Neptune Declaration says number of seafarers stranded at sea up 24%
The Coronavirus pandemic continues to strand seafarers at sea and the latest crew-change indicator says mariners still have limited access to vaccines.
According to figures complied by the world’s top 10 ship managers, the number of seafarers stranded at sea has jumped 24% in the last month.
Stricter crew-change policies and spikes in infection rates around the world have delayed and complicated crew changes, says the Neptune Declaration.
“Unfortunately, the increase in seafarers onboard vessels beyond the expiry of their contract is not unexpected,” Kasper Sogaard, head of research at Global Maritime Forum, the body behind the Neptune Declaration.
“The negative development is driven by the rise in Covid-19 cases in important seafaring nations, such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Philippines, and subsequently increased restrictions in major seafaring hubs.”
Mariners are also postponing leave because of high infection rates where they live or because of infected family members.
