Covid19 News

The international shipping industry continued its long-term positive safety trend over the past year. The number of large vessels lost remained at record low levels in 2020, while reported incidents declined year-on-year, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE’s  (AGCS) Safety & Shipping Review 2021.The AGCS report notes that the shipping sector has shown great resilience through the coronavirus pandemic, as evidenced by strong trade volumes and the recovery seen in several parts of the industry today.

The lucrative prospect of transporting COVID-19 vaccines by sea has intensified the spotlight on the maritime industry’s cold supply chain and its ability to carry high-value pharmaceuticals.At present, speed to market is critical to stemming the spread of the pandemic, so the vaccines are being shipped by air to international destinations. Delivering them by sea is a longer-term strategy; certainly, the present urgency would have to calm considerably before enough confidence could be built to support delivery times in weeks…

2020 presented a monumental challenge for many industries and workers, particularly seafarers, as COVID-19 effectively left hundreds of thousands of seafarers stranded at sea, unable to disembark and partake in crew changes due to onerous restrictions by the majority of port states. The challenges continue into 2021, and while eventually the situation will pass, COVID-19 will leave an indelible mark on the way in which seafarers are trained.For the fourth year, the MarTID survey of examines maritime training practices and trends.

Even after concerted efforts from leaders in the maritime community and some improvement in the numbers, the crew change crisis caused by COVID-19 restrictions continues to create challenges, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization has warned.In a statement, IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim said that based on industry analysis, the numbers of seafarers requiring repatriation after finishing their contracts had declined—from a high of around 400,000 in September 2020, to around 200,000 as of March 2021, with a similar number waiting to join ships.

Oil prices open March 2021 on a strong note, supported by optimism about COVID-19 vaccinations, a U.S. stimulus package and growing factory activity in Europe despite coronavirus restrictions.Brent crude was up 63 cents or 1% at $65.05 a barrel by 1150 GMT, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude jumped 62 cents or 1% to $62.12 a barrel. Both contracts finished February 18% higher."The three major supportive factors are the prevalent vaccine rollouts, the optimism about economic growth and the view that the oil balance will get tighter as a result of the first two points…

Mike Corrigan, the ubiquitous leader of Interferry, has a broad base of energy and maritime industry experience, including his stint as CEO of BC Ferries. Corrigan shares with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News his thoughts on a broad range of issues facing the ferry industry: COVID-19, emerging international regulations, and yes, maritime training and education initiatives throughout the world ferry industry.Looking back to your tenure atop BC Ferries, can you discuss this through a training and education lens?At BC Ferries, safety and training was an integral part of my role and passion.