seafarertimes.com ~ Maritime News for Filipino Seafarers

Defend seafaring workers hit hard by pandemic, Pope says
Philip Pullella June 17, 2020 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-shipping-seafarers-pope/defend-seafar...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis paid tribute on Wednesday to hundreds of thousands of seafarers stuck on ships due to the coronavirus pandemic, a situation the United Nations has said poses a risk to the safe operation of the world’s merchant fleet.

A crewing crisis: Cargo ship crews are stuck at sea
Jun 20th 2020

AS YOU READ this, over 60,000 cargo ships are on the high seas, laden with iPhones from China, dresses from Bangladesh, beef from Argentina, oil from the Gulf and much, much more. The industry likes to say that it is responsible for “90% of everything”. Indeed, its ships are the circulatory system of global commerce and their 1.2m merchant seamen its lifeblood. They enable nations to turn their comparative advantage into wealth. If they were to stop, much of humanity would soon begin to starve or freeze.

IMO okays PHL plan on maritime standards
Lorenz S. Marasigan June 17, 2020 https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/06/17/imo-okays-phl-plan-on-maritime-...

THE International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member State Audit Scheme (Imsas) Council has approved the Philippines’s strategy in enforcing global maritime standards, a plan that boosts the country’s hurdling of an industry evaluation slated for 2022.

The pandemic-proof resolve of a seafarer
Yashika F. Torib June 17, 2020

Graduations have always marked the beginning of an exciting journey and opening up of opportunities for young professionals. Enthusiasm and anticipation to join the workforce dwarf all other flurries of emotions as students join the traditional march and throw graduation caps in the air.

InterManager boss singles out Singapore, Qatar and Dubai for their poor handling of crew changes
Sam Chambers June 16th, 2020 https://splash247.com/intermanager-singles-out-singapore-qatar-and-dubai...

Confusion and obfuscation reign in the public relations battle for the hearts and minds of seafarers, many of whom are now contemplating going on strike.

World cargo at risk as stranded ship crews weigh rebellion
AP June 17, 2020 http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20200617/world-cargo-risk-st...

Merchant ship crew members stranded at sea for months due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions could now start refusing to further extend their contracts and stop working, potentially disrupting global trade, the International Transport Workers’ Federation, ITF, said late Monday.

As Ports Slowly Open, Ships Look to Replace Exhausted Seafarers
June 16, 2020 https://gcaptain.com/as-ports-slowly-open-ships-look-to-replace-exhauste...

(Bloomberg) — Ravi Nagar hasn’t seen his wife and 3-year-old son in eight months. That’s because he was stuck on a tanker shuttling between the Middle East and Asia.

Can the cruise ship industry keep coronavirus at arm's length?
Dirk Kaufmann 16.06.2020 https://www.dw.com/en/can-the-cruise-ship-industry-keep-coronavirus-at-a...

Tourism has been one of the sectors hit hardest by the coronavirus. The pandemic has also been a blow to the cruise ship industry, with tour operators, shipowners and shipyards hurting. Is a restart possible?

Death toll in China's oil tanker explosion rises to 19
14th June 2020 https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2020/jun/14/death-toll-in-chinas-...

About 166 injured people are undergoing treatment in hospitals, the publicity department of the city of Wenling said.

BEIJING: The death toll in the oil tanker explosion in east China's Zhejiang Province has risen to 19, the local authorities said on Sunday.

As oil prices crashed, tankers idled off California—spewing pollution for weeks
Alejandra Borunda June 12, 2020

This scrum of oil tankers, right next to the Los Angeles basin, emitted tons of air pollutants and CO2 while they were parked.