On 9 July, governmental representatives of the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Indonesia, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and USA held a virtual summit, alongside business leaders across the world, to discuss the issues faced by seafarers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The summit was hosted by UK Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, and UK Maritime Minister, Kelly Tolhurst.

The result of the summit was a commitment from the attendee governments to agree and introduce international measures to improve repatriation of seafarers and crew changes, during the global pandemic.

Continue Reading Protection for Seafarers? International Summit on Crew Changes

In January of this year the findings of “Project MARTHA”, a three year study into the causes and effects of crew fatigue, were released – along with proposals as to how best to mitigate against the risks posed by crew fatigue. The study was conducted by a number of eminent academic institutions with extensive input from the shipping community.

The report serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with fatigue to those serving on board vessels, as well as those who own and operate them.
Continue Reading Project MARTHA, crew fatigue and the implications for a vessel’s “seaworthiness”