biosecurity

Seafarer COVID-vaccination numbers continue to climb

Pictured: artist’s concept of a COVID vaccine. Photo credit: Daniel Schludi via Unsplash

About 41% of the world’s seafaring workforce has been COVID-vaccinated, according to the latest data from the Neptune Declaration’s Crew Change Indicator.

The Neptune Declaration is an agreement subscribed to by about 850 organizations that are urging the end of the crew change crisis.

The Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator provides up-to-date information on the crew change situation. The Indicator is...

https://www.shippingaustralia.com.au/seafarer-covid-vaccination-numbers-continue-to-climb/

Ocean shipping industry has repeatedly demonstrated anti-COVID measures

Pictured: a representation of a seafarer wearing a mask aboard a containership. Credit: Sebastian Herrmann – freetousesounds Unsplash – Jim Wilson

Global ocean-going shipping companies have repeatedly demonstrated to the authorities in general that the shipping industry is taking a great number of measures to keep its crews and shore side communities safe from COVID.

Back in July 2020, using our connections with international shipping associations, world shipping bodies and global shipping...

https://www.shippingaustralia.com.au/ocean-shipping-industry-has-repeatedly-demonstrated-anti-covid-measures/

Anti-Khapra Beetle rules must not hinder or harm the vital interests of Australia’s international trade

Unfortunately, the Khapra Beetle is a voracious destroyer of stored grain products; Photo: Suraj Tripathi from Pixabay.

Biosecurity is vital to the health and welfare of Australia’s people, its environment and its agricultural sector. Shipping Australia agrees that biosecurity is fundamentally important to Australia.

The current pest of concern is the Khapra Beetle. The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment has repeatedly talked of the cost to the agricultural industries of Khapra...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/anti-khapra-beetle-rules-must-not-hinder-or-harm-the-vital-interests-of-australias-international-trade/

Vigilance leads to strength and innovation in biosecurity

Andrew Tongue, Deputy Secretary and Head of Biosecurity Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, discusses biosecurity risks, shipping, mail, air and cargo. He also discusses new technologies and approaches to biosecurity risk management:

2020 brought changes no one could have predicted, with the global movement of people slowed to combat the biggest human biosecurity threat in a century. But the movement of goods has continued, and is now more important than...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/vigilance-leads-to-strength-and-innovation-in-biosecurity/

Against the odds – maritime industries work to protect seafarers’ health

Pictured: a conceptual image of a seafarer during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Credit: Sebastian-Herrmann / freetousesounds / Unsplash / Jim Wilson

Australians can be reassured that ocean freight shipping companies are acting to protect the health of waterfront workers at the international, national, company and ship levels.

The most pressing issue right now is the unreasonable intransigence of governments that refuse to help crew changes take place.

Globally, over 400,000 seafarers are either stuck on...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/against-the-odds-maritime-industries-work-to-protect-seafarers-health/

DAWE ramps up action against Khapra Beetle

Pictured: Khapra Beetle (Trogoderma granarium) Australia’s number two National Priority Plant Pest and the number one plant priority pest for grains; Photo: US Department of Agriculture

The Federal Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment has warned the importing and shipping industries, along with everyone in the sea-container logistics and supply chain, that it is planning urgent action to counter the threat from Khapra Beetle. 

Small beetle; big plant threat

Khapra Beetle is a...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/dawe-ramps-up-action-against-khapra-beetle/

New crew-change policy is neat, plausible… and wrong

Pictured: a fully-cellular containership heads into the sunset; Credit: Pixabay

Shipping Australia is very concerned about the ongoing crisis caused by a lack of crew changes. Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped at sea and hundreds of thousands of people are waiting (without pay) to go to sea. It is a humanitarian crisis.

We have long advocated that measures should be taken to enable crew changes to occur as this is in the health and safety interests of the crew and in the vital economic...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/new-crew-change-policy-is-neat-plausible-and-wrong/

Regional WA crew changes now virtually impossible

Pictured: seafarers silhouetted against the sunset. Ship crews around the world will continue to suffer because of polices, rules and restrictions like those of the WA Government.
Credit Skeeze from Pixabay.

Western Australia’s almost complete re-write of its crew change rules earlier this week now means it is almost impossible to carry out a crew change anywhere in WA except Perth. And even there, it is not easy.

Crew changes now really only possible in Perth

On-signing seafarers can fly into...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/regional-wa-crew-changes-now-virtually-impossible/

Denmark, Singapore and Sri Lanka lead the way in dealing with the global crew change crisis

A small number of countries around the world are stepping up to provide leadership to deal with the growing humanitarian crisis.

Denmark, Singapore and Sri Lanka are taking steps to alleviate the seafarer crew change crisis.

Sri Lanka

The island nation is open for crew changes, which can be facilitated at the ports of Galle or Colombo. Seafarers can be repatriated via isolation centres. For further details contact the Crew Change Consortium: [email protected].

Denmark

The International Chamber of...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/denmark-singapore-and-sri-lanka-lead-the-way-in-dealing-with-the-global-crew-change-crisis/

+ More
Join Our Newsletter
Enter your email to receive a weekly round-up of shipping news.
icon
By subscribing, you agree with our privacy policy and our terms of service.