Every day, thousands of ships across the world cross the seas to trade. Although trading cargo at sea is more cost-effective than land and air, it is also riskier due to shipping accidents and rough weather.

1. Shipping Safety:
The Perils Faced by
Sea Vessels
the MECO group

2. Every day, thousands of ships across the world cross the seas to trade. Although trading cargo at sea is
more cost-effective than land and air, it is also riskier due to shipping accidents and rough weather.
A Look at the World's Dangerous Seas
The WWF has identified seas considered as threats to a seafarer's well-being and global trade:
• South China Sea and East Indies
According to WWF, almost 300 shipping accidents have occurred in the South China Sea and East
Indies since 1999. These bodies of water cover the Coral Triangle, which nurtures over 2,000 species
of reef fish and six of the world's seven marine turtle species. Apart from damage to lives, cargo and
vessels, accidents cause damage to the area, destroying coral reefs.

3. • East Mediterranean and the Black Sea
In 2016, two ships caught fire in the Kerch Strait, a body of water that separates the Crimea from Russia. The
blaze from the accident killed 14 seafarers. A collision between two ships in the Mediterranean in 2018 caused
a spill of waste stretching four kilometres across the water.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), climate change has significantly changed weather events at
sea, causing an increase in storm surge and wave patterns.
Other Factors Causing Shipping Accidents
Other factors that cause shipping accidents include the age of the vessels, as ships over 10 years old are more
prone to accidents. Fishing vessels comprise over 25 per cent of vessels lost at sea, while general cargo ships
account for over 40 per cent.
Economic factors also play a part in shipping accidents. In an effort to stay competitive and cut down costs,
sea freight companies race to minimise turn-around times in ports and use a minimum number of crew to
handle a vessel. Some vessels also disregard safety regulations in an effort to get quickly from one destination
to another.

4. Sources:
https://www.themecogroup.co.uk/
http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/accidents_at_sea_lr_1.pdf
https://www.worldwildlife.org/places/coral-triangle