While the worldwide crew change problem has faded from the news, fresh data indicates that in May 2021, the number of crew working over their contracts increased by a fourth. The rise was attributed to rising infection rates in important staff supply nations, as well as tougher staff change practises at important ports.
According to the Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator for June, the number of seafarers on board boats after their contract has expired has increased by 24% over the previous month. According to the data, 7.4 percent of the workforce had reached the end of their contracts. Last month's data revealed that 5.8% of the staff had reached the end of their contracts.
The sad increase in seafarers onboard boats beyond the expiration of their contract, according to Kasper Sgaard, Head of Research at Global Maritime Forum, was not unexpected. The surge of Covid-19 cases in significant maritime nations like as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, he added, is driving the unfavourable trend, which has resulted in greater restrictions in major seafaring centres. According to ship management, seafarers still have limited vaccination access, which would be a major step forward in resolving the problem.
However, one possibly good signal in the crew transition situation was revealed in the research. In the second study, the number of sailors on board boats for more than 11 months was cut in half. Over 11 months, less than half of the crew, 0.4 percent, is aboard, down from 0.8 percent in the May indicator report. No crew shall work for more than 11 months without taking a break, according to the internationally recognised Maritime Labor Convention.
Several variables have been identified as contributing to the present increase in the number of crew members remaining onboard their ships, according to an analysis. The impact of rising infection rates in important crew sourcing nations, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, was highlighted in recent research. Seafarers are delaying their departure from their ships and refusing to rejoin them due to high infection rates, either because they have been exposed to the virus or because a family member or neighbour has reported instances of COVID-19.
Crew changes have also been delayed and complex due to stricter crew change processes in key ports. As the crisis in India worsened, many nations tightened travel restrictions, resulting in cancelled and delayed flights. These limitations made it difficult for seamen to get home or to crew change hubs.
The organisers of the Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indication also emphasised the continued hurdles and restricted availability of COVID-19 immunizations in many regions of the world.
The Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator, which was launched in May 2021 and is based on data from the top ten ship management, intends to give up-to-date information on the effect of the crew change crisis and how it is changing month by month. The research is based on data from ten top ship managers, including Anglo-Eastern, Bernhard Schulte, Columbia Shipmanagement, Fleet Management, OSM, Synergy Marine, Thome, V.Group, Wallem, and Wilhelmsen Ship Management, who employ around 90,000 seafarers.
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