Transport Canada confirms in Ship Safety Bulletin 11/2022 that COVID-19 vaccines approved in Canada continue to be available to foreign seafarers. The bulletin provides links to websites that contain information on how a foreign seafarer can obtain a COVID-19 vaccine in Canada. Further, this bulletin refers shipping companies, agents and seafarers to Ship Safety Bulletin 06/2022 for guidelines respecting the mobility of asymptomatic, presumed non-Covid-19 carrying seafarers.
Oil prices rose about $1 in volatile trade on Tuesday as tight global supplies outweighed worries that fuel demand would be hit by a possible recession and fresh COVID-19 curbs in China.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 96 cents, or 0.8% to $121.89 a barrel at 0634 GMT, while Brent crude futures rose $1.05, or 0.9%, to $123.32 a barrel.
Tight global supplies have been aggravated by a drop in exports from Libya amid a political crisis that has hit output and ports, while other producers in OPEC+ struggle to meet their production quotas and Russia faces bans on its oil over the war in Ukraine.
ANZ Research analysts cited Libya’s oil minister Mohamed Aoun saying production in the country has dropped to 100,000 barrels per day from 1.2 million bpd last year.
“The continuing squeeze on refined products globally, as well as a lack of investment to bring online more supplies from OPEC members, or other sources, means lost Russian production is nowhere near being covered by global markets,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA, in a note.
The market will be awaiting weekly U.S. inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday and the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday for a view of how tight crude and fuel supply remain.
Six analysts polled by Reuters expect U.S. crude inventories fell by 1.2 million barrels in the week to June 3, while forecasting that gasoline stockpiles rose by about 800,000 barrels and distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were unchanged.
On the demand side, China’s latest COVID outbreak traced to a bar in Beijing has raised fears of a new phase of lockdowns just as restrictions in the country were being eased and fuel demand was expected to firm.
The Chinese capital’s most populous district, Chaoyang, kicked off a three-day mass testing campaign among its roughly 3.5 million residents on Monday. About 10,000 close contacts of the bar’s patrons have been identified, and their residential buildings put under lockdown.]
Looking ahead, oil prices may face pressure if the U.S. Federal Reserve surprises the markets with a higher-than-expected interest rate hike, CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng said.
“Otherwise, traders’ focus will go back to China’s COVID restrictions, when we could see prices tracing the demand outlook of the world’s second-largest economy,” she added.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Sonali Paul and Isabel Kua; Editing by Richard Pullin and Kenneth Maxwell)
The spread of Covid-19 in passenger ships is exacerbated when a cabin door is left open to let in fresh air, according to new research led by Cranfield University.
High performance simulations were developed to show how infected particles from a person’s mouth were distributed onboard small passenger ships. The key finding was that keeping the cabin door shut led to a shorter area spread of particles.
The research aims to aid the post-pandemic recovery of the maritime industry – which saw a reduction of 43% in passenger vessel operations due to Covid-19. The results will advance on-board protection measures against future viruses – reducing the economic and social impact of pandemics on seafarers, passengers and the shipping industry.
Maritime industry hit hard by pandemic
Passenger transportation across the world has been significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the time passengers spend confined together creating a risk to health and spreading the virus.
Although research of how the virus spreads in hospitals and other settings such as cars is extensive, equivalent studies into Covid-19 on ships have been limited.
The key findings – published in the Ocean Engineering journal – show that the airflow environment on ships is unique because of their forward motion, and that the location of a front-facing door can cause significant wind flow to distribute infected particles more widely.
Researchers – led by Cranfield University’s Dr Luofeng Huang, Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering – carried out research using a series of computational models to look at the airborne transmission of Covid-19 inside a ship. They examined what happened when an infected person coughed or was speaking when the door was open, and how the spread of this virus changed when the door was closed.
Closed doors and air conditioning units
Results from the research modeling showed that the movement of virus particles was limited to a radius of half a meter, less than a seat’s width, when doors were closed. The passenger seats could then be adjusted accordingly to take this spread radius into account.
