This book details the deplorable conditions that exist in a minority sector of international shipping operating mainly, although not exclusively, under flags of convenience. In a horrific account of human rights abuses that would be little tolerated in the countries of the ship owners, the authors demonstrate that governments often pay little attention to cases of robbery, abandonment, deprivation and even death perpetrated by these ship owners or on vessels bearing their national flag. The financial and shipping institutions that support substandard ship owners are also prepared to ignore the plight of the individual seafarer serving on the ships under their tenure. The authors draw on case studies to illustrate the issues, including a perspective on Adriatic Tanker Company of Greece and examples of incompetent management and the reckless finance provisions in merchant shipping. The authors also examine the plight of seafarers' families, who are particularly vulnerable, and the legal rights of abused and abandoned seafarers. They conclude by arguing for a global governance of shipping.

A.D. Couper is former head of the Department of Maritime Studies and International Transport at the University of Cardiff and Director of the Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC) in that department, the world's leading maritime studies centre. He has several years of shipping experience and has been a consultant with UN agencies, IMO, ILO, and UNCTAD.

C.J. Walsh has experience in tankers and pilotage. He has also worked in port operations, hydrography and salvage in East Africa and the Middle East.

B.A. Stanberry is director of a research and consultancy company specialising in the legal aspects of seafarers' occupational health and safety, and is a regular contributor to journals in this field.

G.L. Boerne has experience in seafaring and the small vessel sector in developing countries.