There could be a shortage of merchant sailors to crew commercial ships in five years if action is not taken to boost numbers, raising risks for global supply chains, a report said on Wednesday.

The shipping industry is already struggling with crewing shortfalls due to the coronavirus pandemic, a situation that will exacerbate expected labour supply problems over the next few years, according to the study published by trade associations BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).

The Delta variant of the coronavirus has hit hard in parts of Asia and prompted many nations to cut off land access for sailors. That’s left captains unable to rotate weary crews and about 100,000 seafarers stranded at sea beyond their stints, in a flashback to 2020 and the height of lockdowns when over 200,000 merchant sailors were stuck on ships.

The study released by BIMCO and ICS estimated that 1.89 million seafarers were operating over 74,000 vessels in the global merchant fleet.

The Seafarer Workforce Report, which was last published in 2015, predicted that an additional 89,510 officers would be needed by 2026, based on projections for growth in shipping trade, and said there was a current shortfall of some 26,240 certified officers, indicating that demand for seafarers had outpaced supply in 2021.

“We are far beyond the safety net of workforce surplus that protects the world’s supply of food, fuel and medicine,” said ICS secretary general Guy Platten.

“Without urgent action from governments the supply of seafarers will run dry.”

The report said more emphasis was needed to recruit and retain seafarers.

Platten, citing industry surveys, added that as few as 20% of seafarers around the world had been vaccinated against COVID-19 and urged governments to prioritize “essential transport workers for vaccinations”.

“Combined with a surge in demand for labour, this is pushing global supply chains to breaking point,” he added.

“Countries which supply most of the world’s seafarers, such as the Philippines, Indonesia and India have limited access to COVID-19 vaccines, threatening further supply chain instability without rapid action at a national level.”

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul; Editing by Susan Fenton)

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“The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”

The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention recognizes the rights and freedoms of all nations to engage in traditional uses of the sea. According to the Department of Defense 2020 Annual Freedom of Navigation Report to Congress, “Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims—or incoherent legal theories of maritime entitlement—that are inconsistent with international law pose a threat to the legal foundation of the rules-based international order.”

Not all nations adhere to this principle. Consequently, the United States is “committed to confronting this threat by challenging excessive maritime claims,” the report said.

The U.S. Navy routinely asserts those right by conducting “Freedom of Navigation” operations (FONOPS) around the world.  There are a number of claims around the globe with which the U.S. does not agree or accept.   Last year U.S. forces met 28 excessive maritime claims by 19 countries, the DoD report said.  This is perhaps most visible in the western Pacific, where the United States Navy continues to assert its right to operate freely in international waters by conducting FONOPS in the South China Sea, particularly in the vicinity of the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

USS Benfold (DDG 65) conducted a FONOP in the South China Sea on July 12, and “asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law,” according to a Navy statement.  “This freedom of navigation operation (“FONOP”) upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging the unlawful restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam and also by challenging China’s claim to strait baselines enclosing the Paracel Islands.”

According to a statement from the U.S. Seventh Fleet, U.S. forces have operated in the South China Sea on a daily basis, and have done so for more than a century. “They routinely operate in close coordination with like-minded allies and partners who share our commitment to uphold a free and open international order that promotes security and prosperity. All of our operations are designed to be conducted professionally and in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows –regardless of the location of excessive maritime claims and regardless of current events.”

The Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) claimed they “chased away” the Benfold.   According to Tian Junli, a spokesman for the Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), “The US military’s actions seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, seriously damaged the peace and stability of the South China Sea and seriously violated international law and the norms of international relations – more ironclad proof it is engaging in navigational hegemony to cause the militarization of the South China Sea.  We strongly condemn and resolutely oppose this, and we urge the US side to immediately stop their provocative actions and to strictly control their maritime and air activities. Otherwise, the US side will need to bear all consequences that arise from this.”

The U.S. Navy said the PRC’s statement about Benfold’s mission was incorrect. “USS Benfold conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations in international waters. The operation reflects our commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea as a principle. The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Benfold did here. Nothing PRC says otherwise will deter us.”

