Dispatches No. 479

Dear Members,

InterManager is looking into the possibility of POOLING RESOURCES FOR SEAFARERS’ TRAVEL purposes.

Pooling resources for seafarers’ travel might be a viable option PARALLEL to the suggested creation of hubs. It is NOT to DEVIATE ships to specific ports to enable crew changes; it is, however, to create a system where crew managers/ship managers could pool their sea staff to travel from the same location to the same destination.

 

This is the first ‘scoping’ message to all our members seeking your opinion, please. There will be a second message shortly afterwards with the proposed, most convenient ports but also seafarers’ domicile airports. Please stay tuned and let us have your opinion, please! 

 

We are of the opinion that the success of this InterManager initiative lies in its simplicity. It will work as long as we ALL WANT IT TO WORK, and will work together to convert problems to solutions.

MAIN OBJECTIVE – create a viable system for seafarers to travel in the COVID 19 world.

 

HOW – ROAD, AIR, WATER

 

MAIN PLAYERS – Seafarers, ship/crew managers, airlines, local authorities

 

Other Stake Holders:

 

  • Families
  • Port personnel (agents, security, terminal staff)
  • Fellow seafarers
  • Border personnel (customs, immigration)
  • Airport personnel
  • Airline personnel

 

The main idea of the CREW TRAVEL is to pool the resources of many ship management/crew management companies in order to create an economy of scale for airline/bus operators, and to provide planes/buses in order to transfer seafarersbetween overseas locations, home, and return.

 

Perceived issues:

 

  • Local COVID-19 barriers
  • Closed ports
  • Closed airports
  • Closed roads
  • Closed borders
  • International barriers
    • Quarantine requirements
    • Closed airspaces
    • Closed borders
  • Perceived problems with seafarers’ availability
    • Seafarers’ unwillingness to travel
    • Families unwillingness to receive seafarers back home

 

It is paramount to the success of this project to create a SAFE ENVIRONMENT – an almost CUSTODY SYSTEM of transfer from the vessel to home, and from home to the vessel. This SAFE ENVIRONMENT has to be documented, as it is expected it will be closely scrutinised by many stakeholders before, during, and after seafarers are being transferred.

 

It is suggested to start slow in order to test the concept and to slowly increase the number of seafarers and locations.

 

First steps which have already been taken on 5th April:

 

  • Identification of interested crew/ship managers
  • Identification of interested airlines
  • Identification of seafarers’ nationalities
  • Identification of hubs (seaports and domicile airports)
  • Identification of links and partners responsible for these links

 

We are working closely with airlines and local administrations. Please be also aware that EU and WHO have been very receptive and cooperative when it comes to seafarers’ travel, contrary to what international and industry press is reporting.

 

Proposed places where most of InterManager’s members’ ships call at (in order of frequency):

 

  1. Singapore
  2. Rotterdam / Antwerp
  3. Gibraltar
  4. Fujairah
  5. Hong Kong
  6. Suez
  7. Panama
  8. Galle (Indian Ocean)
  9. Las Palmas (Atlantic)
  10. Kiel Canal / Hamburg / Baltic
  11. Los Angeles
  12. Port Harcourt
  13. Southampton

 

Please help to populate this list further.

 

Proposed Domicile Airports for the highest number of Seafarers employed:

  1. Manila/Cebu – Filipino
  2. Delhi, Mumbai/Chennai – Indians
  3. Odessa – Ukrainians
  4. Moscow/Vladivostok/Nakhodka/St. Petersburg – Russians
  5. Gdansk / Warsaw – Polish
  6. Shanghai – Chinese
  7. Bucharest – Romanians
  8. Zagreb – Croats
  9. Frankfurt or Amsterdam (Transit)
  10. Paris – French

 

Please help to populate this list further.

 

The Commission has published a guidance document ‘on the implementation of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU, on the facilitation of transit arrangements for the repatriation of EU citizens, and the effects on visa policy EU travel ban’. You can find the document at https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/20200330_c-2020-2050-report_en.pdf.

 

Internal EU Borders: The Commission also published guidelines ‘concerning the exercise of the free movement of workers during COVID-19 outbreak’ which can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=22473&langId=en

 

It states clearly that the continued free movement of all workers in critical occupations is essential, including both frontier workers and posted workers. Member States should allow workers to enter the territory of the host Member State and have unhindered access to their place of work if they exercise in one of the following occupations: transport workers, maritime and inland navigation workers, and fishermen.

……………….

Please see youtu.be/rB_Nyk0LRSo for the link to the video on YouTube. Can we appeal to you to make this video available for your seafarers on board of your ships (allow free download) and their families at home by posting on your website?

We have placed it on our InterManager Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.

 

Seafarers can also access ICS excellent mental health self-help guides and information on COVID-19 at https://www.seafarerhelp.org/en/health-well-being/seafarers-health-resources.

Please be informed that ISWAN is fully operational with staff working from home. SeafarerHelp is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

…………….

For the attention of IGOs and NGOs in consultative status with IMO

This email is to kindly remind you that the deadline for submission of nominations for the 2020 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea is on Wednesday, 15 April. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any queries about the nomination process (please refer to the email and links below).

We look forward to receiving your organisation’s nomination(s).

Many thanks and kind regards,

External Relations Office

…………………………….

 

Last week:

  • Working on COVID-19
  • Working on Nigeria latest hijack case

…………………..

This Week:

  • Working on COVID-19
  • Working on Nigeria latest hijack case

…………

Looking forward:

All travel cancelled 

……………………….

Mt Kilimanjaro August 2020

We are taking on this giant of the world in August 2020, and we are looking for participants now so that training can begin and we can build a good plan for fundraising.

This is certainly one of life’s achievements and will not be forgotten easily!

Minimum sponsorship amount £5000.

Brochure and video being created.

I hope you’re well and will join me in a canoe or on a trek, maybe?

 

Kindest regards

Rebecca Bridgen

Events Fundraiser

Sailors’ Society

+ 44 7712 404130

 

……….

 

Brgds Kuba

Capt. Kuba Szymanski

Secretary General

+44 7624 498 266

 

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