All we have comes by sea

About this episode

Nick Cohen interviews Horatio Clare about the critical role of merchant mariners in global trade and the challenges they face.

Iran and the Strait of Hormuz crisis reveal how much we owe to our merchant mariners This week, Nick Cohen talks to author, travel writer and writer-mariner Horatio Clare about the hidden world of merchant marines and the critical role they play in global trade. Horatio shares insights from his experience as a writer-in-residence on container ships, describing the challenging conditions faced by seafarers stuck in the Gulf during the ongoing conflict, including extreme heat, isolation, and the constant threat of Iranian drone attacks. They discuss how modern shipping relies on a largely invisible workforce of approximately 18 people per large vessel, predominantly from countries like the Philippines, who maintain the world's supply chains while facing dangerous working conditions and minimal oversight. Horatio explains how containerisation moved ports away from cities, making shipping less visible to the public while simultaneously making globalisation possible, with shipping costs representing just one cent for goods transported globally. They also discuss the environmental impact of shipping, with vessels contributing significantly to global pollution, and the lack of…

People in this episode

Host: Nick Cohen

Guest: Horatio Clare

Topics covered

• merchant mariners
• global trade
• shipping industry
• environmental impact
• seafarers' conditions
• Iran conflict

Keywords

• merchant mariners
• global trade
• shipping
• seafarers
• Iran
• Strait of Hormuz
• environmental impact
• container ships

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Robert Saunders

Books & works: Yes to Europe! The 1975 Referendum & Seventies Britain

Places: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf, Philippines

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