A U. S. Navy press statement said that the PLAN statement was just “the latest in a long string of PRC actions to misrepresent lawful U.S. maritime operations and assert its excessive and illegitimate maritime claims at the expense of its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea. The PRC’s behavior stands in contrast to the United States’ adherence to international law and our vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. All nations, large and small, should be secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules and norms.”

Furthermore, the Navy statement said, international law does not permit continental States, like China, to establish baselines around entire dispersed island groups. “With these baselines, China has attempted to claim more internal waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf than it is entitled to under international law. By conducting this operation, the United States demonstrated that these waters are beyond what China can lawfully claim as its territorial sea, and that China’s claimed straight baselines around the Paracel Islands are inconsistent with international law.”

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Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) is working on a project for research and development of a sail (Delta Sail) that can be mounted on ships’ cargo handling cranes and similar equipment to boost propulsion force.

MOL’s subsidiary MOL Drybulk, Oshima Shipbuilding, and Iknow Machinery are part of the R&D project which aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vessels while underway, by unfurling the sail placed on ship such as triangular parts of existing cargo handling cranes to use offshore winds to provide additional propulsion force.

“Many MOL Drybulk-operated vessels are equipped with cargo handling cranes, and the company plans to study the installation of the Delta Sail on a broad range of ship types, such as bulkers, wood chip carriers, and multi-purpose vessels,” MOL said.

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Crowley Maritime has secured a multi-year, $638 million contract for Vessel Acquisition Management (VAM) by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD).

“Crowley’s strategic acquisition and vessel management service will assist MARAD in the enhancement of the Ready Reserve Force (RRF), helping reduce the overall age of the fleet and increase ship reliability. The fleet executes U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) sealifts,” Crowley Maritime said.

“To carry out the contract, Crowley will use a new, proprietary information technology system to assess, research, and make purchasing recommendations,” the company said,

Once the vessels are acquired, Crowley will oversee any required re-flagging, re-classification, modification, and maintenance to ensure they are fit for service in compliance with U.S. Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping, and Defense Department requirements. After ships enter the fleet, Crowley will maintain and operate the vessels on behalf of MARAD.

“A successful VAM program is important to the U.S. as a maritime nation, the maritime industry and Crowley as we mutually invest in the strength of our nation,” said Mike Golonka, vice president, government ship management in Crowley Solutions. “We want to share our innovative, successful approach to vessel ownership and lifecycle engineering with the U.S. government.”

Crowley will use the web-based platform to perform data analysis of the lifecycle of vessels and their components. The SHIPFAXTM platform will provide data-driven recommendations based on essential service requirements, as well as important factors to successfully manage and operate vessels.

“Crowley will execute the contract with Stena RoRo, Serco and LCE (Life Cycle Engineering), who bring specialized and unique experiences and services in acquisitions, naval ship architecture, engineering and applied technology,” Crowley said.

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PUBLISHED JUL 23, 2021 9:40 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

A court in Lagos, Nigeria has sentenced 10 pirates to prison for the kidnapping of the crew of the fishing vessel Hailufeng II last year.

The Chinese fishing trawler Hailufeng 11 was captured by pirates on May 14, 2020 within the Ivorian EEZ. She had 18 crewmembers aboard, including  eight Chinese nationals, seven Ghanaians and three Ivorians.

Multiple Gulf of Guinea coastal states participated in tracking the vessel using mechanisms set up under the Yaoundé Architecture for Maritime Security. In a rare victory, the Nigerian Navy was able to interdict the Hailufeng 11 at a position about 140 nautical miles south of Lagos, arriving about two days after the hijacking.

The Nigerian patrol vessel NNS Nguru conducted the intercept, and when it approached, the pirates refused to stop. The Nigerian Navy’s Special Boat Service conducted an opposed boarding while underway at about nine knots. The rescue was successful and all 18 hostages were recovered. 10 pirates were arrested and the vessel was safely escorted into Lagos.

