Persistently High Distress Calls Underscore Information Overload As New Maritime Safety Risk

The 2025 edition of the Future of Maritime Safety Report from Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat (NASDAQ: VSAT) company, reveals that distress calls at sea remain high, underlining the vital role of human factors in safe shipping.

According to the report, the number of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) distress calls registered on the Inmarsat Maritime network increased from 788 in 2023 to 801 in 2024, broadly in line with the 2018-2023 annual average of around 800 calls.

The report points to a turbulent year for international shipping, with geopolitical instability, conflict, severe weather events, piracy, and cyber-attacks all adding pressure on operators and crews. Alongside these risks, seafarers are facing welfare challenges linked to the pace and volume of new technologies.

While digitalisation and decarbonisation are essential for the industry’s future, the rapid implementation of new systems and reporting requirements has created an information ‘overload challenge’ for seafarers, highlighting the need for new technologies to support, rather than strain, crew welfare.

The Future of Maritime Safety Report 2025 calls for the industry to acknowledge the fundamental role seafarer welfare plays in minimising the number of preventable incidents at sea. It recommends a ‘human factors’ approach to data that streamlines information, reduces duplication, and eliminates contradictory outputs.

Peter Broadhurst, Senior Vice President, Safety and Regulatory, Inmarsat Maritime, said: “Accurate data holds immense potential to transform shipping safety – from predictive maintenance to casualty and near-miss reporting and human-factor analysis. But data must empower crews, not overwhelm them. We need smarter systems to capture, evaluate, and utilise data more effectively without placing an extra burden on already overworked seafarers.”

Peter Broadhurst also emphasised the need for greater collaboration: “By sharing anonymised safety data, the industry can create a trusted ecosystem that strengthens standardisation and regulations, improves operations, and safeguards seafarer welfare. Together, we can create one of the most powerful maritime safety initiatives to navigate us through the pressures and changes impacting international shipping in the years to come.”

Inmarsat invites maritime professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore the findings of the Future of Maritime Safety Report 2025 report and to support collective action in safeguarding life at sea.

Download the full report here.

Source: Maritime Shipping News