DGMA sets 15-day deadline for ports to report vessels posing safety risks

The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) has directed Indian port authorities to submit details of abandoned, detained, arrested and non-operational vessels within 15 days of its circular’s issuance. The exercise aims to establish a consolidated record of ships that could affect seafarer welfare, navigation, port operations, infrastructure or the marine environment.

The notice, published on the regulator’s website on 10 November 2026, addresses major ports, minor ports and state maritime boards. Reporting extends to vessels within their jurisdictions or areas of control, including berths, anchorages and port approaches.

Which vessels must ports report?

The reporting requirement covers ships that are abandoned or suspected to have been abandoned, as well as vessels detained by Port State Control or another statutory authority. Ships arrested or restrained through court orders or other legal proceedings must also be included.

The scope further extends to vessels that are immobilised, disabled, laid up, stranded, grounded, drifting, unmanned or otherwise unable to operate safely.

Authorities must also identify other vessels whose condition, location or circumstances could pose a safety, security, operational or environmental concern. Ports with no qualifying vessels or cases must submit a NIL report.

What information must authorities provide?

Reports must describe each vessel’s identity, location and operational status, together with the reasons for its condition and how long it has remained in that state.

Ports are also required to provide contact details for the shipowner, operator, manager and local agent. Information about personnel on board and any seafarer welfare concerns forms part of the reporting requirements.

The submission must cover the vessel’s onboard condition, cargo and bunker fuel levels. Authorities must identify risks to navigation, port operations, infrastructure, security and the marine environment, alongside enforcement action already taken.

Details of court proceedings, arrest orders or statutory detention must also be recorded. The requirement applies whether or not crew remain aboard and does not depend on a formal declaration that a vessel has been abandoned.

Are updates required after the initial submission?

Ports must use the prescribed Annexure-I format for the initial consolidated return. They must subsequently report material developments promptly and provide periodic updates until a case is resolved or the vessel falls outside the circular’s scope.

Fresh incidents involving distress, danger to life or environmental risks require immediate reporting. The submission of information does not override existing court orders or statutory directions.

The exercise therefore combines an initial inventory with continuing monitoring, allowing the regulator to track changes in vessel condition and unresolved cases.

How does this relate to seafarer abandonment?

The DGMA exercise covers a broader range of vessels than cases of seafarer abandonment alone. A detained or disabled ship can fall within the reporting requirement because of its operational condition, irrespective of whether its crew have been abandoned.

Under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, abandonment includes a shipowner’s failure to cover repatriation costs, provide necessary maintenance and support, or maintain contractual ties with seafarers. Failure to pay contractual wages for at least two months is included within that definition.

The convention also requires a financial-security system to assist abandoned seafarers, which may take the form of insurance, a national fund or another qualifying arrangement.

Why is a consolidated record important?

The International Maritime Organization and International Labour Organization maintain a joint database of reported seafarer abandonment incidents. The IMO identifies accurate information as important both for resolving cases and for informing parties providing financial security.

India’s latest reporting exercise adds vessel condition, navigational hazards and port infrastructure concerns to the information sought from authorities. Its immediate purpose is to establish an updated picture of affected ships and maintain oversight while individual cases remain unresolved.