An arrest and trial for piracy is a rare development in West Africa, the maritime kidnapping capital of the world. The 12-year prison sentence sends a new message to Nigerian pirate action groups, which have long operated with impunity from bases in the lightly-governed, economically underdeveloped Niver River Delta.

In addition to their prison sentences, the convicts will have to pay $600 per count for three counts of piracy each. They are expected to appeal their convictions.

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/nigerian-court-sentences-10-pirates-to-12-years-in-prison

PUBLISHED JUL 28, 2021 3:27 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

In the next phase of the COVID-19 regiments, the UK government announced that it is going to again permit some international travel, including cruises, as well as reducing the restrictions to enter England for individuals that have received vaccinations under approved programs in Europe and the US. The announcement is seen as a boost both to the struggling cruise industry and will provide added revenues to English ports.

Starting in August, international travelers arriving from the US and European countries except France will no longer be required to quarantine in England. They will still be required to complete both a pre-departure test for COVID-19 and a test two days after arrival. The rules, however, still require a 10-day quarantine for arrivals from France, and those vaccinated in the US will be required to prove US residency.

UK Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps also Tweeted the news that the government had decided to permit cruise ships sailing from England to visit international destinations. Cruise ships have been prohibited from international destinations since the summer of 2020, but starting in May were permitted to operate sea voyages or trips to ports in the UK. The current decision builds on a memorandum of understanding with the cruise industry on safely building back operations.

“Following the close monitoring of epidemiological evidence, gained through the restart of the domestic cruise industry earlier this year, the UK government has also confirmed the go ahead for international cruise sailings to restart from England,” the Transportation and Health and Social Care departments said in their joint statement. The government is instructing travelers to remain aware of the dangers and take precautions, but is reducing its previous guidance to avoid cruise travel.

The cruise lines immediately hailed the decision. While firms indicated they would complete their current programs of domestic cruises before adding cruises to Europe, several have already announced plans for international cruises starting in the fall in anticipation of the revision in the policy. Some cruise lines said they might start adding international ports to some of their current cruises.

“We’ve taken great strides on our journey to reopen international travel and today is another important step forward. Whether you are a family reuniting for the first time since the start of the pandemic or a business benefiting from increased trade this is progress we can all enjoy” said Shapps. However, oppositions leaders immediately criticize the policy as risky while Shapps highlighted that the opposition had called for similar steps a month ago.

The government is also relaxing the testing requirements for certain critical workers, who by the nature of their work do not mix with the public or leave their vehicles helping free up running times by removing undue burdens.

The British Ports Association also welcomed the news of the relaxing of travel restrictions to England highlighting that tourism and cruises are an important activity to ports, as well as the coastal regions. Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive at the British Ports Association said, “We are delighted the UK Government has today announced that international cruise can restart in England from August 2, after a lengthy 16 months of no international sailings. The successful restart of domestic cruises in England two months ago has demonstrated how ports, cruise lines, government, and health officials have been able to work together to ensure the health and safety of passengers, crew, and destinations are an absolute priority. We are hopeful that the devolved administrations will follow suit shortly as we begin the gradual move towards normality.”

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PUBLISHED JUL 27, 2021 11:38 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

The International Transport Workers’ Federation is calling on the government of Mauritius to release the crew of the grounded bulker Wakashio, which struck a reef near Mahebourg one year ago.

“This week marks the one year anniversary of the grounding of the MV Wakashio and the environmental catastrophe associated with it. This week also marks one year since the Mauritian authorities have held members of the crew and prevented them from leaving the Republic, most have been effectively detained without charge,” said David Heindel, ITF Seafarers’ Section chair.

