The interim COVID-19 arrangements which have allowed crew to serve more than 11 months onboard vessels, is expected to end on 28 February 2021, AMSA reported.
To remind, under the Maritime Labour Convention the normal maximum period that a seafarer can serve onboard the ship without leave is 11 months.
In light of the situation, AMSA issued a marine notice, stating:
A return to international requirements, of no more than 11 continuous months on board, will be applied from 28 February 2021.
What is more, due to the COVID-19 travel bans and border closures, AMSA has taken a pragmatic approach to compliance with the normal maximum period.
Namely, the last six months AMSA monitored the level of compliance and intervened, in order to ensure the repatriation of seafarers whose duration onboard were excessive.
AMSA added that seafarers who have spent longer onboard ships, are unable to take shore leave due to mandatory quarantine and separated from their friends and families.
While flexibility on the part of regulators was necessary when the COVID-19 pandemic began, keeping seafarers on board ships for longer than 11 months is not sustainable going forward. In our view there has been sufficient time for ship operators to adjust to the COVID-19 world and develop new plans for seafarer repatriation and crew changes.
…as General Manager of Operations Allan Schwartz concluded.
