At the end of a march marking International Seafarers Day the sailors showed the government a video detailing their concerns.
The video shows a long list of complaints about the ships they work on, including being underpaid, non-stop working hours, diets of tinned fish and rice meals, grim living conditions and a lack of life insurance cover.
Many of the sailors work on foreign ships but they say ni-Vanuatu ship owners are among the worst when it comes to paying their crew on time.