Heindel said the ITF and its affiliated seafarers’ unions have concerns about the treatment of the crew of the Wakashio by Mauritian authorities. Following the grounding of the  Wakashio, Captain Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar and Chief Officer Tilakaratna Subodha were arrested. In August 2020 they were charged with endangering safe navigation, and they have been detained in prison since their arrest without bail. Most of the remainder of the crew have been detained under “house arrest” and kept in a local hotel, according to ITF, in what appears to be an effort to keep them on hand as witnesses in a future trial. Some of these crewmembers – who are essentially held without charges – had already been on board Wakashio for more than 12 months due to the crew change crisis and have now been away from their families for over two years.

“The ITF supports thorough, independent investigations of the factors relating to any maritime incident [but] we are concerned about the lack of appropriate legal proceedings taking place regarding the Wakashio crew,” Heindel said. “Access to justice and fair treatment by the authorities are fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We believe the treatment experienced by the crew of the Wakashio violates their human rights.”

According to ITF, the handling of the Wakashio incident fits a troubling pattern of “criminalization of seafarers” in the event of a marine casualty. The phenomenon has gained attention at ILO and IMO, and Heindel suggests that it should be shipowners rather than crewmembers who should be held accountable.

“We know that seafarers are seen by some officials as convenient bargaining chips in efforts to hold shipowners to account for maritime accidents caused by issues like a lack of maintenance. This is especially the case when a state finds it difficult to locate and prosecute irresponsible shipowners,” said Heindel. “Seafarers are being cynically targeted all over the world by officials just for doing our jobs.”

One new frontier: the criminalization of rescue at sea, as attempted in Italy under former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and now potentially a concern in the UK under Home Secretary Priti Patel. Her proposed Nationality and Borders Bill new imposes criminal penalties for “knowingly facilitating” the transport of an asylum seeker to the UK, potentially including the delivery of rescuees to a UK port. Though immigration minister Chris Philp has promised that the section is not intended to apply to genuine sea rescue by the lifesaving organization RNLI, no language has been added to create a carve-out for SOLAS-mandated rescue at sea by good samaritan vessels.

“Under this new law, if seafarers save a person seeking asylum from drowning, they face life imprisonment. If they let them drown, then they could face prosecution in every country that has ratified [SOLAS] in addition to carrying the life-long emotional burden of knowing they could have saved a life, but did not,” said Heindel. “In coming years, the world will likely see a rise in the number of persons seeking refuge from the effects of climate change, including those people fleeing fires, floods, rising sea levels and drought-induced famine. Now is not the time to be criminalizing seafarers for saving lives.”

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/itf-wakashio-case-highlights-growing-trend-of-criminalizing-seafarers

PUBLISHED JUL 28, 2021 11:13 PM BY THE STRATEGIST

[By Amin Saikal]

The Middle East is one of the driest regions in the world. The scarcity of water has often been touted as a source of national and interstate disputes in the area. Some scholars have predicted for some time the possibility of deadly national altercations and regional clashes over the distribution of water resources in parts of the region. Although no full-blown war has erupted so far, two current episodes illustrate this point: public protests in the Iranian province of Khuzestan and the growing discord between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over water dispensation from the Nile River. With climate change causing more droughts, the potential for conflict over water cannot be underestimated.

In recent days, the oil-rich southwestern province of Khuzestan, largely populated by Iran’s Arab minority, has experienced public protests over a shortage of water as the province and all of Iran have been hit by one of the worst droughts in modern times. The protests have rapidly spread into other parts of Iran, which has come on top of the damage wrought by Covid-19 and US sanctions. Public anger is mounting against the Iranian government, which has been unable to provide remedial responses. The security forces’ heavy-handed treatment of the protesters has resulted in several deaths, with many injured and scores arrested.

While Iran is unlikely to go to war over water with any of its neighbors, the same cannot be firmly said about some of those downstream on the Nile River—the second longest, if not the longest, river in the world, yet with a relatively small reservoir capacity. Ethiopia has been getting closer to a serious dispute with Egypt and Sudan ever since Addis Ababa decided in 2011 to build what it calls the hydroelectric Grand Renaissance Dam for securing more water for developmental purposes. Egypt, which regards the Nile River as its ‘lifeline’, and Sudan, which has concerns about the security of its own supply, have seriously objected to Addis Ababa’s unilateral start of the second phase of the dam project.

