A global petition aiming to draw the attention of the general public to the problems of over 150 000 seafarers that cannot leave or cannot joint ship crews due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
The initiative belongs to the International Marittime Organization (IMO) Goodwill Maritime Ambassador for Bulgaria Capt. Andriyan Evtimov.
The purpose is to have the document signed online by at least the same number of people as that of the blocked by the COVID-19 seafarers, and then send it to the IMO member-state governments with an appeal for immediate and urgent measures to facilitate the movement of seafaring personnel.
Currently, only a few countries permit crewmember exchange in their ports, which has a direct negative impact on seafarers’ wellbeing, on the safety of navigation and the global supply chains.
The petition, which can be accessed at www.seafarersmatter.com, draws to the attention of the governments that the maritime industry is the backbone of world trade and any continuation of the restrictive measures currently in place against the seafarers would lead to detrimental effect for the global economy.
More than 90% of world trade takes place by sea and the seafarers are those who constantly and in personal deprivation carry out their mission ensuring the operation of the supply chains, including such for medical supplies to combat the pandemic.
You can access the petition online at www.seafarersmatter.com
