Seafarers were trapped by the pandemic

For Raj, a captain of India, the impact of the pandemic first occurred when he was on the other side of the world. In March 2020, while preparing to take over the tanker Blue butterfly in Quintero, Chile, the government there announced a general ban on landing. This meant that the master he had to replace had to remain on board.

“We sailed to the United States and then to Europe. It was only two and a half months later, when we arrived in Hamburg, that he was allowed to leave the ship, ”said Raj.

Few professions have felt the pressures of the crisis as sharply as seafarers – and as many areas of life recede to pre-pandemic standards, the shipping industry is still struggling.

While the affected figures have fallenas of March this year, 200,000 sailors were still aboard merchant ships, unable to be repatriated and their contracts exceeded, according to estimates by the International Maritime Organization.

At any given time, approximately 1 million people work on cargo ships worldwide. The ships they command play a vital role in providing medical equipment and ensuring that the world continues to eat and entertain during the closures. But since the success of the pandemic, governments have often left the crew stationary, forced to spend much more time on ships without a land permit than international labor standards allow.

Although maritime law in theory applies internationally, attention has been inconsistent. “Seafarers are key workers, but their treatment during the pandemic, whether their well-being, vaccination or relief, has really depended on individual governments and numerous maritime regulators,” said Rajesh Unni, chief executive of Synergy Marine Group, which provides ship management services. and employs Raj.

“Our company is trying to help, but some countries only have general bans [on disembarkation]Said Raj, master of a crew of 22 people. “A companion stayed on board for almost 14 months.”

The usual period is six months and the maximum agreed by the International Labor Organization is 11 months. “The United States, the United Kingdom and Canada have treated seafarers as human beings. Others, however, especially some of those close to the Black Sea, do not: they act as if they are polluters and do not want any kind of pollution, ”said Raj.

Raymond, a Philippine captain who has worked on some of the world’s largest bulk and container vessels, recalls the tension as he waited months to board a ship he was supposed to take charge of in March 2020. “My savings are gone. “I was a little worried about the uncertainty.”

When he finally joined the ship – in Port Said, Egypt – last August, he found a burned crew. “The captain I took over was almost six months older than he should have been, almost double his contract. It must affect your well-being. . . When you are a captain, even when you rest, you have the feeling of working, you have to be constantly thinking about the boat ”.

Talking to family and friends at home had been key to relieving the stress, said Catherine Spencer, chief executive of Seafarers’ Charity. “The conditions that seafarers have experienced during the pandemic have really affected mental health. It is clear that one of the stressors is not always being able to communicate when you are at sea ”.

In response, Synergy, along with Philippine Transmarine Carriers, another shipping management company, and Inmarsat, which provides maritime communication technology, launched last month WeTeam, a free 24-hour telephone line with consultants available in 14 languages. “There is the technology to have better communication on ships. It’s just that some shipping lines are better than others when it comes to providing them, ”said Ronald Spithout, president of Inmarsat Maritime.

Raj said the advice proved valuable when the mental health of a member of his crew deteriorated. “The agent had some problems with his girlfriend and was becoming a very difficult situation due to the pandemic. It was the first time I had experienced it, I didn’t really know what to do. I called the hotline, described his behavior and talked to him and they were very helpful. . . He calmed down from that moment on and was able to land in India and return home.

Although Raj believes there are disadvantages to having more communication on board: unlimited Internet access, provided by Synergy for free during the pandemic, left some crew members tired, he and Raymond agree in power. keep in touch with loved ones. some have been vital. “As a captain you should be aware of emotional and mental well-being. But most Filipinos don’t feel so comfortable opening up and sharing our feelings, ”Raymond said. “You have to make sure they have constant access to communication so they can go visit their family.”

It was also important to create a greater sense of coexistence among its crew, mostly Filipino and Vietnamese sailors, Raymond added. “When I first got on board, after eating, people went straight to their cabins. . . What I did was organize some events to promote camaraderie. ”It included karaoke, barbecues, and sports games.

Raj agreed: “It was crucial to get people alone out of the booths and spend time eating together, in the smoking room, playing table tennis.”

When the crew disembarks, the quarantine conditions vary. Raymond had a mandatory seven-day stay at a hotel in the Philippines; while the conditions were good for him, he had heard complaints from other people.

Some governments view seafarers as key workers, giving them priority in vaccination actions. India has reduced the time between the first and second shot for seafarers from 84 to 28 days, Raj said. The Philippines, a country that supplies a large number of sailors around the world, has also said that the crew will be one of the first in line to receive vaccines and that priority should be given to features such as Moderna and BioNTech / Pfizer, which are more widely recognized internationally.

But it’s a mixed bag. “European nations, with their excess [vaccine] The supply needs to have stronger leadership in vaccinating its non-native sailors, who are actually the ones delivering the same cargoes on which they depend, ”Unni said.

Seafarers are concerned that media coverage of events such as the blockade of the Suez Canal this year will focus on the impact on supply chains rather than on the lives of those responsible for transport of more than 80% of world goods by volume. They want greater public recognition.

“This is one of the noblest professions. Imagine if the maritime industry stopped operating, even for a couple of hours, the world as we know it would stop, ”Raymond said. “It’s time for people to realize how essential seafarers are.”