Around 15% of containerships fleet of Ocean Network Express (ONE) made extra calls last year to conduct crew changes, reports Seatrade Maritime News.
Crew change crisis
The crew change crisis, which engulfed the shipping industry left over 400,000 seafarers stranded on vessels after their contracts expired at its height in 2020, remains a major issue today for shipowners and managers, with an ever change mix of complex travel restrictions from countries across the globe.
Shipowners and managers have taken to charter flights and additional ports of call in an effort to repatriate crew and allow new seafarers to join in their place.
Extra calls for crew change crisis
In a presentation on its initiatives to tackle issues in container shipping brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic ONE said around 15% of its operating vessels had conducted extra calls for crew change in cooperation with shipowners/crew in 2020.
However. the problem continues to persist and this week saw ONE joining the Neptune Declaration along with 326 other companies and organizations in the shipping industry.
Neptune Declaration
“With the launch of the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change this week, we’re joining stakeholders from across the global maritime value chain to establish a collaborative and multi-stakeholder response needed to solve the international crew change crisis,” said Jeremy Nixon, ceo of ONE.
He added, “We must protect the two million seafarers across the world’s oceans and recognize the critical role they play as “key workers” in the front line in transporting humanitarian products and protecting the global economy.”
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Source: Seatrade Maritime News
