The 1995 amendments to the STCW Convention introduced a minimum of 10 hours of rest in any 24-hour period for watchkeeping personnel, while the MLC, 2006 later established requirements for regulating maximum hours of work or minimum hours of rest. Since the MLC entered into force, records of work or rest hours have been closely scrutinised, but evidence shows that paper compliance can conceal fatigue-related risks when fatigue itself remains unmanaged. Operational pressures including faster turnarounds, unpredictable schedules, inspections and demanding cargo operations can leave seafarers with interrupted or insufficient rest, while additional crewing is constrained by ships’ physical design and certified capacity. Limited shore leave, administrative pressure around rest-hour records, and research findings linking long working hours, limited rest and shore leave, work-related stress and dissatisfaction with working conditions to seafarers’ intention to leave the profession. We can conclude that no single party is responsible for fatigue and hope that the ongoing comprehensive review of the STCW Convention and Code will address part of the problem, while calling for more active seafarers to contribute as experts to IMO committee work.