Cadets miss out on sea time due to pandemic restrictions
(Posted on 11/10/21)
Restrictions on crew change and repatriations are impacting cadets at a time when the shipping industry desperately needs to recruit more young people.
Crew travel problems can have a knock-on effect on cadet training by preventing a cadet from reaching their ship placement to gain vital experience at sea or delaying them from returning to continue the next phase of their maritime studies.
During a webinar on Seafarers’ Welfare, hosted by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) on behalf of Jamaica’s Ministers of Transport & Mining and Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, panellists heard how the rotation of cadet berths has become a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions.
Captain Devron Newman, Dean of the Faculty of Nautical Studies and Marine engineering at the Caribbean Maritime University in Jamaica, told the discussion that delays in crew changes adversely impact some cadets because they do not have the necessary documentation, such as Certificates of Competency or Proficiency, that a fully-fledged seafarer has to prove their role as a seafarer. The panel agreed that cadets need to be afforded the same designation as qualified seafarers and be given appropriate passage to and from their ship placements.
Urging more nations to recognise seafarers as “essential workers” and allow them to travel to and from their vessels, Rear Admiral (ret’d) Peter Brady, MAJ Director General, said: “There’s an absolute need for crew changes and repatriation. It is critical for them to visit their families to help their mental health, to rest, and to prepare them for their next posting.”
Advising that, at present only about 60 countries have designated seafarers as essential or key workers, Admiral Brady highlighted the need to encourage and influence other member states to recognise the important role seafarers play in the global supply chain and to put in place measures to enable crew changes and repatriations.
The current problems represent “a human crisis that also impacts families at home and should be condemned,” he commented. “This is just not good enough for these people who have done so much for us.”
The panel discussion, which took place on World Maritime Day, also featured a seafarer’s point of view. Third Officer Javed Loza stressed that the mental health of seafarers was a crucial factor that should be prioritised by the shipping industry. “Good mental health makes all aspects of life onboard positive,” he said, pointing out that a good positive attitude to work and life at sea can also have a beneficial impact on commercial shipping operations.
His comments were echoed by Dr Hortense Ross Innerarity, Superintendent of Pilotage with the Port Authority of Jamaica, who has spent more than 30 years in the shipping industry. Agreeing that seafarer mental health and crew changes should be priorities across the world, she told the debate: “We are very fortunate we don’t have more accidents at sea.”
Efforts to encourage more young people into the maritime industry are of prime importance, the panellists all concurred. Captain Steven Spence MAJ Director of Safety, Environment and Certification, spoke of the need to improve the visibility of shipping. He urged all seafarers to help raise awareness of their profession and called for shipping companies to invest in cadet training to sustain the industry, while advising that cadets need to show loyalty to companies willing to train them.
Latest News
Former INTERCARGO Chairman, Dr Spyros M Polemis, passes away
(Posted on 24/07/24)INTERCARGO, the association of dry bulk shipping companies, has released the following statement:&ldquo... Read more
Joint study of ammonia fuelled bulk carriers
(Posted on 22/07/24)ITOCHU Corporation, ClassNK, Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd., and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (... Read more
WISTA UK celebrates 50 years of championing diversity and inclusion
(Posted on 22/07/24)The Women's International Shipping & Trading Association UK (WISTA UK) marked its 50th anniversary... Read more
Accidents on ships under scrutiny as InterManager submits statistics to IMO
(Posted on 16/07/24)Accidents onboard ships are not decreasing, according to latest accident statistics submitted to the... Read more
Solutions required for FuelEU Maritime rules compliance, says Columbia
(Posted on 16/07/24)Solutions must be in place to help ship owners with navigating the complex challenges of complying with... Read more
Boers committed to diversity with relocation of Filipino employees to Germany
(Posted on 16/07/24)Diversity and nurturing talent is high on the agenda for BCS Group – Boers Crew Services as it... Read more
INTERCARGO joins industry calls for IMO to amend flaws in CII
(Posted on 12/07/24)With discussions regarding the IMO’s (International Maritime Organization) Carbon Intensity Indicator... Read more
ICS Türkiye branch celebrates its inauguration in Istanbul
(Posted on 12/07/24)The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS), the professional body for the commercial shipping industry... Read more
Columbia Group and Crowley forge strategic US alliance
(Posted on 12/07/24)Columbia Group and Crowley have signed a strategic cooperation agreement that broadens both companies... Read more
Inmarsat report advocates data sharing to address preventable incidents
(Posted on 04/07/24)The 2024 edition of The Future of Maritime Safety Report from Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, reveals... Read more
