No solution to crew change crisis, as it is getting worse

by The Editorial Team

July 1, 2021

The Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator for July suggests that the crew change crisis is getting worse.

More specifically, aggregated data from top ten ship managers indicates that the number of seafarers onboard vessels beyond the expiry of their contract has continued rising from 7.2% to 8.8% in the last month.

The number of seafarers onboard vessels for over 11 months has increased from 0.4% to 1%. Since the launch of the Indicator in May, the number of seafarers onboard vessels beyond the expiry of their contract has risen from 5.8% to 8.8%, which corresponds to a 51,7% relative increase.

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In addition, the number of seafarers onboard vessels for over 11 months has increased from 0.4% to 1%, corresponding to a 150% relative increase. The Maritime Labour Convention states that the maximum continuous period a seafarer should serve on board a vessel without leave is 11 months.                   

Seafarers play a crucial role in keeping global supply chains running, delivering essential healthcare, foodstuff, consumer products and just in time manufacturing components. Without them 80% of our shopping baskets would be empty. We are all indebted to resolve the crew change crisis now. The difficulties in carrying out crew changes can easily be overcome by Governments if they really put their minds to it. Where there is a will, there is a way

says Jeremy Nixon, CEO, ONE.

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Furthermore, Stephen Cotton, General Secretary, International Transport Workers’ Federation, added that there is the need for more than lip service from governments.

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In the same wavelength, Guy Platten, Secretary General, International Chamber of Shipping, explained that resolving the crew change crisis will require all seafarers to have priority access to vaccines.

The latest data shows that the crew change crisis is far from over. It is important that all stakeholders work together to deliver on our shared responsibility of protecting seafarers and making sure that they can return home safely

notes Kasper Søgaard, Head of Research, Global Maritime Forum.

The Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator builds on aggregated data from 10 ship managers. The contributing ship managers have, as part of the reporting, also highlighted the following key developments that have impacted crew changes in the past month:

• Continual high infection rates and subsequent domestic lockdowns are still challenging crew changes and causing disruption to crew movements.

• A decrease of daily inbound flights to the Philippines as well as the travel ban announced by Philippine Government for seafarers traveling from UAE, Oman, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan are causing a general disruption to the crew movements.

• Travel restrictions continue to prevent seafarers from going back home and many flights have been cancelled.

• Leading maritime crew nations continue to have low vaccination rates and seafarers continue to have limited vaccine access.