The researchers also looked at the influence of air conditioning units and found that adjusting the direction of air flow downwards acted as a measure to limit virus spread.
Cranfield University’s Dr Luofeng Huang, the paper’s lead author, said: “We initially started the research with a focus on Indonesia, a nation which relies heavily on sea transportation. But when the pandemic hit, there were ships around the world which were unable to leave port, or had to operate at reduced capacity. Our research demonstrated a safe way forward for ships, and will assist as the maritime industry recovers from the effects of the pandemic.
“We were very surprised by the results of the research as it differs to mainstream guidance on covid and fresh air. In the case of ships, it is evident that keeping the front door of a vessel shut will mitigate the spread of an infection.
“Our next step is to continue the research to develop guidelines for fishing vessels, on which the catching process usually requires more than 10 crew working side-by-side, and the physical demands make it impractical to wear masks. With this concern, hundreds of thousands of fishing vessels are still suspended which increases the economic toll in the region.”
The UK-Indonesia collaboration was initiated by Professor Giles Thomas from UCL, in partnership with Cranfield University and ITS University in Indonesia, and funded by the British Council. A series of workshops are being held with Indonesian partners to help governmental departments and industrial operators to adopt COVID-19 guidelines developed through this project.
Source:
Journal reference:
Huang, L., et al. (2022) COVID-19 transmission inside a small passenger vessel: Risks and mitigation. Ocean Engineering. doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2022.111486.
The ocean’s wide-ranging supply chains are responsible for the continued flow of vital goods, including food and medical supplies. With almost 90 per cent of global trade carried by vessels, shipping lies at the very core of the global logistical system. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, is threatening to disrupt the flow of vital goods by sea. National measures and local restrictions in response to COVID-19 combined with reduced labour force-capacity in ports are making it increasingly challenging for ships to dock, load and disembark.
Ensuring the safe delivery of vital goods requires a vast and international ocean-based workforce. With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting movement and a dire lack of medical attention for workers, the physical and mental health of some 1.2 million seafarers is under enormous strain. Meanwhile, travel restrictions and grounded airplanes are making the monthly changeover of 150,000 crew members on ships virtually impossible.
This UN Global Compact Academy session explores challenges facing the global shipping industry in light of COVID-19 and provides expert recommendations including on supporting the safety and repatriation of seafarers to ensure the vital goods the world relies on continue to be delivered.
Speakers Include:
– Guy Platten, Secretary General, International Chamber of Shipping
– Sturla Henriksen, UN Global Compact Special Advisor Ocean
– Heike Deggim, Director of the Maritime Safety Division, International Maritime Organisation
– Patrick Verhoeven, Managing Director-Policy and Strategy, International Association of Ports and Harbors
What did we learn?
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- The global maritime industry is responsible for 90% of global trade, consisting of many actors ranging from ports and shipping companies to global regulatory bodies. Despite its crucial role in delivering global supply chains, it often remains “out of sight, out of mind.”
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- Facilitating the regular changeover of seafarers remains the most urgent challenge. Grounded airplanes and national restrictions have resulted in some 150,000 seafarers unable to return home. After having been on board for several months, some without access to medical attention, this is becoming an increasing humanitarian and safety issue.
- The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has issued a 12-step plan for how governments can facilitate crew changes and resolve safety concerns throughout the entire process. The plan was spearheaded by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), together with seafarer unions, the insurance sector, and industry associations, including airlines.
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- What emerged is the truly global nature of a problem that is currently only being addressed on a national basis A comprehensive, global approach to ensuring the continuing safe and efficient functioning of these ocean-related supply chains and its seafarers is needed; panelists called on national governments to recognise the important role of ocean supply chains and its workforce.
