A wide-ranging package of amendments to key International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaties and technical codes came into effect on 1 January 2026, introducing new obligations for shipowners, operators and administrations across safety, training, reporting and environmental protection.
One of the most socially significant changes concerns seafarer welfare. Amendments to the Seafarers’ Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code introduce mandatory minimum training requirements on preventing and responding to violence and harassment at sea.
Integrated into table A-VI/1-4 of the Code, the revisions require seafarers to receive instruction on recognising, preventing and responding to bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault.
The aim is to ensure crews are better equipped to address unacceptable behaviour onboard and to foster safer working environments across the industry.
Training standards have also been strengthened for fishing vessel personnel. Amendments to the STCW-F Convention, together with the newly mandatory STCW-F Code, establish harmonised qualification standards and a baseline level of competence for those serving on fishing vessels.
The revised framework reflects a comprehensive review of the treaty and is intended to better align training and certification with the operational realities of the modern fishing sector.
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Safety and environmental protection are further addressed through new container loss reporting rules. Amendments to MARPOL and SOLAS now require mandatory reporting when freight containers are lost overboard.
Under MARPOL, a new paragraph specifies that: “In case of the loss of freight container(s), the report required by article II (1) (b) shall be made in accordance with the provisions of SOLAS regulations V/31 and V/32”. SOLAS amendments, meanwhile, oblige masters to notify nearby vessels, the nearest coastal State and the flag State, with defined details such as position and number of containers lost.
A series of technical and operational safety measures has also entered into force. These include a new SOLAS regulation covering the design, operation and maintenance of onboard lifting appliances and anchor handling winches, supported by dedicated IMO guidelines.
Additional SOLAS amendments aim to prevent the supply of oil fuel that does not meet the 60°C flashpoint requirement, requiring certified declarations from fuel suppliers prior to bunkering.
In polar waters, safety requirements have been extended to additional vessel categories, including larger fishing vessels and certain non-SOLAS ships.
READ: Shipping sector faces new IMO fuel reward system
Fire safety has been tightened through a ban on extinguishing media containing perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and enhanced fire detection and monitoring requirements for vehicle, ro-ro and special category spaces.
Other notable changes include mandatory electronic inclinometers on new large containerships and bulk carriers, updates to the IMDG Code, Grain Code and IGF Code, and revisions to the ESP Code governing hull inspections.
Collectively, the amendments signal a continued regulatory push towards higher safety, transparency and environmental standards across global shipping.
For more information:
International Maritime Organization – https://www.imo.org/
