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IMO & CREW CHANGES
Time to free the unsung heroes
The IMO is upping the pressure on world governments to back its efforts to deal with the increasingly difficult problem of crew changes during the pandemic. Adrian Ladbury reports.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has compelled many parts of the world to enforce a public lockdown in a bid to flatten the transmission curve among the population. International borders have been closed and modes of transport internationally, nationally, and locally have been drastically reduced to impose physical and social isolation to contain the spread of the virus. The Marine Insurer P&I Special Edition | July 2020
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) describes seafarers as the unsung heroes of this pandemic. This is because the world relies on them to transport more than 80% of trade by volume, including vital food and medical goods, energy and raw materials, as well as manufactured goods across the globe. They have also been collateral victims of the crisis, as travel restrictions have left tens of thousands of them stranded on ships, or unable to join ships. The difficulties surrounding repatriation and crew changes also have a major impact on the shipping industry and have been identified as a priority issue. The IMO and other organisations have urged governments to intervene. The matter has now even been taken up by the UN SecretaryGeneral who expressed his concern about the growing humanitarian and safety crisis facing seafarers around the world, and called on all countries to formally designate seafarers and other marine personnel as “key workers� and ensure crew changeovers can safely take place.