- Opportunities are emerging to build back better and more resilient. The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) points to the potential of smart port systems to lower industry emissions, while the IMO underlined continued commitment to reducing greenhouse gases. The COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in unprecedented collaboration and cooperation within the maritime industry itself, paving the way for future collaboration on a more resilient future.
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Recommended Resources:
UN Global Compact Call to Action
IMO recommended framework of protocols
IMO COVID-19 materials and circular notes
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued a final report on May 31 that presents the results of a two-year fact-finding investigation into the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on U.S. international ocean transportation. Two critical areas were discussed: the increased cost of ocean freight and demurrage and detention processing that resulted in excessive charges.
The investigation also determined that “although certain ocean transportation prices, especially spot prices, are disturbingly high by historical measures, those prices are exacerbated by the pandemic, an unexpected and unprecedented surge in consumer spending, particularly in the United States, and supply chain congestion, and are the product of the market forces of supply and demand.”
The FMC Commissioner Rebecca Dye released twelve recommendations for supply chain improvement in her Final Report for Fact Finding 29 (FF 29) on the effects of Covid-19 on the international ocean transportation supply chain. This final report is the culmination of a two-year investigation involving hundreds of ocean transportation industry stakeholders.
The recommendations are as follows:
- A new Commission “International Ocean Shipping Supply Chain Program” to study supply chain issues and propose solutions;
- A rulemaking to provide coherence and clarity on Empty Container Return practices;
- A rulemaking to provide coherence and clarity on Earliest Return Date practices;
- Continued Commission support for the new FMC “Ocean Carrier Compliance Program” including a new requirement for ocean common carriers, seaports, and marine terminals to employ an FMC Compliance Officer;
- An FMC Outreach Initiative to provide more information to the shipping public about FMC competition enforcement, service contracts, forecasting, and shippers associations, among other topics;
- Enhanced cooperation with the federal agency most experienced in agricultural export promotion, the Department of Agriculture, concerning container availability and other issues;
- A Commission investigation into practices relating to the numerous charges assessed by ocean common carriers and seaports and marine terminals through tariffs;
- A rulemaking to provide coherence and clarity on merchant haulage and carrier haulage;
- A new “National Seaport, Marine Terminal, and Ocean Carrier Advisory Committee” to work cooperatively with the Commission’s National Shipper Advisory Committee;
- A revival of the Export Rapid Response Team program as agreed by all ocean carrier alliance CEOs;
- An FMC Supply Chain Innovation Teams engagement to discuss blank sailing coordination and information availability; and
- A reinvigorated focus on the extreme supply chain equipment dislocations in Memphis railheads, other rail facilities, and other facilities around the country.
Many of the recommendations are centered around changes in current practices that ocean carriers and terminals have instituted under the Shipping Reform Act of 1984. Recommendation number 4 calls out for the ocean carrier to designate a compliance person for their organization and recommends where that person needs to be reporting to within the organization. These recommendations presented by the FMC in the report were done in cooperation with importers, exporters, ocean carriers, and terminals; all parties with great involvement in the movement of cargo. The voice of the industry was an important step in helping craft the recommended changes.
While the changes will not solve the entirety of current pandemic-related issues in ocean shipping, they are a step in the right direction for putting processes in place to move the industry to a more “normalized” and streamlined supply chain. The FMC took action and now it will take some determination and hard work to implement the 12-step program.
China’s shipbuilding industry is showing significant signs of a slowdown, in part has been hard hit by the latest waves of the pandemic which delayed the production schedule for a broad range of ships. While the yards and specifically the industry centered around Shanghai are emphasizing their return to operations in recent weeks, the first four months of 2022 showed a marked slowdown in activity.
Data from the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI) illustrated the scope of the impact of COVID-19 on the shipbuilding industry in 2022. For the first four months of the year, the total output by the shipbuilding industry of 11.71 million dwt was down nearly nine percent versus a year ago. Domestic volumes appear to be stronger as CANSI reports that exports were down nearly 15 percent to 10.28 million dwt.
