More than 300 shipping companies and associations are signing a declaration to solve the problem of changing ship crews

Recognizing that we have a shared responsibility for the their respective role in the supply chain, in particular that of 328 companies and organisations have signed up to a declaration defining four main actions to facilitate crew changes and keep logistics chains running Global. First of all, it is called for the recognition of as key workers, in line with the resolution of the of the United Nations General Assembly last year December, and is invited to give them priority access to vaccinations against Covid-19, including the development of protocols that ensure that vaccinations are properly certified and administered effectively to seafarers as well as the definition of a standard format for health passes that contain tamper-proof information on vaccination and on the status of health tests.

The declaration therefore calls for the establishment and implementation of health care based on existing best practices, in particular in particular by implementing the measures recommended by the protocols for ensure crew changes and recognized safe travel international maritime organization (IMO).

It also calls for an increase in cooperation between owners and charterers of ships in order to facilitate the exchange of crews, sharing relevant information in a way that transparent and cooperating so that the necessary changes of crew can be carried out with the least possible impact in terms of costs and delays. In this regard, the declaration specifies that the shipowner/operator of the vessel should give the charterer of the ship as wide notice as possible about the planned crew changes, while the charterer should make every reasonable effort to meet this requirement even if the ship has to carry out a reasonable deviation from its own route to allow the change of of the crew. In addition, no rental contract should be include clauses that prevent the implementation of the necessary exchange rates of the crew.

Finally, the document highlights the need to ensure air connections between the main maritime hubs in order to transport of seafarers. The aeronautical industry should therefore work with the maritime industry to ensure that there is air transport capacity between the main centres where crew changes are made of ships and nations to be to which seafarers mainly come.