The Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator covering the second quarter of 2023 has been released and will be the last indicator in its current form.
Following the decreasing impact of COVID-19, the Global Maritime Forum, together with relevant partners and stakeholders, will explore the possibility of a Neptune Indicator 2.0, collecting and communicating data on seafarer wellbeing to drive improvement actions.
Key findings of Q2 2023:
- 1.9% of seafarers from the sample size have remained onboard vessels beyond the expiry of their contracts, and 0.1% have remained onboard vessels for more than 11 months.
- The percentage of seafarers vaccinated has further increased to roughly 96.6%.
In collaboration with its relevant partners and stakeholders, the team behind the Crew Change Indicator will review key learnings from the initiative and investigate the need for an updated Neptune Indicator focused on collecting data on seafarer wellbeing.
Overdue crew changes
The indicator for the second quarter of 2023 shows that the number of seafarers from the sample who are onboard vessels beyond the expiry of their contract has decreased from 2.2% to 1.9% since April 2023.
The number of seafarers onboard for over 11 months has decreased from 0.2% to 0.1% since April 2023. The Crew Change Indicator shows that the aggregate percentage of seafarers from the sample who have been vaccinated has risen from 96.3% to 96.5% in the past quarter, which is an increase of 0.2 percentage points since April 2023.
Vaccinations
The indicator from the second quarter of 2023 shows that 96.5% of seafarers from the sample have been vaccinated. This corresponds to an increase of 0.2 percentage points since April 2023.
Since its establishment in May 2021, the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change has received the signature of over 850 companies and organisations.
The indicator was launched to acknowledge seafarers as the frontline workers of the maritime industry, spotlighting the vital role they play in ensuring the global flow of goods that the world depends on. In its two years, the indicator has shifted from a monthly publication to a quarterly publication. However, there is no longer as much to report.
This spring, the World Health Organisation declared the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency, thus marking the end of the pandemic. Additionally, the Neptune Indicator data has remained stable for the past year—with the contribution of ship managers reporting pre-pandemic conditions for performing crew changes.
