Black Sea Ship Attacks and Indian Seafarer Safety

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Key takeaways

India raised strong diplomatic concern over attacks on three commercial ships in the Black Sea, including MV Able (Palau) which carried 7 Indian nationals among its 18 crew members.
Indian seafarers constitute approximately 12% of the global maritime workforce, making overseas vessel security an urgent priority for India.
The Black Sea connects to the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosporus Strait, Sea of Marmara, and Dardanelles Strait, and links to the Sea of Azov via the Kerch Strait.
Environmental protection across the basin is regulated by the regional Bucharest Convention (1992), which aims to curb marine pollution.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly condemned recent military strikes targeting three merchant ships traveling through the Black Sea.
These targeted merchant vessels include Alfa Watan (Togo), MV Able (Palau), and Aframax Rio (Liberia).
Among the 18 sailors onboard the ship MV Able, 7 crew members are Indian citizens.

Indian crew members make up nearly 12% of the entire global seafaring workforce across international waters.
Because of this huge share, ensuring the physical safety of Indian merchant sailors in conflict hotspots remains a vital priority.

The Black Sea is an expansive inland body of water located in southeastern Europe.
Six nations encircle this sea: Ukraine borders it on the north, Russia on the northeast, Georgia on the east, Turkey on the south, and Bulgaria together with Romania on the west.
It links with the Mediterranean Sea via the Bosporus Strait, the inland Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles Strait.
In the northeast, the narrow Kerch Strait connects it directly into the Sea of Azov.
Waters deeper than about 70-150 metres lack dissolved oxygen and hold toxic hydrogen sulphide, forming an extraordinary marine dead zone.

The Black Sea serves as a vital economic lifeline by hosting busy trade shipping lanes, extensive crude oil transit, commercial fishing, and coastal tourism.
Its primary maritime trade hubs include Odesa (Ukraine), Novorossiysk (Russia), Batumi (Georgia), Varna (Bulgaria), and Constanța (Romania).
The regional Bucharest Convention (1992) sets up an environmental pact to limit maritime pollution and conserve marine species throughout the basin.