CWW: Industry stakeholders share their perspectives on crew welfare

The panel discussion, moderated by Carleen Lyden Walker, CEO of Morgan Marketing & Communications, involved the following participants: Jeffrey Parfitt, Head of Safety & Environment, The Nautical Institute; George Pitaoulis, Head of Marine Personnel, Nakilat; Bingbing Song, Head of Maritime Training and Human Element, Maritime Safety Division, IMO; and Giovanni Tuapin, President, Hartman Crew Philippines, Inc.

No Seafarers, No Shipping, No Shopping

“Crew welfare has gained significant attention in recent years, but there is still progress to be made,” stressed Giovanni Tuapin, starting the discussion. The focus is increasingly from the shipowner’s side, who acknowledges that seafarers are prone to stress, isolation, and demanding workloads. The rapid change of technology adds more concerns to seafarers who see AI and new technologies transforming the shipboard environment.

Continuing the discussion, George Pitaoulis said,

Crew welfare is a very vague and wide idea. It has to be a holistic approach because we are talking about human beings who are disconnected physically from their loved ones. Thus, we need to add welfare elements for all seafarers, even those who are not onboard, as well as their families. We need to look at the whole picture.

Representing the IMO, Bingbing Song highlighted that seafarers are key to shipping and mentioned key factors such as safety risks, recent crises, emergencies at sea, and fatigue that affect their mental health.

“From my perspective, it’s clear that seafarers are still recovering from the effects of COVID-19. During that time, they faced unprecedented long trips, poor communication with their families, and uncertainties regarding their own health. But looking ahead, the challenge of the next five years is the introduction of new alternative fuels,” Jeff Parfitt said.

Currently, shipping operates in the so-called ‘4th Propulsion Revolution,’ which means that new vessels will be introduced, and seafarers will be required to handle new fuels such as methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen. These fuels present elevated environmental and operational risks, causing anxiety among seafarers.

This is a huge challenge for shipping, Jeff Parfitt noted, and suggested investing in training for handling bunkering and emergency response onboard, as seafarers have no operational experience with these new and hazardous fuels.

“That’s true; I would also add nuclear to that. New alternative fuels are an area of emerging technology and call for appropriate training and management,” agreed Carleen Lyden Walker.

Key areas to address

“Seafarers need to feel valued for their work, and that should be reflected in the salary they receive,” Jeff Parfitt further noted. He added that seafarers also need adequate provision of communication, quality of life onboard—i.e., good accommodation conditions, quality food, access to shore leave. These fundamental issues affect the mental health and wellbeing of seafarers.

Recognition of their valuable work is also important. Seafarers should be respected as they are front-line workers

…added George Pitaoulis.

“All seafarers have the right to work safely onboard and be free from violence and harassment. This is an area that needs special attention and specific immediate actions to address,” Bingbing Song said.

One of the unintended consequences of not having a safe working environment is that we will not be able to attract 50% of the potential population into this industry, and that’s women,

…Carleen commented. She highlighted that everyone onboard should feel safe, and especially women would feel more vulnerable and not be attracted to an industry that didn’t provide a safe working environment.

Giovanni Tuapin brought to the discussion the importance of training and upskilling as key priorities as well. “Seafarers should be kept informed and get prepared for future challenges,” he said.

Leading by example

Considering that some shipowners are doing their best, Carleen asked panelists how others can follow suit. “Shipowners need budget to start a program. Organizations like the IMO and governments should support their drives for welfare.”

“We need to see more universal enforcement of regulations,” commented Carleen in an effort to limit substandard shipping.

Tackling the imminent crew shortage

The imminent seafarer shortage can also be considered an environmental issue, stated Carleen Lyden Walker. She explained that 25% of all US-flagged sailings are currently operating under short crew waivers. This creates an unsafe environment, contributing to the statistic that 90% of all accidents are due to human error. Consequently, this situation increases risks, challenges, and decreases the safety of shipping today.

George Pitaoulis acknowledged the difficulty in attracting newcomers to join the maritime industry. When people think of a seafaring career, they may perceive it as lacking excitement; they see the paperwork, responsibility, and potential criminalization as burdens. Therefore, many aspects need to change.

We are facing a huge technological revolution that is not coming; it’s upon us, and panic is already starting to set in. We have this huge shortage of seafarers, and we are saying that we need to upskill, particularly with STEM subject people. How will the industry possibly attract people who have graduated in maths, physics, and engineering into an industry that at present cannot maintain a flow of personnel?

….questioned Jeffrey Parfitt.

Giving an overview of the situation in the Philippines, Giovanni Tuapin informed that there are 25,000 graduates, of whom 5,000 are able to join vessels, resulting in a surplus technically. “The challenge is how to upskill these graduates to join the new technology vessels. We don’t have the facilities for dual-fuel training yet. This should be a driver for the private sector and the government to ensure that Filipino seafarers can easily transition to the new requirements.’’

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