Eight weeks ago, we reported on the toll taken on the shipping industry during the COVID pandemic, not the least of which is the enormous challenge facing crews on cargo vessels.
Yesterday (26 January 2021) it was reported that 327 maritime industry and human rights leaders have signed a new global pledge urging for industry accountability and finally ending the deepening crew change crisis. Those interested in obtaining a PDF copy of the report may follow this link.
The signatories of the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change vowed to deliver on a shared responsibility to resolve the crisis which has seen hundreds of thousands of the world’s seafarers pushed into what some say amounts to forced labour.
Signatories include industry majors Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping, Frontline, Euronav, Hapag-Lloyd, MOL, NYK Line, Trafigura, as well as major multinationals BP, Cargill, Rio Tinto and Shell.
All these high-profile organizations committed to act, including calling industry peers and governments to:
- Recognise seafarers as key workers and give them priority access to Covid-19 vaccines
- Establish and implement gold standard health protocols based on existing best practice
- Increase collaboration between ship operators and charterers to facilitate crew changes
- Ensure air connectivity between key maritime hubs for seafarers
Soren Skou, CEO of A.P. Moller/Maersk, said, “On behalf of A.P. Moller – Maersk, I’ve signed The Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change. Our seafarers have made huge personal sacrifices throughout the pandemic to sustain global trade and need to be recognized as key workers in all nations. Our people’s safety is our top priority. Their wellbeing and ability to cross borders is essential for the continued delivery of critical supplies and global trade in time of crisis. We have a shared responsibility to work together to solve this for our unsung heroes.â€
Soren Toft, CEO of MSC said, “As we move in to the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the health and well-being of our seafarers is at the top of our minds. The urgent matter of facilitating seafarer repatriations and crew changes is a vital one that needs immediate attention.â€
To solve this humanitarian crisis, it is crucial that national governments recognise seafarers as keyworkers, strict health protocols are followed onboard and onshore, and the air links between crew change hubs and major seafaring nations are restored.
Colless Young is a Licensed Customs Broker and International Freight Forwarder. We offer professional advice on all aspects of shipping and transport, including clearance of your imports through Customs and Quarantine, at all Australian ports and airports. Our logistics services cover air and sea freight, including exports, warehousing and trucking.
