Vaccine gaps threaten shipping

The issue of unvaccinated sailors is deepening a global supply chain crisis in the international shipping industry, which has warned that half of the world's seafarers are from countries where COVID-19 vaccines are not yet available or the rollout is slow.

Shipping bodies are concerned the number of seafarers being impacted is on the rise due to travel restrictions imposed by governments in response to new variants. Calls are now growing to ensure sailors receive priority vaccines.

The International Chamber of Shipping, a trade association known as the ICS, said it is receiving reports some of the world's 1.7 million seafarers are unable to disembark from their vessels as countries introduce vaccine requirements at their borders.

The ICS told the Financial Times it had learned some sailors were being blocked entry at ports because they had not received a specific COVID-19 vaccine. This is causing a so-called "crew change crisis" that brings problems for the supply chain.

Seafarers have kept global trade flowing throughout the pandemic, while the shipping industry has been "stretched to its limit in the last year by a virus-driven surge in demand for goods amid limited availability of containers", the finance broadsheet said.

The ICS warned the latest situation with border controls threatened to edge the global supply chain into a deeper crisis following welfare issues for sailors last year.

Some 400,000 were stranded on their ships in June because of coronavirus-induced restrictions. The ICS said some have now been stuck at sea for as long as two years. It said the situation has improved, though the number is still about 200,000.

The ICS said as many as 900,000 sailors in the industry are from developing nations, where vaccines might not be available for all until 2024. It said mariners from developed nations can be vaccinated through national rollouts, but the program may be slower in the Philippines, Indonesia and India.

Delays flagged

Guy Platten, secretary-general of ICS, said in the FT: "If our workers can't pass through international borders, this will undoubtedly cause delays and disruptions in the supply chain. We're really scared seafarers will become collateral damage again."

Shipping companies face a dilemma, as they have no way to secure vaccine supplies. The Mediterranean Shipping Company told the FT it is studying the possibility of government partnerships, which would mean paying for a vaccine that is shared with the general public.

Another option may be for shipping companies to coordinate efforts through the industry's International Maritime Organization, which has called on states to recognize seafarers as key workers "without delay". So far, only 55 countries have declared seafarers as key workers, said maritime news source splash247.com.