Shipping groups and seafarer unions are desperately trying to convince governments to allow crew the right to transit after work contracts expire.
Most governments still haven’t listened. An estimated 200,000 crew remain stranded at sea, unable to get back to their homes after their initial work contracts expired.
It will be even harder to convince governments to allow seafarers passage through their ports and airports if more shipboard outbreaks occur.
And while still relatively rare, new incidents are indeed emerging.
In the past two weeks, 15 of 28 crew aboard the tanker Minerva Oceania tested positive, as did 10 of the 23 crew on the container ship Maersk Idaho.
The consequences may extend far beyond these two ships and their crews.
Future fallout from the crew crisis could effect all shipping segments, from tankers to dry bulk to container shipping to gas transport.
Freight Waves asked Fabrizio Barcellona, assistant secretary of the seafarer section of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), whether he feared more shipboard outbreaks could make it even harder to lift crew travel restrictions.
“I am very much concerned that the recurrent news of a possible second wave of COVID-19 will impact the already strenuous situation of a few hundred thousand seafarers still waiting to be repatriated,” he replied.
If there are not enough crew left on ships with unexpired work contracts, vessels will be detained for failure to meet minimum manning requirements.
Ocean transport would start grinding to a halt, impairing economic recovery efforts.
“I fear that with the over-exhausted seafarers, not many ships will be left in position to trade,” warned Barcellona.
“We have tried to alert countries that something needs to be done now, because the situation may deteriorate further.
“The supply chain is under threat. There’s no doubt about it,” said Guy Platten, secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping, during a webinar presented by Capital Link on Wednesday.
