The UK Club launched a comprehensive guide concerning crew change operations, outlining the challenges and changes taking place in global ports, aiming to assist and provide helpful information to seafarers.
Specifically, the issue of crew change is in the spotlight from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, making clear that seafarers around the world have been the most impacted. Yet, despite the challenges, shipping continues as much as possible, while global shipping players have been joining forces finding solutions to assist stranded seafarers.
Now, the UK Club issued a guide structured to answer four questions:
- Are routine crew changes permitted in your port?
- If they are allowed, are there any restrictions in do so? (e.g. Mandatory COVID-10 tests, quarantine requirements etc.).
- Are crewmembers that are either sick or injured permitted to be disembarked in your port?
- If they are allowed, are there any restrictions in doing so? (e.g. Mandatory COVID-10 tests, quarantine requirements etc.)
It is added that the guide will be regularly updated, according to changes taking place.
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Background of actions to ease crew change operations:
Recently, the United Nations called on UN Member States to designate seafarers and other marine personnel as key workers and to implement relevant measures to allow stranded seafarers to be repatriated and others to join ships, and to ensure access to medical care.
This decisions has been applauded by the IMO, ICS and ECSA.
In the meantime, during a virtual meeting of major shipping bodies, there were discussed several pressing issues that the industry is currently dealing with. In light of the crew change crisis and seafarers’ repatriation, BIMCO along with INTERCARGO, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and INTERTANKO sent a joint open letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, urging him to use his influence as the world’s leading retail entrepreneur, whose business relies upon global shipping and take a stand for the 400.000 stranded seafarers.
In early November, Government states adopted a resolution (MSC.473 (ES.2), whereby, amongst the actions advocated, one is the designation of a national focal point to coordinate on crew change and repatriation of seafarers at a national level.
