Credit: Sebastian-Herrmann / freetousesounds / Unsplash / Jim Wilson
Australians can be reassured that ocean freight shipping companies are acting to protect the health of waterfront workers at the international, national, company and ship levels.
The most pressing issue right now is the unreasonable intransigence of governments that refuse to help crew changes take place.
Globally, over 400,000 seafarers are either stuck on ships or in port, who are either waiting to go home or to join their ship, according to the International Chamber of Shipping.
“The words ‘frustrating’ and ‘distressing’ come to mind when describing the attitude of some governments to allow seafarers to travel to join a ship or to go home on completion of their onboard contracts,” said Melwyn Noronha, deputy CEO of Shipping Australia.
It is especially frustrating given the existence of extraordinarily detailed guidelines and protocols to help shipping companies and ship agents carry out crew changes in a COVID-safe way. That guidance has been endorsed and issued by expert global bodies such as the International Maritime Organization.
