Tag: ISWAN

Dr Kate Thompson, a counselling psychologist, provides information and guidance for seafarers, on board vessels and ashore, affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

The world’s reliance on shipping and its seafarers has been brought into sharp focus by COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a new film, produced by Marine Media Enterprises with the support of Columbia Ship Management, ISWAN and the Club looks at what this virus means for seafarers.

ISWAN announced launch of a charity crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for developing world seafarers and their families that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought an unprecedented disruption to global trade operations and subsequent technical implications for the world's crews. In this respect, ISWAN issued seven Frequently Asked Questions providing answers for seafarers.

UK-based union Nautilus has backed calls for crew internet, data and satellite calls to be made free for three months to cover the peak infection period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nautilus 24/7 provider ISWAN, on behalf of Nautilus and other trade unions, seafaring charities, the UK Chamber of Shipping and international maritime medical experts, have urgently requested global satellite provider Inmarsat and shipboard high-speed internet solutions provider KVH Industries to enable free calls. In separate letters to the service providers, ISWAN executive director Roger Harris asked Inmarsat to grant additional free data and free satellite calls, and for KVH Industries to grant additional free data and free satellite calls for seafarers aboard vessels on international voyages for the next three months: Seafarers on board vessels are being badly affected, often unable to leave their ship because of port state and other restrictions. They are having to stay on board for a lot longer than they signed up for and are being prevented from going ashore. Many seafarers are also stranded and unable to return to their home countries. Mr Harris said communication back home is the 'number one welfare concern of seafarers, and the link with home has become even ...

In the video, Dr Kate Thompson, a counselling psychologist, provides information and guidance for seafarers affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The video seeks to answer actual questions posed by seafarers who contacted the helpline SeafarerHelp.

ISWAN has published a new video focusing on the risks posed to Indian seafarers who sign up to unlicensed crewing agencies.

Seafarers onboard ships with KVH VSAT service installed, will from now on have the chance to make free Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to ISWAN's confidential 24-hour SeafarerHelp phone line. In fact, KVH VSAT informed that will place the free VoIP calls, in order to encourage seafarers' communication while at sea.

In line with a wider discussion on the importance of gender diversity in shipping, a special initiative called ‘She of the Sea’ is working to make the yachting industry more diverse, in line with IMO’s work to empower women in the maritime community.

With the support of Port Authority of Barcelona, Barcelona Port Welfare Committee (PWC) has started organizing ‘dock experience’ meetings between seafarers and port representatives on the dock of a terminal. This is a way to improve the experience of crews calling in the port.