The latest Crew Change Indicator shows that the number of seafarers onboard vessels beyond the expiry of their contract has increased from 3.7% to 4.2% in the last month, while the number of seafarers onboard vessels for over 11 months has remained stable at 0.4%, reports Global Maritime Forum.
Crew shortages
Despite the increase, these remain the second lowest numbers recorded by the Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator since it was first published in May 2021.
The Neptune Indicator also reports a 7% increase in seafarer vaccinations, from 59.8% in January to 66.8% in February, as seafarers are increasingly gaining access to first and second vaccine shots.
Moreover, ship managers describe new challenges to crew changes that confirm the worsening crew change trend. Because of the fresh wave of omicron infections in several major crewing nations, large numbers of seafarers are falling ill, leading to the postponement of crew changes. This has also led to some reported crew shortages.
Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Global Maritime Forum
