At noon local time on July 8, our ships sounded their horns in support of the shipping industry’s urgent call to governments across the world: Define seafarers as key workers and open for crew changes now. Our seafarers have gone the extra mile to secure safe operations and a working supply chain through these times of crisis. We need to ensure everyone’s continued health, safety and well-being, and join the global campaign to show how important it is that governments start facilitating crew changes far more extensively than we see today.
Following the international crew change summit convened by the UK on July 9, the day after the shoutout, 13 countries agreed to new international measures to open up foreign borders for seafarers and increase the number of commercial flights to expedite repatriation efforts. Dubai also recently opened its ports and anchorages for crew change, subject to compliance with the Dubai Health Authority Covid-19 guidelines.
For more information and for updates on the status of crew change in various countries, check this database from Inchscape Shipping Services.
*Videos by Captain Arnel Mayol (Master, Bow Flower), Byron Sean Luche (Third Officer, Bow Fortune), Justine Saracho (Third Officer, Bow Clipper) and Nikki Boy Bano (Ordinary Seaman, Bow Pioneer).
