- The latest industry effort to stem the crew change crisis has spiralled into a full-blown humanitarian crisis.
- The persistent problems require the rhetoric to be matched with action, and the unwilling to be called out.
- More than 500 supply chain heavyweights have now signed up to the Neptune Declaration.
- But crew change restrictions are tightening and can no longer be considered a short-term issue that will evaporate with a vaccine.
A recent news article published in Lloyds List written by Richard Meade reveals that Neptune Declaration pledging to smooth seafarer passage on and off ships needs action.
The painful reality behind crew change crisis
There is a disconnect at the heart of the shipping industry that has spiralled into a full-blown humanitarian crisis at sea with no end in sight.
What is being said publicly too often does not align to the reality of what is happening in practice.
Neptune Declaration not materialized
Despite the best efforts of international organisations, unions, companies and some governments to resolve the issues.
Still hundreds of thousands of seafarers are stranded working on board ships well beyond the expiry of their initial contracts, the situation is getting worse not better.
Also read more on Neptune Declaration
Will Neptune Declaration succeed?
Some owners are making extraordinary efforts to rotate crew, despite an estimated tripling of crew change costs over the past year barely accounting for the cost of the current chaos.
But too many are either unwilling or unable, and as is often the case, the industry is dividing itself into the good, the bad and the barely compliant.
Whether Neptune Declaration will succeed or not have to be watched.
So many other efforts have failed to put an end to the crew change crisis.
Without any risk to the general public health now sits with those chief executives who have signed the declaration.
Pandemic constraints
The unpalatable truth is that, for now at least, seafarers have been left bearing the brunt of pandemic constraints.
And this is what that maintains a global supply chain looks like.
The lingering concern at the back of everyone’s minds is that there is another crewing crisis yet to emerge.
It will hit when those seafarers currently at sea do get home, many will decide not to return to work.
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Source : Lloyds List
