This report presents the first cross‑regional study examining seagoing staff’s experiences and perceptions of the decarbonization of island ferry traffic in the Central Baltic Region.

Although the vessels, routes, companies and operating environments discussed in the interviewees differ substantially across and within the studied regions, the findings point to a high degree of commonality in the everyday work and how decarbonisation is understood and approached in everyday ferry operations. Importantly, differences in many perspectives were found to be more pronounced within national groups and companies than between these administrative or organisational boundaries. This suggests that the practical real-life operational context and professional and personal backgrounds play a great role in how decarbonisation measures and practices are received.

Overall, seagoing staff demonstrated strong professionalism and confidence in their skills and a well‑grounded, practical understanding of the complex and constantly changing operating environment in which island ferries are operated.

The everyday work of the seagoing staff requires continuous situational assessment of safety, schedules, technical systems and the varying passenger flows and environmental conditions. As a result, the crews expressed valuable practice-based knowledge and understanding on how emissions can be reduced in practice and the ferry operations and their work environment improved further.

Among the interviewed crew members, attitudes and preparedness toward emission reduction and other new developments in the sector were broadly positive. Interviewees were generally interested and receptive to the changes that support more efficient and sustainable operations.

Electrification, especially the hybrid solutions, was seen as the future for ferry operations and eco‑driving and voyage optimisation as important instruments for emission reductions.

Economic, practical and ecological utilities were nevertheless much intertwined in the discussions, which also highlights the benefit of coupling emission reduction with other benefits. Eco-driving, for instance, was commonly perceived as an extension of good seamanship, and new technologies, such as the energy management system, were considered and welcomed as supportive tools. Where electric ferries had been introduced, the crew members had experienced notable improvements in their work environment as noise levels, vibration and handling of oil had decreased.

The importance of management support, proper training, and effective communication with the management were seen as prerequisites for both successful implementation of new practices and employee wellbeing and performance. Some also called for engaging the employees more in decision-making.

These notions are in line with existing research that shows that engaging employees in decision‑making processes and prioritising well‑being leads to better performance for both individuals and organisations (e.g., Yuen 2018; Eurofund 2020; Glaveli et al- 2025).  Face-to-face meetings, including management visits onboard the ferries, opportunities for peer dialogue and experience exchange, were especially valued in all regions. Where these elements were weaker, their strengthening was viewed as a key development need.

Notably, some critique expressed by the crews was directed not at employers but at authorities and political decision‑makers who are more detached from the everyday realities of ferry transportation. Similarly, clear potential for major emission reduction through slow steaming and reducing the number of departures was identified in all regions, but opposition from regional decision-makers and local residents was reckoned as a barrier for these means.   

Indeed, the operational environment the crews navigate is formed in the cross‑pressure between multiple forces: variable marine weather conditions and traffic, responsibility for safety, fixed schedules, rules and regulations set by authorities and operators, passenger expectations. seasonality, and personal well‑being. Changes in one dimension lead often to changes in the others.

The above-mentioned notions also highlight how the archipelago ferries are rather exceptional, independent and mobile, work places, detached from the management or policy-makers’ offices at the shore. Based on the interviews, it also seems that some of the practice-based knowledge the crews hold has not reached – or is not taken into consideration – by related stakeholders in the island ferry sector.

While this qualitative and small-scale study yielded rich insights into the perspectives and experiences of a limited number of participants in the island ferry sector in the Central Baltic Region, further research with a more standardised approach and involving a larger sample of crew members would be beneficial to improve the generalisability and comparability of the results across groups, regions, and organisations.