Water everywhere, not a drop to drink

Steven Jones, the founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, on the horrendous news that many at sea are struggling to get access to clean drinking water. 

Harkening to the voices from webinars and conference panels, you’d be forgiven for seeing the maritime industry awash with bon homme, and which only ever does the right things and does them well. Industry bodies proudly proclaiming their work, blue-chip shipping companies pressing their green-ship credentials, and all manner of service providers doffing their collective caps as they jostle to lock onto the money teat. 

What we hear in this gilded world is almost universally positive. All about commitments to change, best practices and signing up to charters for improvements, about data and transparency. A rousing desire to be smarter, better, cleaner, more wonderful. Such talk lifts the spirits, loosens investor purse strings, and serves as a shield to the slings and arrows of critics. 

Sadly though, stepping away from the good companies who serve as bright lights of beaming optimism, you very quickly find yourself in the dark corners. In the shadows where dodgy manning agent Gmail charlatans scam enthusiastic young people out of money. The murky places beyond the corporate veil, where crews are abandoned like so much garbage. And where incredibly, to quote Band Aid this far from Christmas, the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears. 

As shocking as it may seem in the 21^st century, the latest Seafarers Happiness Index responses have repeatedly mentioned the issue of drinking water on board. We have heard time and again about seafarers being denied access to drinking water, while others are being forced to pay for it. This seems utterly incredible and is clearly unacceptable. 

Water is key to life, it sustains us. It allows us to perform effectively and remain healthy. Dehydration can be crippling and debilitating, and denying drinking water jeopardises everything – health, safety, performance. It seems outrageous to have to stress how important access to drinking water is, but here we are. Sadly, it seems some owners do not seem to know or care they are jeopardising seafarers’ health, safety, motivation and performance. 

Denying seafarers sufficient drinking water goes against every tenant of what shipping is meant to be about, it is inhumane, cruel and just plain wrong. It jeopardises well-being and the safe operation of vessels. Letting our people go thirsty is despicable. 

Then there is the mental toll. The negative impact on morale and motivation is hugely significant. Being denied basic a necessity like water breeds resentment and hurts morale, it is also crushing for the spirit and mental wellbeing as well as the physical. 

Those seafarers who are left thirsty, unsure when they will get to drink, or who are charged for drinking feel devalued and expendable. This erodes motivation to go above and beyond.

The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) is clear on the requirement to provide water. All shipowners should provide free of charge food and drinking water of appropriate quality, nutritional value and quantity to meet the needs of those on board. So why would this be happening? 

Problems of aging water tanks? Issues with plastic bottles and their disposal? Just plain old cutting back on spend? Just what is going wrong for owners to place crews in this position? Are the checks inadequate, is there an assumption by port state that water is freely and adequately available? Is it a lack of oversight, damaged storage or broken equipment? Or is it the real sign of a callous culture developing?

Drinking water is a basic human right, not a luxury. What’s next, oxygen fees, perhaps bring your own bedding or food? This cheapening of basic needs is as worrying as it is depressing, as too many seafarers face grim, hazardous futures, seemingly devoid of the most fundamental human needs. 

Seafarers deserve so much better than wondering where their thirst will be quenched. When problems such as this emerge, it is hard to be optimistic when the seafaring glass appears to be completely, literally empty.