British organization that fought for seafarers’ rights is closing down

The charitable non-governmental organization Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) has been forced to close due to a lack of funding.

The “Splash 24/7” reports.

Human Rights at Sea (HRAS), which was founded 11 years ago by David Hammond and fought for the rights of seafarers, is closing due to the inability to secure sustainable funding and an operating model.

“We simply could not continue to work without financial support, despite all our efforts and often at significant personal cost to all involved,” said the organization’s founder David Hammond.

The organization’s website also reported that since its founding in 2014, HRAS has produced over 100 publications, helped support policy and legal changes on protection at sea in more than 50 countries, and participated in three EU-funded programs, one of which led to the new EU initiative “BlueRights”.

As previously reported by USM, a recent study by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust and the World Maritime University points to global problems with seafarers’ access to shore leave.