Ports Australia signs Neptune Declaration
Ports Australia has signed the Neptune Declaration, joining more than 800 companies worldwide with a shared responsibility of collaboration to overcome the seafarer crew change crisis.
Hundreds of thousands of seafarers who bear the load of roughly 90% of world trade have been stranded aboard ships throughout the pandemic because of the widespread inability for crew changeovers to occur or for shore leave to be granted.
As per Global Maritime Forum’s website:
The Neptune Declaration urges the implementation of four main actions to address the crisis:
– Recognize seafarers as key workers and give them priority access to Covid-19 vaccines
Qld Health staff board offshore ships to swab crews for COVID-19
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COVID-19 results for crew members of two tankers off the Queensland coast were expected on Wednesday after Queensland Health sent staff to board the ships and test the workers.
The Inge Kosan and another vessel, the United Grace, were at anchor at the Brisbane outer anchorage off Point Cartwright at Mooloolaba for COVID testing, Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Angus Mitchell said.
Wharfies board a ship while docked in Sydney on which 12 crew members later tested positive for COVID-19.
The operation removed 85 pots from the Pumicestone Passage in a bid to stop marine wildlife becoming trapped or entangled in the old equipment.
Over the past year, the Moreton Bay Marine Park team has responded to more than 40 crabbing apparatus related entanglements.
When left untreated entanglements can lead to drowning or serious infection caused by the line and floats, consequently leading to death.
The Queensland Environment Department posted the results on social media along with a warning to fishers.
“We strongly encourage users to follow responsible crabbing guidelines and to always collect any crabbing apparatus deployed,” the post read. The Moreton Bay Marine Parks team have responded to 44 crabbing apparatus related entanglements in the past year.
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A quarantine location is yet to be announced by Queensland Health for a ship thats crew must come ashore in Gladstone at the weekend.
The Marshall Islands flagged MV Astra Centaurus is scheduled to dock in Gladstone on Saturday, according to Maritime Safety Queensland.
The 196 metre long bulk carrier was built in 2012 and is owned by US based Pegasus Maritime Enterprises.
The ship docked in the Korean port of Donghae for three days last month, departing on February 7, bound for the port of Cebu, in the Philippines.
On March 3, after unloading cargo in Cebu which reduced the ships draught from 11.8 metres to 6.7 metres, the Astra Centaurus set sail for Gladstone.