seafarertimes.com ~ Maritime News for Filipino Seafarers

India allows foreign seafarers to sign off at its ports
Sam Chambers 20 July 2020 https://splash247.com/india-allows-foreign-seafarers-to-sign-off-at-its-...

India’s directorate general of shipping ruled on Friday to allow foreign seafarers to sign off at Indian ports and then to take flights out of the country.

The ruling relates to cargo ships, not cruise vessels.

Cargo ship brings coronavirus case to Queensland as Premier mounts pressure on NSW over border checkpoint dispute
Rachel Riga, Owen Jacques and staff 20 July 2020

Queensland has recorded one new case of coronavirus overnight, as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk mounts pressure on her New South Wales counterpart to consider moving border checkpoints further south.

Ms Palaszczuk said she would send a letter to the NSW Government today asking for the checkpoints to be moved to the Tweed River.

Stranded on ships, 200,000 seafarers struggle in COVID-19 limbo
19 Jul 2020 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/seafarers-stranded-on-ships-co...

Tunisia bans ships of French company from docking as crew test positive for COVID-19
Nyawira Mwangi - 19 July 2020 https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/07/18/tunisia-bans-ships-of-french-company-...

Tunisia decided on Saturday to prevent the ships of French transport company Corsica Linea from anchoring in its ports, local media reported.

Seaman with COVID-19 stayed in ambulance for 2 days since gov't facility full
18 July 2020 https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/seaman-with-covid-19-stayed-in-a...

A 33-year-old seaman who tested positive for COVID-19 stayed in a barangay ambulance in Manila for two days.

300,000 seafarers still trapped on ships by crew change crisis
Nick Blenkey July 16, 2020 https://www.marinelog.com/news/300000-seafarers-still-trapped-on-ships-b...

A global summit hosted by the U.K. Government on July 9, 2020, on the impact of COVID-19 on crew changes may have gotten some headlines, but so far doesn’t seem to have done much to resolve the issue,

Crew of Bulker Vienna Wood Held at Batangas as Homicide Case Proceeds
07-16-2020 https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/crew-of-bulker-vienna-wood-he...

A Philippine court has placed a "hold departure order" on the crew of the Hong Kong-flagged bulker Vienna Wood N while a criminal case against her officers and her ship manager proceeds. All 20 crewmembers will be required to stay at Batangas Port until further notice.

Stakeholders bemoan criminalisation of seafarers
16/07/2020 https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/stakeholders-bemoan-criminalisation...

Stakeholders in the shipping sector have decried the criminalisation of seafarers whenever issues in a vessel arise, noting that such acts have psychological implications on the essential workers.

600,000 seafarers now snared in crew change crisis: ITF
Sam Chambers July 17, 2020 https://splash247.com/600000-seafarers-now-snared-in-crew-change-crisis-...

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) now estimates that there are approximately 300,000 seafarers trapped working aboard ships due to the crew change crisis caused by Covid-19 border and travel restrictions, and an equal number of unemployed seafarers waiting to join them who are ashore.

Extreme weather changes and the seafarer’s health
Dennis Gorecho - July 16, 2020 http://www.panaynews.net/extreme-weather-changes-and-the-seafarers-health/

SEAFARERS have to brave storms and high waves during the vessel’s journey, and this could have a dramatic impact on the quality of their lives at sea.

The job entails laborious manual tasks conducted in a moving ship along with the sudden change of climate and temperature as the vessel crosses territories.