World Maritime University

Regulation 2.3 of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) requires States to regulate ‘hours of work or hours of rest’. Listing three non-equivalent workweek standards (48-72-91), the regulation empowers Flag States to select the applicable norms. The study reviews the choices of Flag States when enacting working time standards applicable to their fleet under national law. In the overwhelming majority of cases, States adopt the working standard that is least favourable to workers. The general adoption of standards allowing up to a 91-hour workweek - the European Union Member States not being an exception - suggests a global alignment of regulators with the interests of capital and a disregard for the principles of labour law, which aim to protect the weaker party to the contract, in this case, the seafarer. Such a result indicates a governance imbalance at both international and national levels. Consequently, decent working time principles are disregarded, allowing unsafe and unhealthy working time conditions at sea to persist.

Seagrass meadows have been proposed as a nature-based coastal protection measure to reduce incoming wave energy. Although numerous studies have demonstrated the capability of seagrass meadows to attenuate waves, their real-world effectiveness in providing coastal protection remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to quantify the influence of a Zostera marina meadow located in a non-tidal fetch-limited environment on three coastal protection metrics: wave runup at the shore, the storm-induced erosion of dunes, and the longshore sediment transport. Field observations were combined with numerical wave simulations using the open-source model SWAN. The field study encompassed one year of wave observations along a transect from 1.5 to 8.0 m depth, using a wave buoy and six pressure sensors. Seagrass characteristics were mapped on four occasions to capture seasonal variability. The effect on wave attenuation of the seagrass meadow was isolated from other dissipation processes by comparing model scenarios with and without vegetation. Results showed that maximum wave attenuation occurred under high-energy conditions, with a maximum wave height attenuation of 12%. However, as depth-induced breaking became the dominant dissipation process, the contribution of the seagrass meadow diminished, leading only to modest reductions in wave runup (1.0%), storm erosion volume (4.0%), and longshore sediment transport (0.6%). These findings indicate that seagrass meadows situated in relatively deep, fetch-limited environments offer limited potential for wave energy dissipation and coastal protection.

Values of seafarers influence the safety of maritime operations and determining them helps in understanding seafarers' behavior and decision-making. This empirical study investigated the predominant personal values among seafarers using Schwartz's Value Theory as the theoretical framework. Employing a quantitative approach, this study surveyed 1002 seafarers using a revision of the Schwartz Revised Portrait Value Questionnaire (PVQ-RR). The revised version (in English) was tested for validity and reliability and was pilot tested, then translated into eight other languages. Quantitative analysis involved statistical analyses which followed the recommendations of Schwartz (2021) to determine the values that seafarers hold, including their significant differences based on demographic profiles. The findings reveal that the predominant values among seafarers are Self-transcendence and Conservation, specifically Security, Benevolence, Universalism and Conformity broad values. Universalism-Nature, Security-Personal, Benevolence-Caring, Security-Societal, Benevolence-Dependability and Universalism-Concern were the narrowly defined values that seafarers hold. Also, there was no significant difference in the values that seafarers hold in terms of their demographic profile except for their nationality. To the knowledge of the researchers, this is the first study that used the 19 value-framework to determine the value priorities of seafarers. The determined values of seafarers are significant to maritime stakeholders, including the Maritime Education and Training institutions in designing/redesigning programs to address the affective domain of learning, specifically values and their internalization.

Conceptual models in Western science are used to represent key processes and relationships within a system and to unify knowledge across disciplines. In this paper, we develop a conceptual model through research that spans both Western science and Indigenous Knowledge. Drawing on participatory mapping and interviews with Inuit knowledge-holders in Makkovik (Maggovik in Inuttitut), Nunatsiavut, Canada, we document Inuit Knowledge of the landfast sea ice season. A thematic analysis identified key environmental indicators used by Inuit to describe the drivers of local sea ice conditions and observed changes over seasonal, interannual, and climatic time scales. In collaboration with participants, we developed a conceptual model of the seasonal cycle of landfast sea ice. Grounded in an Inuit worldview, the model seeks to minimize Western scientific interpretations and biases. It depicts the seasonal progression of landfast sea ice, including the processes and drivers of environmental conditions and changes over time. This approach offers a practical method for documenting Inuit Knowledge and shows how conceptual models can serve as culturally grounded frameworks. The resulting model provides a foundation for future scientific research that is both representative of and responsive to Inuit experiences and ways of knowing the environment.

Abstract This study examines climate policy adaptation in shipping through the lens of strategy execution, which includes implementation, coordination, and communication. It employs an exploratory qualitative research approach combining analogical reasoning and stakeholder theory to analyze the implementation, coordination, and communication of climate emergency adaptations in global shipping. Building on previous research by the authors, we developed a single research question: What is the role of the International Maritime Organization and its Member States in implementing climate emergency adaptation measures? Findings indicate that port authorities, port communities, tourism, and maritime stakeholders, such as shipping agents, freight forwarders, and transporters, are significant players at the national level. The study identified that countries are key agents in implementing adaptation policies for global shipping, with factors such as awareness, enforcement, funding mobilization, resource capacity, and evidence-based data playing critical roles in success. The study concluded that maritime agencies play a crucial role in coordinating climate policies within the global shipping industry. Effective coordination requires collective efforts involving national, regional, and global agencies, including IMO and international climate organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Ultimately, effective communication of climate adaptation policies in the shipping sector requires the integration of information sharing, maritime communication technologies, social networking, and outreach campaigns.