Forgotten at Sea

101 East investigates the plight of seafarers, left abandoned at sea during the pandemic, and their quests to get home.

When the world went into lockdown, international trade continued to thrive as people turned to buying online. But for the workers keeping the shipping industry alive, it marked the beginning of a nightmare.

Closed borders have left many seafarers without a way home. Stuck at sea for months, many are struggling to carry on, with mental health concerns rising and reports of seafarers taking their own lives. One shipping business simply deserted its crew during the pandemic leaving them at port, without pay.

101 East explores why these workers have been abandoned at sea.