Egyptian Maritime Authority Issues Security Alert for High-Risk Shipping Zones

The Egyptian Maritime Safety Authority has issued an urgent directive mandating enhanced security and precautionary measures for commercial vessels to protect Egyptian sailors from the rising threats of armed conflict, piracy, and kidnapping.

Captain El-Sayed El-Shazly, head of the Egyptian Seafarers Union and representative of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), stated that the official guidance emphasizes the necessity of avoiding high-risk zones whenever possible. The directive mandates strict adherence to international maritime safety agreements, including the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, and the Maritime Labour Convention. El-Shazly warned that failure to implement these protocols could result in significant legal liabilities for operators.

The ITF currently designates three specific maritime regions as active war zones, granting civilian seafarers enhanced rights and compensation. The first region encompasses the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman. In these waters, sailors are entitled to a bonus equal to 100 percent of their wages, the right to refuse deployment, and the right to repatriation at the shipowner's expense, in addition to two months of severance pay.

The second designated zone includes the southern Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Yemeni coast. Operations in this area require the implementation of Security Level 3—the highest designation under the ISPS Code. This level mandates restricted access, rigorous vessel and cargo inspections, the suspension of loading and refueling operations, and the immediate capability to depart the area. Furthermore, seafarers in this region are entitled to doubled compensation for death or disability and full bonus wages.

The third zone covers the northern Black Sea, Ukrainian ports, and the Sea of Azov, which are similarly classified as high-risk war zones with comparable rights and compensation packages for crew members. These heightened security protocols follow the hijacking of the MT Eureka tanker off the coast of Shabwa, Yemen, where militants seized the vessel and its crew, including eight Egyptian sailors, before moving them toward Somali waters. While diplomatic and security efforts led by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs successfully secured the release of the crew after months of detention, the incident has prompted these renewed calls for vigilance across global shipping lanes.