'Absolutely Desperate': 2025 Sets Record For Ships Abandoned At Sea

The idea of ghost ships floating endlessly at sea is the stuff that horror movies are made of. No one around for miles, no land in sight, only the open ocean and the darkness inside the vessel. But while this might sound like fiction, the truth is that 410 ships were left stranded at sea in 2025. These vessels weren't haunted — they carried over 6,000 crew members.

Though this may sound like a bizarrely impossible situation, crew abandonments are up 31% over 2024, and linked to the very real problem of "shadow fleets." It's often not clear who owns the ship in this situation. Plus, there's very little insurance to protect a cargo ship's crew, despite its size, or the cargo. 337 of the 410 vessels were also flying what's known as a "flag of convenience," which means it's another country's flag, and not the one where the ship originated from. This is a legal practice, but it comes with little responsibility for the owner, who can save money on fees and taxes, while also not properly compensating the crew.

In a press release from the International Transport Workers' Federation, the organization's General Secretary Stephen Cotton made it clear that the problem with abandoned ships goes far beyond the numbers. "[These] are the people — the workers — who keep our economy moving forward," Cotton said, "being forced into absolutely desperate situations, far from home and often without any clear resolution in sight."

Unlike history's most famous ghost ships, today's abandoned vessels carry crews that may have trouble navigating to safety. Once a ship's owners shirk responsibility, the captain may be left without the financial means to operate the vessel. This can make it extremely difficult for the crew to address operational needs or return to port. Even if the crew has the ability to pilot the ship, there may not be a means to do so.

When a ship is abandoned by its owner, the situation can be reported to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) or the International Labour Organization (ILO). This can be done a variety of different ways, including notification from the crew itself. Abandonment can also be reported by the country on the ship's flag, the port where the ship is supposed to be, or by the country that supplied the crew.

The IMO and ILO then work together to identify the ship, and its owner, with the information being entered into a restricted website. Once the details are confirmed, the information is then made public, giving anyone the opportunity to provide more insight. An abandonment case isn't resolved until crewmembers are paid and safely returned to their home countries. If a case remains unresolved, crews can be left in a holding pattern, and stuck on a ship with limited provisions and no end in sight.