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SCI Highlights Seafarer Support and Advocacy at CMA-Shipping 2026

The Seamen’s Church Institute’s President & Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, participated in a panel discussion alongside Joe Kramek, President and CEO of the World Shipping Council; Sean Kline, President of the Chamber of Shipping of America; Adrian Tolson, owner of 2050 Marine Energy and Chair of IBIA; and Bud Darr, President and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association. Darr, who also serves as a Trustee of the Seamen’s Church Institute, gave a shout-out to SCI’s work and mission during the discussion.

The Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) Shipping Conference, held March 10–12, 2026, continues to serve as an essential forum for the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) to engage with global maritime leaders and to champion the rights and welfare of seafarers.

On the opening day of the conference, SCI’s President & Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, joined a keynote panel titled “Assessing the Impact of Geo-Political Conflicts, Tariffs and Regulations on US Shipping.” The discussion examined the evolving global landscape and its implications for the U.S. maritime industry.

A key focus was seafarer welfare amid ongoing hostilities in Iran and across parts of the Middle East, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, where ships have been attacked, and thousands of seafarers remain in a volatile region. Speaking also as Chair of the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA), Nestlehutt highlighted the human impact behind operational disruptions.

“When we realised that the Strait of Hormuz had effectively shut down,” noted Nestlhutt, “there were about a thousand ocean-going vessels caught in the region—representing roughly twenty thousand merchant mariners facing a highly uncertain situation.”

Other panelists included Joe Kramek (World Shipping Council), Sean Kline (Chamber of Shipping of America), Adrian Tolson (2050 Marine Energy and IBIA), and Bud Darr, President and CEO of CLIA | Cruise Lines International Association and an SCI Trustee, who also recognized SCI’s work supporting mariners worldwide.

On the third day, SCI’s Director of the Center for Mariner Advocacy, Phil Schifflin, Esq., served on two panel discussions: “NAMMA Forum on Seafarer Abandonment: What can be done?” and “Sanctions, Ship Seizures, and Seafarers.”  In both discussions, Schifflin underscored the “human element” of these complicated and multifaceted issues, keeping the needs and treatment of seafarers at the forefront of these conversations.

Additionally, SCI hosted a booth on the exhibition floor, offering attendees insights into its work across the Port of New York and New Jersey, U.S. inland rivers, and the Gulf Coast, crisis response, advocacy, mariner training, and maritime feasibility studies.

During the panel discussion, “Sanctions, Ship Seizures, and Seafarers,” moderated by Tim Wilkins, Managing Director of INTERTANKO (far left), Phil Shifflin, Esq., Director of SCI’s Center for Mariner Advocacy (far right), joined three SCI Trustees: Bruce Paulsen, Esq., Partner at Seward & Kissel LLP; RADM (Ret.) John Nadeau, President & CEO of Nadeau Maritime, and Boriana Farrar, Vice President & Chief Legal Officer of Patriot Maritime.