The Gulf of Guinea is no longer listed in the 11 May document. However, the updated schedule continues to cover other designated areas 

The International Bargaining Forum has removed the Gulf of Guinea from its designated risk areas list in the version agreed on 7 May 2026 and effective from 11 May to 18 May, according to IMEC and the current IBF list.  

This differs from the list dated 23 April 2026, in which the Gulf of Guinea was classified as an IBF Extended Risk Zone from the Liberia/Ivory Coast border to the Angola/Namibia border. According to the previous text, seafarers were entitled to a bonus equivalent to 100% of their basic wage, as well as double compensation for death or disability, but only if a vessel was attacked.

 The 11 May document.

The Gulf of Guinea is no longer listed in the 11 May document. However, the updated schedule continues to cover other designated areas, including Yemeni waters, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and zones off the coasts of Israel and Lebanon.  

Under IBF agreements, for owners and crews

For owners and crews operating under IBF agreements, the revision is important because it affects extra pay, compensation, refusal rights, and security measures in specific areas. No separate public explanation for the removal of the Gulf of Guinea was visible in the official material reviewed. 

Related : The ReCAAP ISC did not receive any reports of piracy against ships in Asia over the past week.

 About: The International Bargaining Forum (IBF)

The International Bargaining Forum (IBF) was set up as a process in which maritime employers, represented by the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG), and seafarers' unions, represented by the International Transport-Workers’ Federation (ITF), could negotiate over the wages and conditions of employment of seafarers serving on ships to which ITF Special Agreements apply.

About : The JNG 

The JNG consists of IMEC, the International Mariners Management Association of Japan (IMMAJ), the Korean Shipowners Association (KSA), and the Taiwanese company Evergreen, and allows for the coordination of the views of employers from across the world. MEC also coordinates the application of IBF agreements on behalf of its members through local negotiations. The JNG also comprises the International Mariners Management Association of Japan, the Korean Shipowners' Association, and Evergreen of Taiwan.

About : The Gulf of Guinea 

The Gulf of Guinea (French: Golfe de Guinée, Spanish: Golfo de Guinea; Portuguese: Golfo da Guiné), is the north-easternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, stretching from Cape Lopez in Gabon northwards and westwards to Cape Palmas in Liberia. Null Island, defined as the intersection of the Equator and the Prime Meridian (zero degrees of latitude and longitude), lies within the gulf. The Niger and the Volta are among the many rivers that drain into the Gulf of Guinea. The Gulf's coastline includes the Bights of Benin and Bonny.

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