A group of shipowners, seafarer advocates, and other maritime stakeholders are considering moving the court against a 2023 directive of Director General of Shipping (DGS) mandating scrapping of all vessels over 20 years old. They claimed the move, if implemented, will threaten the livelihoods of over 25,000 seafarers. The group has voiced strong opposition to penalties levied on Recruitment and Placement Services License (RPSL) companies, arguing it jeopardises firms that connect seafarers with ships.
On Tuesday, shipowners opposed DGS order no. 6 in 2023 that capped vessel age and introduced penalties for RPSL companies. Aishwarya Gupta Pilankar, vice-chairman of International Maritime Federation (IMF), said these “arbitrary decisions” were made without consulting stakeholders.