MCA issues MGN 480 (M) Amendment 3 clarifying shipowner liabilities and seafarer compensation

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued updated guidance clarifying shipowners' liabilities under the Maritime Labour Convention (2006) as amended. The document is published as Guidance: MGN 480 (M) Amendment 3 MLC, 2006: Shipowners' liabilities including seafarer compensation and is dated 20 August 2026.

The notice sets out the extent of shipowner liability under the Maritime Labour Convention (2006) as amended. It is presented by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as a guidance memorandum, identified by the MGN 480 (M) designation and labelled Amendment 3.

The published item is styled as guidance aimed at explaining liabilities and the subject of seafarer compensation within the Convention's framework. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's title makes clear the focus is shipowners' liabilities, including aspects of compensation for seafarers.

The memorandum's date is recorded as 20 August 2026. That date appears on the published notice and accompanies the guidance title.

MGN 480 (M) Amendment 3 is the third amendment to the MGN 480 (M) series referenced in the document title. The amendment numbering is shown in the published title and designates the current iteration of the guidance.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency presents the item as a notice to explain and clarify the reach of obligations falling on shipowners under the amended Convention. The guidance therefore directly addresses the subject of liability as it relates to the Convention's provisions.

Scope identified in the memorandum

The document is described in its title and accompanying summary as outlining the extent of shipowner liability under the Maritime Labour Convention (2006) as amended. The wording used in the published title places seafarer compensation within that scope.

Publication details

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is the issuing authority for the guidance, and the published title is Guidance: MGN 480 (M) Amendment 3 MLC, 2006: Shipowners' liabilities including seafarer compensation. The item is dated 20 August 2026.

Readers and industry parties seeking the text of the guidance will find it identified by the MGN 480 (M) Amendment 3 reference and the stated subject matter of shipowners' liabilities and seafarer compensation. The published memorandum thus provides a named and dated point of reference for the issues it addresses.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's notice frames its content as explanatory guidance rather than primary legislation. The title and date are the principal factual details supplied in the published item, which places liability under the Maritime Labour Convention (2006) as amended at the centre of the memorandum.

The notice's title makes plain that seafarer compensation forms part of the liabilities discussed. That linkage is explicit in the guidance title and summary and is reflected in the document's designation and date.

For those requiring the full text and any accompanying operational detail, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's published memorandum bears the identifying reference MGN 480 (M) Amendment 3 and the publication date of 20 August 2026. The guidance is presented as an authoritative statement from the Agency on the matters described in its title and summary.