Shipowners should extend crew contracts to reduce change-overs: Danica

New York — Merchant ships are poorly placed to weather COVID-19 infection meaning owners should, where possible, extend crews' contracts to help minimize change-overs, Danica Crewing Services' managing director said.

Responding to industry calls for seafarers to be given special travel dispensation, Henrik Jensen said crews faced greater infection risks traveling to and from postings using public transport links.

"I understand why the ITF, ICS and others are arguing that seafarers should continue travel to and from vessels for regular crew changeovers. However, with a potential 100,000 seafarers transiting each month, I do not believe this is the best approach at the present time," Jensen said in a statement.

"Some vessel operators think it is stressful for crew to stay onboard for longer and better for them to go home. I disagree. That may well be the case for crew who have completed postings of more than nine months, such as many Filipino ratings do. However, for those with contract lengths of 4-7 months, or less, I think it is not a problem to stay longer, rather than risk becoming infected as they transit home, or to jeopardize the health of those remaining by potentially bringing infected seafarers on to the vessel in replacement."

Maritime labor convention allows a maximum term of 12 months at sea.

"No commercial vessels are equipped to deal with a crew member seriously ill from coronavirus COVID-19 who may be in need of ventilation and intensive care," Jensen said.

"Help could be very far away if the vessel is on a long voyage and...may not be readily available in port. Secondly, if the virus comes onboard then it will almost certainly affect several persons, if not the entire crew."

"In my opinion, the safest way -– although inconvenient and potentially stressful for the individual seafarer -– is to halt the crew changes until the situation is under better control," Jensen said.

The spread of coronavirus has resulted in many countries closing their borders and restricting port entry.

"Limitations on crew change have the potential to cause serious disruption to the flow of trade," International Chamber of Shipping Secretary General Guy Patten said recently.