The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) shared the view of its Secretary General, Guy Platten, concerning the challenging times that the shipping industry is experiencing due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been the centre of attention for about three months, with the shipping industry struggling to keep up with the developments and the seafarers being at the forefront of the news.
Now, Mr. Platten urges the industry to protect the seafarers and find a solution concerrning limitations on crew change, the replacement of one of the ship’s crew members with another one, as they have the potential to cause serious disruption to the flow of trade.
He highlights that
Not only do we have a duty to ensure that global trade continues, but we also must ensure that the welfare of our seafarers is not jeopardised. Although all ICS members are doing a fantastic job at supporting their individual members at a national level, this pressing problem requires the attention of the entire international community.
Economies are facing many challenges as it is a period of change and the pandemic has resulted to market disruption.
He also refers to the majority of countries that are closing their borders and are implementing strict port entries, adding that “the virus is vital, we must ensure that global trade is allowed to continue.”
In light of the difficulties expressed above, on Thursday 19th March, ICS will be using their power to bring national associations from around the world together for the first of an ongoing set of meetings designed to identify swift and effective solutions.
ICS also issued guidance to assist seafarers on how to manage a potential COVID-19 case onboard.
This meeting will not be a ‘one-off’, but the beginning of a series of regular conference calls with our national associations in response to the significant challenge facing the world, our seafarers and the global shipping community. We want to ensure that all the issues the industry is facing can be addressed together.
