The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) COVID-19 Working Group (C-19 WG) is encouraging mariners from all segments of the U.S. maritime industry to anonymously complete the “Mariner Mental Health Needs during Covid-19” online survey here…
When Ritesh Mehra, 43, enlisted for a four-month stint as captain on a liquid gas tanker last July, he never expected to be stranded at sea until spring.“Twice it has happened that the ports are not allowing crew change,” Mehra told Reuters via Zoom from the bridge of the 80…
MM-SEAS is the reportedly the first software that automates the manual task of obtaining, tracking and renewing U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) credentials, helping to eliminate paperwork processing errors while delivering merchant mariner career guidance…
Unite Nations organizations this week issued a joint call for the world's seafarers to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination, stressing their key role in supporting global trade.The heads of five UN organizations have called for maritime and…
2020 presented a monumental challenge for many industries and workers, particularly seafarers, as COVID-19 effectively left hundreds of thousands of seafarers stranded at sea, unable to disembark and partake in crew changes due to onerous restrictions by the majority of port states…
Even after concerted efforts from leaders in the maritime community and some improvement in the numbers, the crew change crisis caused by COVID-19 restrictions continues to create challenges, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization has warned…
A global network of crew change hubs would help alleviate the humanitarian crisis seafarers face at present, according to the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ).They could offer a short-term solution to the barriers presented by global travel restrictions…
Stuart Ostrow developed ShipMoney as a means to make the process of paying crew more efficient and cost-effective for both vessel owner/operators and the crew. Little did he realize then that his company would be instrumental in helping seafarers during their greatest time of crisis…
The head of the United Nations' shipping agency has spoken out against “no crew change” clauses in charterparties, stating such clauses exacerbate the dire situation of stranded seafarers and undermine the efforts undertaken to resolve the ongoing crew change crisis…
The bulk carrier Anastasia, stuck off the coast of China with crew change request unheeded since mid-2020, has become a rallying point for MSC in urging governments to work together to find a solution.MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is calling…
Due to a confluence of factors, COVID-19 has adversely impacted merchant mariners more than virtually any other profession. The merchant marine is an international profession from a wide variety of countries, so there is no one nation standing up to represent them…
Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President, World Maritime University, discussed the ongoing seafarer crisis plus the new report from WMU, A Culture of Adjustment, which outlines systemic failures in the implementation of the regulatory regime for seafarers’ work and rest hours…
Philippines and Singapore-based crew specialist CF Sharp has established its own COVID-19 testing center in Manila to speed up its crew change process amid mounting coronavirus case counts and ongoing logistical challenges for seafarers and ship managers globally…
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly urged all countries to designate seafarers and other marine personnel as key workers on Tuesday after travel restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19 have left hundreds of thousands stranded at sea for months…
In a number of instances, charterers in the dry bulk sector have been preventing much needed crew changes from taking place during the period of the charter, despite the ship owner agreeing to accept the associated costs, says INTERCARGO, the…
