Seafarers welfare

[FAQ] Interventions That Foster Seafarers’ Well Being During COVID19

The COVID19 pandemic is making all our lives miserable, especially the seafarers who are stranded at sea, exhausted and overworked with no hope of reprieve as travel restrictions cause crew change impossible. Amidst this immense mental pressure it’s absolutely important to take care of the seafarers’ mental well being. Keeping this in mind, the Chip Maritime’s Maritime Insight journal has published a set of interventions that can foster well being of seafarers, especially mental well being.

Today...

https://mfame.guru/faq-interventions-that-foster-seafarers-well-being-during-covid19/

IMO uses seafarer celebration to renew call to help stranded crews

There were renewed calls for governments to consider seafarers’ welfare today, as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) celebrated its Day of the Seafarer.
IMO general secretary Kitak Lim again called on IMO member states to classify seafarers as key workers and facilitate ships’ crew changes to relieve those trapped on vessels long after their shifts ended.
“Just like other key workers, seafarers are on the front line in this global fight. They …

The post IMO uses seafarer celebration...

https://theloadstar.com/imo-uses-seafarer-celebration-to-renew-call-to-help-stranded-crews/

‘Enough is enough’, says ITF – we will now help stranded seafarers get home

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) says it will assist stranded seafarers to “leave ships and return home” – and blames politicians for any resulting supply chain chaos.
It said that, following months of travel restrictions and government inaction in facilitating crew changes, from today 200,000 seafarers could refuse contract extensions and demand repatriation, a move which would be “highly disruptive to global trade”, added the ITF.
Seafarers’ section chair Dave Heindel …

The...

https://theloadstar.com/enough-is-enough-says-itf-we-will-now-help-stranded-seafarers-get-home/

Governments must help stranded seafaring ‘unsung heroes’ get home

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has called on national governments to recognise seafarers as essential workers, as the number of stranded crews continues to rise.
In a joint statement by the IMO and fellow UN bodies the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Labour Organization (ILO), said that from the middle of June, around 150,000 maritime personnel a month will need to take international flights to either join or disembark …

The post Governments must...

https://theloadstar.com/governments-must-help-stranded-seafaring-unsung-heroes-get-home/

Pandemic maroons ship crews at sea, others on shore

The plight of the 150,000-plus seafarers caught up in coronavirus lockdown measures is one of the various emerging humanitarian crises of the pandemic. And it’s near a critical juncture, according to this report from Wired – in a typical month, around 100,000 seafarers either leave or join vessels around the world. That flow has dwindled dramatically and many seafarers have found themselves caught up in a tangle of red tape, …

The post Pandemic maroons ship crews at sea, others on shore appeared...

https://theloadstar.com/pandemic-maroons-ship-crews-at-sea-others-on-shore/

Cabin fever for real: seafarers tell of months stuck on ships

The Loadstar and other shipping publications have regularly highlighted the trials faced by the world’s seafarers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, while this article from the BBC recounts some of the personal tales of crews stuck on the vessel many months past their scheduled leave dates. While many of us are beginning to think we understand what the term “cabin fever” means, spare a thought for the 150,000 …

The post Cabin fever for real: seafarers tell of months stuck on ships appeared...

https://theloadstar.com/cabin-fever-for-real-seafarers-tell-of-months-stuck-on-ships/

Some relief for seafarers trapped at sea for months as a few nations ease restrictions

Thousands of seafarers remain trapped at sea, on containerships and other cargo vessels, by coronavirus travel restrictions – a threat to supply chains, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has warned.
According to the Chamber, the number of seafarers in need of a crew change will reach 150,000 by 15 May.
This is a 50% increase since March, when the ICS first raised the issue with the UN, highlighting the impact government lockdowns …

The post Some relief for seafarers trapped at sea for...

https://theloadstar.com/some-relief-for-seafarers-trapped-at-sea-for-months-as-a-few-nations-ease-restrictions/

An ode for seafarers stranded during the coronavirus pandemic 

When we go to the shops with all the food on the shelves,
We buy what we want, in sixes and twelves. 
 
For the strawberries and others, we buy out of season,
We expect them to be there, on the shelves without reason. 
Anchor butter from New Zealand, via the Panama Canal,
After a month at sea, arrives with us, somehow. 
 
There is our fish caught at sea, in treacherous storms,
By fisherman, whose risks they consider …

The post An ode for seafarers stranded during the coronavirus pandemic ...

https://theloadstar.com/an-ode-for-seafarers-stranded-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Unseen, unsung, everyday heroes – helping developing world seafarers on the frontline

London, 21 April 2020: If you are a seafarer stranded far from home what do you do? As one of the thousands of indispensable seafarers from developing countries caught in lockdowns enforced to limit the spread of COVID19 with no way home, where do you turn for help for you and your family? 
“The outbreak of COVID-19 on a global scale has brought fear and uncertainty to key workers around the world.  Those in the maritime sector have particular anxieties as they are …

The post Unseen, unsung,...

https://theloadstar.com/unseen-unsung-everyday-heroes-helping-developing-world-seafarers-on-the-frontline/

IATA and ICS: Governments must facilitate ship crew changes

Geneva April 15
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) are jointly calling on governments to take urgent measures to facilitate crew change flights for seafarers. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, seafarers are having to extend their service onboard ships after many months at sea, unable to be replaced following long tours of duty or return home.
Shipping is vital to the maintenance of global supply …

The post IATA and ICS: Governments...

https://theloadstar.com/iata-and-ics-governments-must-facilitate-ship-crew-changes/

+ More