Hidden behind the tragedy of the recent deadly explosion in Beirut is the more pervasive travesty of the abandonment of ships, seafarers and cargo, and unless the global public reckons with this deeper problem, another disaster is all-but inevitable.
Though Lebanese investigators say that nearby fireworks likely ignited 2,750 tons of explosives, the true causes of this explosion stem from slower-moving and less dramatic factors: anemic enforcement by shady flag registries that are supposed to hold shipowners accountable, tightened immigration controls that routinely trap stranded crews on decrepit ships, lax rules and a maritime bureaucracy designed more to protect anonymity and secrecy of ship owners than to enable oversight and transparency of the industry.
These are the factors that make it so easy for vessel owners and operators to walk away from their responsibilities, usually with impunity, and sometimes with life-or-death consequences for the crew that gets left behind.
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