Maritime fatalities on EU ships worldwide rise to 13 in 2024

In a concerning trend, maritime accident fatalities involving EU-registered ships increased in 2024, with 13 lives lost globally, according to Eurostat data. This rise follows a fluctuating pattern of fatalities over the past five years, with all deaths occurring within EU territorial waters. Additionally, nine fatalities were reported in EU waters involving non-EU registered vessels.

Trends in Maritime Fatalities

The data, compiled from reports submitted by EU member states, Iceland, and Norway to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), reveals a complex picture of maritime safety. Between 2020 and 2024, the average number of deaths involving EU-flagged vessels was 19 per year. Fatalities peaked at 29 in 2022 as maritime activities resumed post-pandemic, then dropped to 11 in 2023 before rising again to 13 in 2024.

In 2024, all fatalities involving EU-registered vessels occurred in EU seas, with seven deaths reported in the Atlantic Ocean, five in the Mediterranean, and one in the North Sea. Notably, this year marked the first instance in five years without any fatalities recorded in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, or the English Channel. The Mediterranean Sea exhibited the most significant fluctuations, with fatalities rising from three in 2020 to 18 in 2022, before stabilizing at five in both 2023 and 2024.

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Fishing vessels were the most dangerous, accounting for nine of the 13 deaths in 2024, a stark increase from just one in 2023. Passenger vessels and cargo ships each reported two fatalities, while no deaths occurred on inland waterway vessels, recreational craft, or service ships. Historically, these categories have seen low fatality rates, with the highest being four deaths in service ship accidents in 2021.

Profile of Victims and Reporting Mechanisms

All 13 fatalities in 2024 involved crew members, a category that peaked at 24 deaths in 2021. In contrast, passenger fatalities have been rare, with only 15 recorded between 2020 and 2024, the majority occurring in 2022. No passenger deaths were reported in 2020, 2021, 2023, or 2024. Additionally, fatalities among dock workers, pilots, inspectors, and service personnel totaled five over the same period, with no incidents reported in 2020, 2023, or 2024.

Cyprus, a significant player in the EU’s maritime sector, contributes to these statistics, as accidents involving Cyprus-flagged vessels are reported to EMSA through the European Marine Casualty Information Platform (EMCIP). The island’s Marine Accident and Incident Investigation Committee (MAIC) has released several reports on fatal accidents, including investigations into incidents involving the Cyprus-flagged vessels SWE-Carrier, EVNIA, and a fatal mooring-line accident on the FIONA B in 2024.