Τhe Propeller Club, Port of Piraeus participates in The Neptune Declaration of Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change, an initiative that aims to alleviate the seafarer crisis by enabling crew changes and repatriation.
The Propeller Club, Port of Piraeus could not remain indifferent to the unprecedented crisis that the pandemic has caused to the hundreds of thousands of seafarers who have been directly affected and, in many instances, are left stranded on ships for months. The difficulty, and sometimes the impossibility, of changing and repatriating crews is an issue that has not yet been resolved and is a major scourge for the maritime community worldwide.
"We will do everything in our power to contribute to the immediate resolution of this global crisis that has been going on for a long time," said the President of the Propeller Club, Costis J. Frangoulis.
"The confinement of seafarers seriously affects the physical and mental health as well as the safety of the crews that remain on ships for months. At the same time this prevents crews on land from working. There are many obstacles that need to be overcome, but we cannot continue to let this hold us back. Together, we must find and implement solutions immediately. "
Despite significant efforts by international organizations, governments, industry associations, labor unions, NGOs and individual companies, the issue is still far from resolved.
To make tangible improvements, the following actions should be implemented:
- Recognize seafarers as key workers and give them priority access to Covid-19 vaccines.
- Establish and implement gold standard health protocols based on existing best practice.
- Increase collaboration between ship operators and charterers to facilitate crew changes.
- Ensure air connectivity between key maritime hubs for seafarers.