Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    Lifestyle
    Home / Lifestyle / People

    Seafarers adrift in currents of virus' shadow

    By KARL WILSON in Sydney | China Daily | Updated: 2021-06-12 09:06
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    The huge container ship CMA CGM Jacques Saade sails on the Elbe River toward the port of Hamburg, Germany, on May 3. MARCUS BRANDT/DPA/ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Immense mental health and financial pressure have plagued unsung heroes in shipping industry amid the pandemic.

    At noon on June 25, commercial ships around the world will sound their horns to mark International Seafarers' Day. A symbolic gesture to the estimated 2 million men and women who work the world's merchant fleet, it will also be a mark of respect recognizing them as the unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    While they may not be frontline medical workers, the wheels of the global economy would simply not turn without them.

    Since the pandemic began, these men and women have had their lives tipped upside down as borders were closed alongside restrictions imposed on the movement of people.

    "There is a crisis that has played out almost invisibly, far out to sea or onboard ship. Their numbers are large enough to populate a city-albeit one where social distancing is impossible and there is no way out," the Nikkei Asia said in a report released on May 19.

    Seafarers bear a tremendous responsibility as more than 90 percent of all material goods are carried by ships, including cars, mobile phones and computers, wood and steel for building, and coffee.

    Although the shipping industry has demonstrated resilience throughout the pandemic, it has come at a cost, according to the United Kingdom-based International Chamber of Shipping, or the ICS, the world's principal shipping organization responsible for some 80 percent of the world's tonnage.

    "Seafarers, who deliver food, fuel, and essential medical supplies have been impacted most by the pandemic," a spokesperson for the ICS said.

    Due to travel restrictions imposed by governments around the world, seafarers have experienced delays to crew change, and have been denied shore leave. Some have spent months onboard their ships, virtually ignored by the rest of the world.

    According to the ICS, seafarers have experienced increased rates of mental and physical fatigue from being on ships for extended periods of time, far beyond normal contracts.

    This has had an adverse effect on their mental health and crews' performance.

    The ICS has, from the onset of the pandemic, led the call for governments to exempt seafarers from travel restrictions and championed prioritizing them for vaccination.

    The shipping industry is concerned that, with the rise of governments reimposing travel bans for crews in response to new virus variants, there could be a return to a significant crew change crisis.

    Shipping is seen as a bellwether for the global economy. Beyond the human cost, the global value chain has seen delays and volatile freight rates amid COVID-19.

    Shipping companies experienced the initial shocks as the world shut down in early 2020, and later, a sharp rise in demand as economies began to reopen and consumption rebounded, subsidized by government stimulus.

    Complex affair

    But getting back to business may prove a complex affair.

    Seafaring is a highly sought-after and prestigious career, drawing recruits mainly from the Philippines, China and South Asia.

    In the short term, however, there has been growing concern over access to crews from key seafarer supply nations like India, amid a rise in crew change bans for seafarers that have traveled through the Indian subcontinent.

    1 2 3 Next   >>|
    Most Popular
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
     
    日韩精品无码中文字幕一区二区| 无码专区中文字幕无码| 91中文字幕在线观看| 无码专区—VA亚洲V天堂| 日韩精品一区二三区中文| 无码中文字幕乱在线观看| 久久亚洲精品无码播放| 亚洲国产精品无码久久SM | 无码乱人伦一区二区亚洲一| 亚洲激情中文字幕| 久久无码AV中文出轨人妻| 黑人无码精品又粗又大又长| 亚洲A∨无码无在线观看| 久久亚洲AV无码精品色午夜 | 无码专区一va亚洲v专区在线| 人妻精品久久无码专区精东影业 | 精品人妻无码专区中文字幕| 无码欧精品亚洲日韩一区夜夜嗨| 国精品无码一区二区三区左线| 熟妇人妻无码中文字幕| 亚洲AV无码日韩AV无码导航| 亚洲av无码一区二区三区乱子伦| 成人无码免费一区二区三区| 精品无码国产自产在线观看水浒传 | 中文字幕无码播放免费| 国产中文欧美日韩在线| 人妻无码αv中文字幕久久琪琪布| 中文国产成人精品久久亚洲精品AⅤ无码精品 | 亚洲精品97久久中文字幕无码 | 亚洲av无码无在线观看红杏| 亚洲中久无码永久在线观看同| а天堂中文最新版在线| 中文字幕乱码一区二区免费 | 全球中文成人在线| 少妇人妻综合久久中文字幕 | 99re只有精品8中文| 最近中文字幕无免费| 中文无码vs无码人妻| 在线观看免费无码专区| 亚洲真人无码永久在线| 日韩乱码人妻无码系列中文字幕 |