- The Argentinian government has banned all transit, working & temporary visa applications.
- Thes include China, South Korea, Iran, Japan, the USA, UK, and EU countries.
- Argentinian Consulates in those places will not issue any working/transit and, crew visas.
- SMA has implemented measures to help Singaporean shipowners cope with crew problems.
- All countries are scrambling to curb the spread of the virus.
According to an article published in the Maritime Bulletin and authored by Mikhail Voytenko, countries are laying down restrictive entry rules making travel a hassle.
What happened?
The Argentinian government has banned all transit, working & temporary visa applications from the following countries have been cancelled until further notice due to the outbreak of the coronavirus:
- People Republic of China; Republic of Korea (South Korea); Iran; Japan; USA; UK; EU countries.
- The Argentinian Consulates located on those countries will not issue any working/transit and, especially, crew visas.
What happens to crew members?
The shipping is sailing into an ideal storm of coronavirus pandemic panic, full speed. How to relieve the crews? How to replace crew members in an emergency?
Singapore Maritime Authority has already implemented a number of measures to help Singaporean shipowners cope with crews problems, but it’s a one-way road – it’s nothing more than permission for crews to remain on board notwithstanding certificates/contracts expiration.
Is Flying Dutchman legend coming true?
Are crews doomed to sail around until this virus mess is over? How long will it take? How many months? How long will it take for seamen to become vulnerable to psychological breakdowns? They’re not just cut off their families, they can’t even take walk on land, they must remain on board in most ports. It’s a Flying Dutchman legend coming true, real-time show.
What is a Flying Dutchman legend?
The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship that can never make port and is doomed to sail the oceans forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century golden age of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The oldest extant version has been dated to the late 18th century. Sightings in the 19th and 20th centuries reported the ship to be glowing with ghostly light. If hailed by another ship, the crew of the Flying Dutchman will try to send messages to land, or to people long dead. In ocean lore, the sight of this phantom ship is a portent of doom.
Are there any practical solutions or new approaches?
Do shipping elites and maritime organizations give a thought or a damn about it? IMO headquarters closed down because of the virus, but not forever, I’m afraid, closure regretfully, is only temporary. BIMCO went to mattresses, closed down its’ schools and colleges and whatever else, but will keep fighting for green sustainable future from staffers’ homes, in online mode. Yes, that’s all they’re worried about – emissions, restrictions, total control, agenda didn’t change a bit, virus or no virus, but saving the planet comes first.
The whole virus pandemic problem is apparently, hyped far beyond common sense. There’s no sober and responsible analysis of total quarantines and lockdowns in mainstream media. China didn’t suspend total lockdowns out of CCP whim, or propaganda schemes. China found itself on the verge of a total structural collapse, including economy and infrastructure, so CCP had to suspend mass quarantines.
A virus outbreak has become less threat than measures called to contain it. The same will happen in Italy. Take a look at neighboring Spain: authorities are closing down ferry links with Italy and Morocco, but keep taxiing migrants on a daily basis (It’s called “migrants rescue” in modern Orwellian jargon). They let migrants in after a “Red Cross medical check”.
Conclusion
Cruise shipping is closing down and soon will become a memory, hopefully not forever. Merchant shipping is encountering growing problems of unfolding economy recession or already crisis, plus virus fears global paranoia, with crews being treated as extremely dangerous criminals or animals.
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Source: MaritimeBulletin