Exports or orders of ships for international shipowners however continue to make up the vast majority of the business at Chinese shipyards. The data highlights that nearly 90 percent of the volume from the shipyards in the first four months of 2022 was for export. Also, reflecting the rising costs and high prices for ships they reported that the value of the export ships topped $5.8 billion and while it was off by more than 10 percent it was a smaller decline than the volume of export tonnage.
Global newbuilding orders from shipowners are also declining from last year’s peak. CANSI reported that the Chinese shipbuilding industry received orders for 15.39 million dwt, which was down nearly 45 percent year over year. Most of the decline was coming from international shipowners with export orders for the Chinese shipbuilders down nearly 45 percent in the first four months of 2022. Despite the drop from 2021’s record levels, so far in 2022, China added another 13.66 million dwt in export ship orders.
The shipyards are reporting that they are working hard and quickly moving back to full capacity after having been closed for most of April and into May. China Shipbuilding’s Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard was able to proceed with work for most of May, reporting that it passed milestones for six ships in the first part of the month. This included sea trials for an 80,000 cbm LNG carrier, starting the engine for a new 13,000 TEU containership, moving Evergreen’s second 24,000 TEU containership out of the dry dock, and starting final assembly work on another LNG carrier.
Similarly, just a week after restarting operations, the Jiangnan Shipyard was able to deliver an LNG dual-fuel Newcastlemax bulk carrier to EPS, while another Newcastlemax bulk carrier and an Aframax crude oil tanker each achieved milestones in their construction last week. Two other vessels were also repositioned in the dry dock for the next phase of construction with the shipbuilder located near Shanghai vowing to make up for lost time and complete its project on time.
While the industry has been impacted by COVID-19 and the global slowing in orders, the Chinese shipbuilders continue to have a large orderbook. As of the end of April, a total of 102.47 million dwt was on order up more than 20 percent versus 2021. Export ports make up 89 percent of the total orderbook.
Chinese shipbuilding remains the largest segment of the global industry winning 54 percent of the new orders in 2022. China’s backlog accounts for just under half the total market volume for new ships.
PUBLISHED BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE
The Mission to Seafarers has officially re-opened its drop-in centre at Jurong Port after a two-year closure due to Covid restrictions.
“It’s great to be back!” declared the Mission to Seafarers Singapore (MtSS) Chairman, Capt. Rob Walker, as he welcomed partners, supporters and friends.
Guest of Honour of was Esben Poulsson, Vice-President of the Mission to Seafarers, and the event was attended by representatives from Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Jurong Port, Singapore Maritime Officers Union (SMOU), the Diocese of Singapore, St. George’s Church, as well as many of the Mission’s regular sponsors.
The lifting of Covid travel restrictions by Singapore, including seafarers, enabling ship’s crew to enjoy shore leave in the Lion City for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. Helping seafarers stay connected during the pandemic some 6,296 seafarers aboard 748 vessels moored and at anchorage in Singapore have benefitted from the use of loaned routers for internet access since August 2021.
MtSS chaplain, Toh Soon Kok, also presented a potted history of the Mission and its future plans at Singapore’s Tuas megaport.
Resource: MtSS
Maritime satcom giant Inmarsat has released a report analyzing data from Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) calls made from 2018 to 2021.
Among the key findings from the Inmarsat data is that there was an abrupt spike in GMDSS calls in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the report, this is likely to have been caused by “issues with crew change, rapid turnaround in ports and fatigue on board.”
Peter Broadhurst, senior vice president of safety and security at Inmarsat Maritime, says that the report (The Future of Maritime Safety) provides insights into safety trends that reveal patterns at a local and global level.
“Better understanding these patterns can help us to take proactive steps to prevent such incidents going forward and help guide us to a safer future,” says Broadhurst. “The Inmarsat GMDSS data shows the top three sectors with the highest distress calls as tankers, fishing vessels and bulk carriers, with the lowest incidents arising in passenger ships. This data should help us focus our attention and tackle known safety issues in these sectors.”
