The problem of crew shift change is being solved gradually
After being reported by the media, the problem that the crew members of international ships can not normally get off the ship and change shifts has aroused great attention of the Ministry of transport, China Shipowners Association and Zhejiang Province. At present, this problem has been solved gradually.
At a regular press conference held by the Ministry of transport on April 30, Wu Chungeng, spokesman of the Ministry of transport, said that during the epidemic period, the phenomenon of crew members' extended service was prominent, which brought risks to the physical and mental health of crew members and shipping safety, and even affected the normal development of China's international trade. We should accurately prevent and control the epidemic situation of crew members on international voyages and ensure orderly shift change of Chinese crew members.
According to the monitoring data of the Ministry of transport on April 28, China has 506 international ships and 8051 crew members on board. From April 1 to April 28, 8891 Chinese crew members have been changed in domestic ports, with 4641 boarding and 4250 disembarking.
Wu Chungeng said that according to some reports, there are still difficulties in changing crew shifts in some ports, which has seriously affected the normal implementation of epidemic prevention and control work for crew members on international voyages, and has also hurt the feelings of the vast number of ocean going crew members.
The problem that the crew can not get off the ship and change shifts normally mainly comes from some ports in Zhejiang Province, especially Zhoushan port.
According to the wechat official name "Zhoushan maritime" on May 1, Zhoushan sea area is the intersection of the main north-south routes of China's coastal areas and the golden waterway of the Yangtze River. There are many channels, anchorages and large-scale wharves. Ships from south to North load and unload, repair and replenish here, and the crew get on and off frequently.
According to the relevant person in charge of Zhoushan maritime administration, according to the current situation, there are more than 310 international ships in Zhoushan port every day, with more than 6000 crew members on board, including nearly 190 ships to be repaired and nearly 4000 crew members. During the epidemic period, there is a high demand for crew to change shifts.
According to the prediction of the local government, more than 2400 crew members of ocean going fishing vessels will be returned to Hong Kong in the past two months. It is estimated that about 400 crew members will apply for shift change every week at Zhoushan port. The epidemic prevention and control and crew shift change will be under great pressure.
On April 27, the report of China Shipowners Association on requesting Zhejiang Province to provide more support for crew shift work reflected that "in Zhoushan and other ports of Zhejiang Province, it was difficult for crew to change shifts, which seriously affected the normal implementation of epidemic prevention and control work for crew members on international voyages, and also hurt the feelings of the vast number of ocean going crew members."
The request reflects that some seafarers have been on board for more than one year (up to April, the longest period has reached 16 months), which has greatly exceeded the prescribed time limit. Their bodies are overloaded, and they are more and more nostalgic for their families and hometown, and they have a strong desire to go ashore for rest. "According to the boarding cycle, 100000 Chinese crew members must complete the shift change before August 2020, otherwise China's shipping industry will face the risk of suspension."
According to Zhoushan MSA, from March 25 to May 1, a total of 114 international commercial ships and 1207 crew members have been changed at Zhoushan port. Among them, since April 22, six ministries and commissions jointly issued the "notice on accurately doing a good job in the prevention and control of epidemic situation of crew members on International Voyages", the Bureau has coordinated the implementation of 29 shifts of international merchant ship crew members and 299 Chinese crew members, including 151 on board and 148 off board.
According to the above-mentioned person in charge of Zhoushan MSA, in view of the difficulty of crew shift change, the maritime department checks the situation of ships entering and leaving the port every day, especially for ships that have been in a port within 14 days or have recently stopped or stayed in key epidemic areas, take the initiative to contact the ship management company, verify the ship's navigation track and the number of crew members on board, inquire about the crew's health, and timely report the relevant information to health and health Party committee, port and shipping, customs and other departments, smooth information communication. We have provided maritime administrative services for seafarers, and substantially solved 88 crew problems.
One belt, one road, is the most important mode of transportation in international trade, accounting for 70% of the total volume of international trade. Over 93% of our imports and exports are transported by sea, and the crew has been carrying the sacred mission and responsibility of "one belt along the way", industrial chain supply chain, energy security, food security and industrial safety.
Wu Chungeng said that the Ministry of transport has asked all localities to strictly implement the regulations on the shift change of Chinese seafarers on the basis of the prevention and control of the epidemic situation of the entry crew, arrange special forces and implement precise policies to meet the reasonable request of the crew to leave the ship, ensure that the crew should be replaced completely, orderly guarantee the shift change of Chinese crew members, return to China when the contract expires, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of crew members in accordance with the law.
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