Sea Prison : COVID-19 Has Left Hundreds Of Thousands Of Seafarers Stranded
at 8:33 am NPR
On a chilly January morning, the Rev. Mary Davisson climbs up the stern ramp of the Tonsberg, an enormous ship bobbing in the murky waters at the Port of Baltimore. Davisson, the executive director and port chaplain of the Baltimore International Seafarers Center, has spent much of her nearly two-decade career helping foreign crew members arriving in port, whether it is giving them a lift into town to buy personal items or just enjoying a coffee with them.
Nowadays the visits are short, just enough time for her to drop off packages that seafarers had delivered to her home, some magazines and other goodies.
âHuman life means nothing for themâ: China shipping crisis deepens
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Sailors stuck off the Chinese coast are complaining of callous treatment by local authorities, with some denied medical care for hours and even days despite symptoms including a broken hand and claims another sailor vomited blood.
About 60 of the ships are carrying Australian coal, according to maritime data, which China has blocked from entering in an apparent trade strike, but the ships cannot leave because of commercial arrangements and for fear of being detained by Chinese authorities.
The National Union of Seafarers of India, which represents some of the sailors, and the shipping companies involved have labelled the situation a humanitarian crisis as supplies and medicines continue to run out. The deadlock was triggered by Australiaâs deteriorating relationship with Beijing, which saw Australian coal and up to $20 billion in other exports blocked in retalia
On a chilly January morning, the Rev. Mary Davisson climbs up the stern ramp of the
Tonsberg, an enormous ship bobbing in the murky waters at the Port of Baltimore. Davisson, the executive director and port chaplain of has spent much of her nearly two-decade career helping foreign crew members arriving in port, whether it is giving them a lift into town to buy personal items or just enjoying a coffee with them.
Nowadays the visits are short, just enough time for her to drop off packages that seafarers had delivered to her home, some magazines and other goodies. Since COVID started, we ve been taking them Hershey s Kisses with a little handout that says we can t shake your hand, but we can give you Hershey s Kisses, she says.
Claire Harbage / NPR
Originally published on January 29, 2021 1:49 pm
On a chilly January morning, the Rev. Mary Davisson climbs up the stern ramp of the
Tonsberg, an enormous ship bobbing in the murky waters at the Port of Baltimore. Davisson, the executive director and port chaplain of the Baltimore International Seafarers Center, has spent much of her nearly two-decade career helping foreign crew members arriving in port, whether it is giving them a lift into town to buy personal items or just enjoying a coffee with them.
Nowadays the visits are short, just enough time for her to drop off packages that seafarers had delivered to her home, some magazines and other goodies.
Photo: Global Maritime Forum On Tuesday 327 companies and organisations publicly committed to the Neptune Declaration of Crew Change and Seafarer Welfare in a pledge to resolve the crisis that has left hundreds of thousands of seafarers stranded on vessels when their contracts expired.
The declaration under the auspices of the Global Maritime Forum is a worldwide call for action on the crew change crisis caused by Covid-19 travel restrictions and a failure by many nations to recognise seafarers as key workers.
A number of leading executives from companies and organisations that have signed the declaration have issued public statements and comments on the declaration and Seatrade Maritime News has compiled some of these quotes that demonstrate the strength of feeling across the maritime industries.