The shipping industry finds itself vulnerable to the ever-changing geopolitical tensions, at the risk of getting caught in the crossfire of conflict. The seminar allowed attendees to gain insights into what are the current risks, sharing various strategies for companies to protect their vessels, cargo and seafarers.
In his opening remarks, SSA President Mr. T S Teo shared a common industry sentiment that “recent developments have brought us back to a stark realisation that a single actor, or a single political standoff can transform a vital waterway into a chokepoint that sends shockwaves through the global supply chain”. This underscores the urgent need for the industry to shift from what he calls “passive monitoring” to “proactive planning”.
Speakers at the seminar included Mr. Lionel Seah from Windward, Ms. Tan Wan Jing from GARD, Mr. Pranay Shukla from S&P Global and Mr. Daniel Ng from Vanguard Tech.
Rise of Incidents at the Red Sea
Since November 2023, over 90 vessels have been attacked by the Houthis. In the second quarter of 2025, over 3000 vessels have been affected by GPS jamming in the Red Sea, marking a 1600% increase since the first quarter of 2025.
Diversion of Sea Traffic and Trade Disruptions
As ships avoid sailing through the Red Sea, both international and domestic westbound tankers from East of Suez markets divert towards the Cape of Good Hope instead. This made up nearly half of the traffic volume.
Concerns of Seafarers in Crisis Areas
In an on-site poll, attendees were invited to vote on what they felt was the biggest issue of today’s high-risk shipping environment. Concerns for seafarers ranked the highest, with over a third of the poll participants voting for ‘crew sailing into conflict zones with inadequate training’. Ranked second was concerns for the mental health & well-being of seafarers in crisis areas.
The presentations were followed by a Q&A session. The panel was made up of Mr. Paul Collier from Clyde & Co., Ms. Vanessa Xavier from Peninsula Petroleum, Ms. Yiling Lee from Braemar Shipbroking, Capt. Chu Xing Peng from Pacific International Lines and Capt. Chatur Wahyu from Singapore Maritime Academy, moderated by SSA Councillor Capt. Kunal Nakra.
Panellists shared the importance of due diligence checks, such as well-prepared contracts, good risk management and transparent communications with the crew regardless of their rank. While the industry makes the shift to leverage on technology such AI recommendations, it is still key that seafarers are given proper training to handle stressful situations and crisis that arise at sea.
A thank you to our sponsors whose generosity helped to make this event a success:
Vanguard Tech
Windward.ai
For pictures of the event, please click here.
