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Incoming sailors disembark and change crew at the Hoi Fai Road Promenade in Tai Kok Tsui on July 26. Industry experts have urged the Hong Kong government to suspend quarantine exemption and changes for sea crew amid an uptick in imported Covid-19 cases involving seafarers. Photo: Edmond So
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Letters | Hong Kong third wave: no room for rash behaviour in shipping, but no cause for bias either

  • Like other ‘key workers’, seafarers are essential for the global community to fight this battle against the virus. Without these heroes at sea, world trade would come to a halt. If any of them are unfortunately infected, they deserve support, not bias
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Recently, there have been media reports about the irresponsible behaviour of individual practitioners in shipping. A few rotten apples have brought disrepute to their peers and the industry, which has been working hard to ensure the smooth operation of the world’s supply chain for essential items such as food, fuel and medical supplies, during this most difficult time.

We are extremely disappointed with this. We have urged international and local unions to remind their members to strictly follow all rules, protocols and precautionary measures set by port authorities and shipping companies to protect public health. We have also suggested the government impose penalties on any parties who break the rules.

The United Nations International Maritime Organisation and International Labour Organisation require governments to take measures to facilitate crew change operations for safety and employee protection.

Presently, about 300,000 seafarers unfortunately remain trapped at sea. They are unable to go home even after serving many months at sea, owing to lockdowns, travel restrictions and a severe reduction in commercial flights in many parts of the world. Crew change operations are essential to relieve these stranded crews and enable world trade to continue.
In May, the international and local unions urged governments, including Hong Kong, to address crew change issues by June 15. As responsible employers, we deemed it necessary to pursue the matter with the government. We urged the government to fulfil its international obligation while taking all necessary precautionary measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Crew changes were facilitated on June 9. As responsible community stakeholders, we advised our members to take appropriate measures, in addition to the government’s mandatory requirements, to safeguard the local community. These included requiring all seafarers to test negative for Covid-19 before coming to Hong Kong.

We also recommended other possible precautionary measures to the government. These included requiring all seafarers to test negative again on their arrival in Hong Kong and imposing penalties on companies and individuals breaking the rules.

On July 20, in view of the fast-changing situation in Hong Kong, our two associations asked all their members to reschedule or postpone crew changes for at least three weeks.

We hope the above clarifies our position.

Once again, we would like to stress that like other “key workers”, seafarers are essential for the global community to fight this battle against the virus. Without these heroes at sea, world trade would come to a halt. If any of them are unfortunately infected, they deserve our support, not bias.

Bjorn Hojgaard, chairman, Hong Kong Shipowners Association; Roberto Giannetta, chairman, Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association

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