“In order to comply with international safety and employment regulations, and also for humanitarian reasons – crew changes must take place now. They cannot be postponed indefinitely”, says Aslak Ross, First Chairman of the Container Ship Safety Forum e.V. (CSSF) and Head of Marine Standards at A.P. Moller – Maersk. The business network urgently appeals to governments and authorities worldwide to facilitate crew changes and safe repatriation of seafarers. A steadily increasing number of the 1.5 million seafarers on merchant ships have not been able to leave the vessels and exceeded their contract terms by far due to COVID-19 imposed restrictions. To ensure safe shipping operations and to comply with international safety and employment regulations all CSSF members fully support the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) appeal to governments of 8 June 2020 to facilitate marine personnel travel options by giving them “key worker” status. The CSSF encourages coastal states to engage in constructive dialogue with operators. “It is our common obligation to ensure our seafarer’s health and safety while maintaining effective global supply chains”, emphasizes Ross.

Besides solutions for crew changes, physical and mental health on board remains top priority to the CSSF members – not only related to the coronavirus. Aslak Ross draws attention to this problem: “Since the outbreak of the pandemic, most countries have closed their borders, limited port accesses and shore leaves. With great concern members have experienced rejections from authorities around the world to both basic professional medical assistance to seafarers even in severe cases as well as to repatriation due to their physical or mental condition.”