Change of ship crews still in crisis
Two days before the international "Seafarers' Day", the situation of crew changes in the global merchant fleet has not improved.
Alfred Hartmann, president of the Association of German Shipowners (VDR), made an urgent appeal to states that prevent seafarers from getting on and off a ship: “More than 1.2 million seafarers serve on around 55,000 merchant ships worldwide. Normally, 200,000 of them change every month because their service on board ends. This system has been inactive for a quarter of a year as a result of the corona pandemic."
Meanwhile, 200,000 seafarers are waiting on ships for replacement, another 200,000 on land for their deployment on board. The problem is not the shipowners, but governments that do not implement the procedures developed by the IMO.
The concerns of the seafarers received a lot of support recently. In a video message, Pope Francis thanked them for their service and willingness to make sacrifices. UN Secretary General António Guterres recently warned of an "increasing humanitarian crisis". (mw)