In partnership with MHG Insurance Brokers, ISWAN announced the launch of a survey for seafarers who work on superyachts to investigate welfare issues to this specific sector. Questions will vary from food, cabins and communications, to the health and wellbeing of the men and women working onboard.
A recent survey by Yachting Pages Media Group revealed that 75% of the surveyed crew believes the industry is not doing enough to tackle mental health problems and look after the overall wellbeing of crew.
Maritime welfare organisations are used to dealing with seafarers on cargo and cruise ships. The number of seafarers in the yacht sector has grown to around 35,000, and we need to know more about the challenges which are specific to the superyacht sector. As seafarers on superyachts are covered by the provisions of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention their welfare needs – at sea and ashore – should be better known and provided for,
…said Roger Harris, Executive Director of ISWAN.
As such, the new survey has been designed to:
- highlight areas of welfare needs among seafarers on superyachts
- see what is working well under current conditions to meet their welfare needs, and what needs improvement
- explore how existing seafarers’ welfare structures may meet these needs and where there is scope for new provision
The welfare of all crew, but especially those who are insured with MHG, is a primary concern for us. The mental and physical health and wellbeing of these seafarers is not just a professional interest. We want to know better what makes them tick and how their time at sea can be improved,
…added Andrew Dudzinski, CEO of MHG Insurance Brokers.
Yacht crew do an amazing job, catering to a small but very influential clientele, providing a phenomenal level of professionalism and service. For most crew this is a satisfying and wonderful job, but we need to see where improvements can be made,
…stated Andrew Wright, Secretary General of the Mission to Seafarers, who are assisting with the distribution of the survey.
