Human biosecurity

Victorian restrictions: beginning of the end of an efficient supply chain

Victoria is extensively locking-down its population and its economic activity, particularly in Melbourne, to combat a sustained surge in COVID-19 transmission.

Commenting on the changes, Shipping Australia CEO Rod Nairn said: “Changes to Stage Four restrictions impacting on the warehousing sector late in the evening of Friday 7 August 2020 may have significant negative impacts on the international logistics sector.

“Warehouses will be required to reduce their staff levels by a third which will...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/victorian-restrictions-beginning-of-the-end-of-an-efficient-supply-chain/

US CDC issues guidelines to help manage and disembark cases of COVID-19 aboard ships

Cases of COVID-19 are growing around the world. Inevitably, in a pandemic, all human populations will sooner or later begin to record cases of the illness.

However, despite the pandemic, seafarers still continue to present a very low risk of COVID-19 transmission. Of all the many thousands of cargo ships that have called at Australia, delivering vital supplies such as foodstuffs and medical equipment, only two vessels so far have had COVID-19 aboard.

Nontheless, we can expect that there will be...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/us-cdc-issues-guidelines-to-help-manage-and-disembark-cases-of-covid-19-aboard-ships/

OPINION: as an industrial action crisis looms, it is no accident that enterprise agreements have expired across the waterfront

Industrial action at the DP World container terminals around the country may just be the tip of a “protected industrial action” iceberg.

A deliberate, organised and co-ordinated campaign to cause widespread disruption across the cargo-handling waterfront appears to be underway. 

Ocean freight and logistics is vital to the lives of everyday Australians no matter how far they live from the sea. It’s especially true right now that international aviation is working at a fraction of capacity.

Ships...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/opinion-as-an-industrial-action-crisis-looms-it-is-no-accident-that-enterprise-agreements-have-expired-across-the-waterfront/

Crew change calamity: the crisis intensifies

Governments around the world continue to fail to see the link between seafarers, seaborne cargo, and goods for sale in shops.

As the material below demonstrates, Australia simply cannot hope that its vital national interest in facilitating maritime crew changes will be taken care of by other countries.

Mainland China

China is still “very hesitant to allow foreign seafarers into China, reports the China Liaison Office at the International Chamber of Shipping.

Adding that crew changes in China are...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/crew-change-calamity-the-crisis-intensifies/

Shipping Australia briefs Australian Federal Government on seafarer crew change crisis

Photo credit: stock agency Pixabay

Earlier this week the Shipping Australia Secretariat provided a comprehensive brief to Federal Government officials on the crew change crisis.

Shipping Australia was asked, at very short notice, to provide a brief on how the shipping industry takes into account the need for COVID-19 risk mitigation together with evidence that the shipping industry alleviates that risk through action.

Consideration of risk

To demonstrate that the international shipping industry is...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/shipping-australia-briefs-australian-federal-government-on-seafarer-crew-change-crisis/

Shipping companies protect seafarer health against COVID-19, survey reveals

Pictured: a generic image of a small containership. Photo: Hectorgalarza from Pixabay.

A new joint survey by the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Federation reveals that shipping companies are taking strong measures to protect the health of seafarers and the general public from COVID-19.

Measures being taken include the provision of information, training and equipment along with hard surface disinfection. Other measures include physical segregation of seafarers...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/shipping-companies-protect-seafarer-health-against-covid-19-survey-reveals/

Maritime safety threat from coronavirus to increase shipping costs

Photo credit: credit Valentin Schonpos from Pixabay

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A major international insurer has warned that marine safety is under threat because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a new report listing ten coronavirus challenges to the shipping sector, major international insurer Allianz notes a variety of threats to shipping. “Consequences of coronavirus and a sustained economic downturn could threaten long-term safety improvement and trigger an uptick in losses,” the report says.

Among the causes of a...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/maritime-safety-threat-from-coronavirus-to-increase-shipping-costs/

Hong Kong facilitates changeover of maritime crew

Pictured: an iconic type of boat in Hong Kong Harbour; credit Tee2Tee from Pixabay

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Welcome news from the Centre for Health Protection Communicable Disease Branch in Hong Kong. The CHP has advised the shipping industry that crew members of goods vessels will be exempt from compulsory quarantine upon arrival in Hong Kong.

There are, as may be expected, a variety of exemption conditions with which crew must strictly comply.

Firstly, incoming crew members should only aim to arrive in Hong Kong when...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/cargo-crew-exempt-from-compulsory-quarantine-in-hong-kong/

World governments pledge to tackle global seafarer crew change crisis

Pictured: a containership in port; Photo credit: Kookay from Pixabay

Governments from 13 countries around the world have noted that the ability of shipping companies to continue conducting crew changes is “critical” and the governments have declared they are “deeply concerned” by the global crisis in seafaring.

Following the International Maritime Summit on Crew Changes earlier this week, held by the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 13 governments have...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/world-governments-pledge-to-tackle-global-seafarer-crew-change-crisis/

CRISIS POINT: seafarers trapped, medical care denied, ships detained

Pictured: concept of a seafarer wearing a surgical mask. Photo montage credits: Jim Wilson, OlafPictures, Pisauikan, Pixabay

Readers who live near ports may be wondering why ships were sounding their horns at midday on Wednesday 8th July,. They did so in support of their seafarers.

Commercial mariners, Australia and international shipping are now at crisis point.

Seafarers are being forced, by government rules to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, to stay at sea for months beyond what they originally...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/crisis-point-seafarers-trapped-medical-care-denied-ships-detained/

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