
