The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has launched a review of foreign certificates issued to Indian seafarers to safeguard legitimate jobs in the maritime industry against fraudulent practices. This initiative follows a controversial guideline released on July 18, which limited seafarers’ competency certificates from countries like Honduras and Panama. The guideline sparked protests from seafarer unions and led to a legal petition in the Bombay Supreme Court.
According to the DGS, approximately 3,800 Indian seafarer certificates are recognized by maritime authorities under mutual recognition agreements, with around 2,000 issued at the officer-level level, predominantly from Honduras. In a recent directive, the DGS required affected seafarers to submit their complete training and certification documents. If these are verified as authentic and compliant with the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), they will be allowed to join vessels. Otherwise, the documents may be referred for cancellation.
This review aims to address irregularities in the recruitment process, protecting Indian seafarers from fraud and ensuring adherence to international standards while mitigating the impact of new restrictions on them.
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