6 minute read
Life at sea
Who would want to go to sea in the post-pandemic world?
Simon Ward, of leading international loss adjusting and marine warranty surveying firm MatthewsDaniel, reviews the escalating pressures placed on seafarers during the Covid-19 era and argues that life at sea remains an attractive career but that more support is needed
There are few organisations with histories as long as P&I clubs. The mutual P&I system seems almost by definition sustainable and one which we all may take for granted at times. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 a number of incidents have brought the shipping industry into sharper view.
The most significant effects have, however, perhaps largely been in a blind spot to all but the keenest industry watchers: the seafarer.
The seafarer has been at the heart of all of this. Not surprisingly, the industry press is now commenting on potential crewing shortages with many seafarers questioning whether a life at sea remains a viable career choice.
Also, more specifically, we have to ask what the experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic era means for marine claims?
In recent times, the shift of global manufacturing to the Asia Pacific region has occurred in parallel to an increasing dependence on ‘just enough, just in time’ supply chains.
This trend has been underpinned by a network of global maritime trade routes that have increasingly relied on larger and larger vessels to move goods. The TEU capacity of container ships has more than doubled since the start of this decade but manning levels have more or less remained the same.
The result is a combination of large high-volume ships manned by proportionally fewer crew able. Moreover, while these vessels are able to deliver more goods per journey they also have a significantly larger impact on global supply chains when something goes wrong.
No one reading this publication will need any prompting to remember the disruption caused in March 2021 when the 20,000 TEU container vessel MV Ever Given grounded in the Suez Canal.
Not only did the companies with goods on board suffer
significant disruption to their supply chain, but so did the estimated 369 other vessels that were waiting to transit the canal.
GARDEN GNOMES
Aside from the anecdotal shortage of garden gnomes across Europe that ensued, this also required a major response from the markets through cargo, charter and P&I insurance that will continue, in some cases, for years to come.
The commercial pressures to maximise vessel size, turnaround times and maintaining route schedules with proportionally fewer crew members against the size of the vessel and the amount of cargo has also heightened the risk of container stack collapses and losses overboard.
There continue to be instances of this type of incident. There is no need to re-hash the multiple papers already in circulation exploring the root and proximate causes of container loss. But commonly reported themes remain poor lashing of large stacks, often with poorly maintained equipment, the impracticality of inspecting lashings of large stacks and the effects of poor weather while on passage.
There have also been a series of well-publicised container fires through the pandemic period. This is not a new phenomenon, and certainly not germane to the pandemic. But, as with stack collapses, the immediate actions to stabilise the situation fall to small crews, generally with insufficient equipment to properly address incidents.
Even where help may be close at hand in the form of a port of refuge, local authorities are often unwilling to accept the potential liability when Masters are aware that all is not well with their cargo.
The story of the MV X-Press Pearl is a sobering example of this situation. This was a modern container vessel lost after only three months’ service, caused significant environmental damage. The master was arrested (and subsequently bailed) and the vessel’s insurers and P&I club were left to pick up the tab.
LIFE AT SEA
What does all this have to do with the thought processes of seafarers as they contemplate a post-pandemic life at sea?
The matters outlined above all signify both a dependence upon the global supply chains enabled by vessels and their crews and also the liability of those seafarers when incidents occur, many of which are beyond their ability to prevent or contain.
In ‘normal’ times, this in itself is a worrying trend. Masters and crews are carrying increased levels of risk and exposure, legal and physical, because of the consequences of decisions being taken elsewhere. While many of the causes of these issues and the subsequent insurance claims have remained the same for decades, the consequences today are much bigger.
Adding to the pressure on modern seafarers is the well documented treatment of them throughout the pandemic.
Crews unable to sign off and return home were essentially left to ply their routes with no knowledge of when they may see homes and families again.
The Maritime Labour Convention states that contracts should not exceed 12 months but many seafarers that operate deep sea sign on for voyages of much shorter duration, typically 3-4 months, in acknowledgement of the pressure and work hours they will face during that period.
Regardless of anticipated voyage length though, the inability to sign off, uncertainty of when that may ultimately happen and the need to continue to operate the vessel in lieu of leave all takes a human toll.
Then there is the example of vessels unable to land and repatriate the remains of crew mates who have sadly died while at sea. Imagine if this was all happening in your workplace and accommodation?
I wouldn’t want to conclude this piece by saying seafaring is a career to be avoided. Far from it. A life at sea is often wonderful and provides a rewarding and fulfilling career path to many.
This has been amply demonstrated by the dedication and resilience of the global seafaring community during the Covd-19 pandemic. Despite the additional stresses imposed by the international response to the pandemic, alongside the trends already evident in increased risk for seafarers, they remained ‘on watch’ and ensured global supply chains kept moving.
Sadly, it often takes totemic incidents like that of the Ever Given or X-Press Pearl to remind the world at large of what these seagoing men and women facilitate. These incidents also resurrect the debate over the cost of claims versus the price of insurance within a global shipping fleet that constantly seeks to do things bigger but for less money.
So, in summary, to answer the question posed in the title, I would hope the answer is ‘all of those who seek to do so today’. But I think they could be better supported. Looking ahead to 2022, let’s hope the improving international situation regarding Covid-19 also results in a return to smoother seas and calmer sailing for seafaring community.
Simon Ward, MatthewsDaniel