Adding context to the data analysis, the report features expert opinions from industry representatives and seafarers invited to share their views on the most pertinent maritime safety issues and the changes they would like to see implemented to address them.
The spread of COVID-19 in passenger ships is exacerbated when a cabin door is left open to let in the fresh air, according to new research led by Cranfield University.
High-performance simulations were developed to show how infected particles from a person’s mouth were distributed onboard small passenger ships.
‘On-board protection measures against COVID-19 viruses can reduce the economic and social impact of the pandemic on seafarers, passengers, and the shipping industry.’
The research aims to aid the post-pandemic recovery of the maritime industry, which saw a reduction of 43% in passenger vessel operations due to COVID-19.
Passenger transportation across the world has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the time passengers spend confined together creating a risk to health and spreading the virus.
Although research on how the virus spreads in hospitals and other settings such as cars is extensive, equivalent studies into COVID-19 on ships have been limited.
The key findings published in the Ocean Engineering journal show that the airflow environment on ships is unique because of their forward motion and that the location of a front-facing door can cause significant wind flow to distribute infected particles more widely.
Researchers carried out research using a series of computational models to look at the airborne transmission of Covid-19 inside a ship.
They examined what happened when an infected person coughed or was speaking when the door was open, and how the spread of this virus changed when the door was closed.Results from the research modeling showed that the movement of virus particles was limited to a radius of half a meter, less than a seat’s width when doors were closed. The passenger seats could then be adjusted accordingly to take this spread radius into account.
The researchers also looked at the influence of air conditioning units and found that adjusting the direction of airflow downwards acted as a measure to limit virus spread. “We were very surprised by the results of the research as it differs from mainstream guidance on covid and fresh air. In the case of ships, it is evident that keeping the front door of a vessel shut will mitigate the spread of an infection” said Dr. Luofeng Huang, the paper’s lead author.
Our next step is to continue the research to develop guidelines for fishing vessels, on which the catching process usually requires more than 10 crew working side-by-side, and the physical demands make it impractical to wear masks.
With this concern, hundreds of thousands of fishing vessels are still suspended which increases the economic toll in the region.
Source: Medindia
January 10, 2022 Maritime Safety News
There are still a high number of COVID cases affecting crews and others on board ships, and many ports and countries continue to operate with changing restrictions and regulations, which differ from place to place. We encourage ship operators to follow the evolution of the outbreak and the areas affected by COVID-19 at a given time, continue to promote vaccination and compliance with proven health measures such as use of masks, physical distancing and hand hygiene, and review their crew change management plans and implement all relevant recommendations set out in the revised IMO supported protocols for crew changes and travel.
On the positive side, the Neptune Declaration’s crew change tracker reports that seafarer vaccinations are progressing with vaccine programs being established in numerous countries to offer vaccines to international seafarers. Information on countries offering vaccines for seafarers is provided by the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) and the North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA). However, the roll-out of vaccination programs still varies enormously from country to country and it may take years before most of the global population, including seafarers, has been vaccinated. In the meantime, basic public health measures remain the foundation of the world’s response. For public health authorities this means testing, contact tracing, isolation, supported quarantine and quality care. For individuals it means avoiding crowds, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and masks. For the shipping industry, it means continuing restrictions on travel and port operations resulting in sustained challenges relating to crew changes, repatriation of sick crew and concerns for the wellbeing of seafarers.
Below we have provided links to some relevant websites and guidelines that may assist ship operators, masters, and crews to stay alert and prepare and respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. An overview of Gard’s relevant loss prevention material is also included.
We would, however, like to emphasise that Gard is guided by the views and recommendations issued by the WHO, IMO, flag states, and other expert agencies in respect of this pandemic. As the situation evolves, so will recommendations and measures to prevent and reduce spread of the infection and we advise Members and clients to remain vigilant.
Source: gard