The filling of the reservoir of the second phase over a period of two years will affect the amount of water to which Egypt claims to be entitled. Under a bilateral Egypt–Sudan agreement in 1959, the two sides agreed to increase Egypt’s share to 55.5 billion cubic metres and Sudan’s to 18.5 billion. But the agreement isn’t recognized by Ethiopia. It has refused to budge on its determination to go ahead with the second phase, irrespective of serious objections by Cairo and Khartoum.

US mediation in 2020 and ongoing similar action by the African Union have failed to produce any result. In early July 2021, the issue was put to the United Nations Security Council to consider one submission by Ethiopia and another by Egypt and Sudan for a resolution. But a conclusion couldn’t be reached. One of the council’s permanent members claimed that the body didn’t have sufficient expertise to deal with the issue. The council as a whole urged the three parties to avoid unilateral action and reach a negotiated settlement. In a recent article, former Egyptian foreign minister and ambassador to the US Nabil Fahmy warned that ‘sooner or later confrontation seems inevitable, unless we see a sudden and unexpected change in Ethiopia’s position’.

Fahmy has echoed a view that a number of scholars have held about the future possibility of war in the Middle East over water rather than oil. Miriam Lowi’s 1995 book, Water and power, is very telling. The Khuzestan and Ethiopian dam episodes alert us to the urgency of yet another issue that adds to volatility in the Middle East while the tragedy of climate change remains unaddressed.

Amin Saikal is adjunct professor of social sciences at the University of Western Australia, author of “Iran rising: the survival and future of the Islamic Republic, and editor of Iran and the Arab world: a turbulent region in transition.”

This article appears courtesy of The Strategist and is reproduced here in an abbreviated form. It may be found in its original form here.

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PUBLISHED JUL 28, 2021 2:21 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

The global shipping industry is facing a potentially serious shortage of officers by 2026 according to a five-year assessment contained in a new report from BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping. The trade group and union predicted that with continued industry growth there will be a need for nearly 90,000 officers by 2026 required to operate the world’s merchant fleet.  The organizations are calling for a significant increase in recruiting and training both to address the current shortfall and the projected long-term need for officers.

The new Seafarer Workforce Report from BIMCO and the ICS explores both the current status of employment, issues such as turnover, and the aging of the seafarer population, and projections for the likely supply and demand situations over the next five years. It also looks at the progress that the once male-dominated shipping industry is making on issues including diversity. It is an update to the former Manpower Report that profiled the industry in 2015.

The report estimates that there are currently 1.89 million seafarers in the world merchant fleet, operating over 74,000 vessels. Although there has been a 10.8 percent increase in the supply of officers since 2015, the report indicates that there is currently a shortfall of 26,240 officers that will increase in the coming years. They believe that demand is currently outpacing supply possibly in part due to the need for more officers aboard each vessel.

Further, while the industry has addressed some current shortfalls by reducing the turnover rate in the past five years, bring it down two percentage points to six percent, it also points to a potential underlying concern of the aging of the officer popular. The report says that the number of years served at sea is increasing, while also noting that the average age of officers serving at the management and operational levels has increased since 2015.

“To meet the future demand for seafarers it is vital that the industry actively promotes careers at sea and enhances maritime education and training worldwide, with a focus on the diverse skills needed for a greener and more digitally connected industry,” said Guy Platten, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping. “We will need to address the real concerns that we could see seafarers turning away from careers in shipping. We must analyze and respond to trends in seafarer retention, and continue regular monitoring of the global seafarer workforce.”

Among the categories that are already experiencing the most acute shortages, the report points to officers with technical experience combined with management skills. In the tanker and offshore sectors, they also report a shortage of management-level deck officers.

