Following a year and a half since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, seafarers face several challenges onboard amid the outbreak situation. Among others, crewmembers are dealing with excessive working hours, welfare issues, travel restrictions, extended contracts due to the crew changes crisis and the vaccine priority access.
Following the above it is of vital importance for shipping industry to help alleviate the suffering and stress that seafarers on board might be experiencing in these most difficult of times.
Every day, new socio-economic issues are being highlighted because of the pandemic. It’s no surprise that the restrictions placed to curb the spread of COVID-19 have also adversely affected maritime safety and shipping operations. Moreover, it also makes one take a closer look at the plight of seafarers.
… as World Maritime University stated.
According to Seafarers Happiness Index COVID-19 edition, given the problems facing crews, tensions on board appear to be running high. In fact, there was marked an increase in the number of seafarers speaking of bullying, harassment, and friction on their ships.
At the same time, the issue of crew changes is still a huge problem, and while there are some signs of improvement there are still many countries with rising infection rates who are not yet able to deal with the effective movement of crew.
As CHIRP Maritime explains, due to the crew restrictions those on board have to remain on board. Those ashore have to remain on shore. Those in port have to stay on the ship. Those in transit have to stay where they are no matter how near or far they are from home.
What is more, the issue of when and how seafarers will be vaccinated also came to the fore.
This is likely to be a long-running concern until plans are made clear. As more of the global population receive vaccination, with shore-based key workers prioritized in many countries, there is significant concern about the lack of progress with plans to vaccinate seafarers. Uncertainty and frustration continue to grow.
… the Mission to Seafarers’ Index notes.
In summary, CHIRP Annual Digest shared several potential impacts of COVID-19 on seafarers, focusing on the following:
Emotional aspects:
- Fear of contracting the virus from visitors to the ship.
- Fear of their loved ones contracting the virus and being unable to protect them.
- Anxiety about keeping oneself healthy.
- Worry about access to medications for already-diagnosed health conditions.
- Trapped on board with people who are not from their community.
- Increased feelings of loneliness as disconnected from communities and loved ones.
- Having to cope alone with the loss of family members who have succumbed to the virus.
Physical aspects:
- Increased exposure to physically demanding work.
- Lack of facilities, PPE and equipment for preventing infections and treating infections on board.
- Unable to evacuate sick or injured seafarers due to ship denied port access.
- Increased exposure to working in extreme physical environments, e.g. engineers in engine room, deck crew in tropics etc.
Crew are extending their contracts onboard because of travel restriction caused by COVID-19 Pandemic. PSC inspection is strictly implementing the ILO MLC long period of stay onboard and expiring contract, and vessel is subject to detention because of this. What does the ILO MLC are doing? Why are they quiet?