Vital to exempt seafarers from travel bans

(Posted on 20/03/20)

Joint open letter to United Nations agencies from the global maritime transport industry. To:

Director General, United Nations International Labour Organization

Secretary-General, United Nations International Maritime Organization

Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Director General, World Health Organization.

Facilitating Crew Changes to Keep World Trade Moving Throughout the Covid-19 Crisis

As the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold it is vital that all governments keep maritime trade moving by continuing to allow commercial ships access to ports worldwide and by facilitating the movement and rapid changeover of ships’ crews.

We are writing on behalf of the International Chamber Shipping (ICS), which represents the world’s national shipowners’ associations and over 80% of the world’s merchant shipping tonnage, and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which speaks on behalf of approximately two million seafarers who operate the world’s internationally-trading commercial ships.

As the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold, it is important for the world’s governments to fully understand that around 90% of global trade is transported by commercial shipping, which moves the world’s food, energy and raw materials, as well as manufactured goods and components – including vital medical supplies and many products sold in supermarkets, items that are necessary (due to complex supply chains) for the preservation of many jobs in manufacturing – without which modern society simply cannot function.

In this time of global crisis, it is more important than ever to keep supply chains open and maritime trade and transport moving.

In particular, this means keeping the world’s ports open for calls by visiting commercial ships, and facilitating crew changes and the movement of ships’ crews with as few obstacles as possible.

Every month, around 100,000 seafarers need to be changed over from the ships which they operate in order to comply with relevant international maritime regulations, governing safe working hours and crew welfare, so that they can continue to transport global trade safely.

We therefore wish to emphasise the vital need for the world’s professional merchant seafarers to be granted appropriate exemptions from any national travel restrictions, when joining or leaving their ships, in order to keep the world’s maritime supply chains functioning.

In view of their vital role during the global pandemic, we suggest that professional seafarers, regardless of nationality, should be treated as any other international ‘key workers’, such as airline crew and medical personnel. As such, they should be afforded special consideration and, notwithstanding the need to comply with emergency health protocols, treated with pragmatism and understanding when seeking to travel to and from their ships.

We therefore call on your organisations to highlight the critical importance of this issue with the governments of your member states.

We request, as a matter of urgency, that this topic be added to the agenda of appropriate high level meetings, and that national authorities in your organisations’ member states should be encouraged to engage immediately with their national shipowners’ association and national seafarers’ union, in order to find rapid solutions to this serious problem which otherwise risks impeding global efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yours faithfully,

Guy Platten, Secretary General, International Chamber of Shipping Stephen Cotton, General Secretary, International Transport Workers Federation

Latest News

AtoB@C Shipping takes delivery of Fleximar

AtoB@C Shipping, a subsidiary of ESL Shipping, has announced the successful delivery of Fleximar, the... Read more

Western Bulk re-enters ship ownership with selected partners

Western Bulk, together with reputable Norwegian partners A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, Premium Maritime... Read more

Pacific Basin announces formation of a Sustainable Energy Solutions team

Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, one of the world’s leading dry bulk shipping companies, has announced... Read more

Columbia expects significant growth as more owners shift operations to the UAE

Columbia Group anticipates a period of strong expansion as an increasing number of international shipowners... Read more

Norse Ship Management emerges as digital leader among new-generation ship managers

Norse?Ship Management has expanded its use of Smart Ship Hub’s high frequency sensor data and... Read more

Maritime health experts welcome STCW amendments, but urge against checkbox compliance

As the maritime industry gears up to welcome the IMO’s STCW bullying and harassment training amendments... Read more

NORDEN acquires Southern African cargo activities of Taylor Maritime

NORDEN has acquired the cargo activities of Taylor Maritime in Southern Africa (previously operated... Read more

IMO delay could spark fragmentation risks, warns EmissionLink

Philippos Ioulianou, Managing Director of EmissionLink, has warned the IMO’s decision to delay... Read more

VIKAND highlights bullying and harassment as major mental health concern

VIKAND has highlighted the need for cultural change in the maritime sector as reports of bullying, harassment... Read more

DNV and WMMF guide to support shipowners' path to net-zero

The maritime industry is experiencing a period of significant transformation, driven by rapidly evolving... Read more