The latest statistics also show a positive trend in gender balance, with an estimated 24,059 women serving as seafarers, representing a 45.8 percent increase compared with 2015. The percentage of female certified seafarers is estimated to be 1.28 percent of the global seafarer workforce, and it appears that there has been a significant rise in the number of female STCW certified ratings compared to STCW certified female officers. Female ratings however are found predominantly in the cruise ship and passenger ferry sectors, but female officer numbers are spread more evenly across the sectors.

This new report echoes similar warnings released in June 2021 by the global shipping consultancy Drewry. Citing the pandemic and its impact on the attractiveness of careers at sea, the analysts forecasted as the industry continues to grow, by 2026 shipping will face its largest shortage of officers in more than a decade. They also foresaw implications for both hiring and future manning costs.

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/potential-for-serious-shortage-of-officers-by-2026

PUBLISHED JUL 28, 2021 6:24 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

While Florida’s seaports experienced a significant loss of trade and revenue in 2020, a new report shows that the state’s seaports are poised for a recovery in 2021. Leading the recovery is the strong growth in cargo volumes that started in the second part of 2020 and the recent gradual restart of the cruise industry, which makes up an important part of the operations of Florida’s ports.

The value of waterborne trade was off more than $14 billion in 2020 at Florida’s 15 seaports according to the annual report from the Florida Seaports Transportation and Economic Development Council (FSTED). Required under Florida law, the report provides data on cargo and cruise activity as well as planned capital investments used to inform Florida policy and its lawmakers.

“We knew it was going to hit cruise — obviously with that being shut down — but cargo was obviously a little bit of a rude awakening, to see the impact on that,” said Michael Rubin, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council. “The good news, again, is that cargo is back up, and it seems to be doing well.”

The report confirms that as with most port operations around the United States, that most of the declines came in the first part of the year due to the uncertainty around COVID-19. The recovery occurred in the fall, but still most of Florida’s ports experienced declines for the year.

In total the report says the value of trade decreased more than 16 percent in 2020, but three ports on the west coast and in the Panhandle of Florida reported gains in container volumes for the year. Those included Port Manatee, Port Tampa Bay, and Port Panama City. Breakbulk cargo also experienced an overall year-over-year increase, growing 8.8 percent to 7.8 million tons in 2020.

South and Central American and the Caribbean remained Florida’s top trade partner regions and accounted for a larger percentage of total trade in 2020 than in 2019. Japan topped China as Florida’s leading import trade partner country in 2020 for the second year in a row.

With COVID-19 bringing cruise sailings to a halt in 2020, Florida’s 158,992 cruise-related jobs, and $8.1 billion in economic activity were severely impacted. The cruise industry remained shut down for more than 15 months and has become the focus of an ongoing legal battle between the state of Florida and the US Centers for Disease Control prevention over the level of restrictions placed on the industry and the financial harm it is causing the state. Despite the current challenges to cruise operations in Florida, the report, however, concludes that the fundamentals of the cruise industry remain strong. They believe the combination of pent-up demand and widespread vaccinations will result in a full, long-term recovery for the industry.

“While most individual seaports experienced declines consistent with the overall trend for 2020, Florida’s 15 seaports are resilient, and we expect to see a near complete recovery in 2021,” said Michael Rubin, FSTED Program Administrator. “With $3.3 billion in capital improvements at Florida’s seaports identified over the next five years, we expect our ports to continue playing a leading role in job creation and economic growth.”

Of the $3.3 billion in seaport capital improvements identified over the next five years, 70.7 percent ($2.3 billion) is slated for the Atlantic coast seaports, with the remaining 29.4 percent ($972.8 million) dedicated for the Gulf Coast seaports. Among the projects slated are rehabilitation and repairs for berths, construction of new cruise and cargo terminals, and channel and harbor deepening efforts.

Florida’s governor also announced that he plans to devote $250 million from the federal stimulus monies to the ports. Florida’s Department of Transportation will select the ports and projects to receive the federal aid.

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/florida-s-ports-lost-14-billion-in-trade-in-2020-due-to-the-pandemic