The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has mandated the reporting of containers lost at sea starting January 1, 2026. This decision was made during the meeting of the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee held in May 2024, where amendments to the SOLAS regulations were adopted. Specifically, the new SOLAS Regulation 31 requires the captain of a ship that has lost containers to immediately and accurately report the specific details of the event to nearby ships, the authorities of the nearest coastal state, and the ship's flag state. The flag state must then transmit the information to the IMO through a new form included in the Global Integrated Shipping Information System. Additionally, captains of ships spotting drifting containers must report them to nearby ships and the nearest coastal state.
The following regulation (Regulation 32) details how the loss should be reported, stipulating that reports of lost containers at sea must be made as soon as possible, with updates provided as more information becomes available. After a thorough inspection, the ship’s captain must provide the final count of lost containers, and the mandatory details must include the position of the lost containers, their number, and whether they contained hazardous goods. Captains are also encouraged to voluntarily share details about the cargo, sea conditions, and other pertinent information.
The World Shipping Council (WSC), which represents shipping companies, estimates that between 2008 and 2022, an average of 1,566 containers were lost at sea annually due to various events, ranging from weather conditions that caused containers to be thrown overboard to shipwrecks that resulted in the loss of thousands of units, such as the 2013 MOL Comfort incident, which lost 4,293 containers. Other catastrophic events occurred in 2020, with the loss of 1,500 containers from the ONE Apus and another 750 from the Maersk Essen. The WSC has not yet provided estimates for 2023.
The shipping companies’ association has welcomed the new SOLAS provisions, considering them a significant step forward for maritime safety and environmental protection. It is important to note that a lost container not only poses a risk to vessels but can also disperse its cargo, causing marine pollution. Prompt reporting, explains WSC’s safety officer Lars Kjaer, enables the swift activation of recovery operations.
