The World Shipping Council (WSC) has released its annual report on containers lost at sea, showing a significant decrease to 221 containers lost in 2023, the lowest number recorded since the survey began in 2008.
The Marin TopTier joint industry project, launched three years ago, has contributed concrete outcomes on the causes of containers overboard together with recommendations and training material on how to avoid and manage different kinds of dangerous parametric rolling. The project was kicked off in the wake of an especially bad year for container losses.
“The reduction in containers lost at sea in 2023 is a positive development, but it does not diminish the urgency of our work. Every container lost at sea represents a potential hazard, and our commitment to preventing these incidents must be unwavering,” said John Butler, CEO of the World Shipping Council.
New mandatory reporting requirements for containers lost at sea were recently adopted by the International Maritime Organization, and will take effect on January 1, 2026.
