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Seafarers are 'an essential group of workers'

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SAINT JOHN, N.B. -

Port officials climbed aboard the container ship the SC Marigot during its stop in the Saint John Harbour today, to pay tribute and say thank you to the visiting crew as part of the International Day of the Seafarer.

The day, held on July 25, recognizes the role of seafarers around the world in keeping international supply chains afloat, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the past year and a half has been anything but smooth sailing for the already difficult profession, with seafarers stuck aboard their ships for extremely long stretches with no way to disembark unless it was for a medical emergency.

"Many ships' crews work anywhere from three to four months at a time, they go home for a short break – and under international convention their time aboard a ship cannot exceed 12 months," says Captain Chris Hall, the harbour master for the Port of Saint John.

"However due to COVID and all the travel restrictions … many times seafarers could not get off the ship when their contracts expired, and there was at one point 400,000 seafarers globally who were past their 12 month limit."            

The captain of the SC Marigot, which was preparing to set sail to New York before heading even further south to Savannah, Georgia – says the situation has improved, though there are still challenges.

"COVID hinders us regarding crew changes, because it's not really convenient to go home, especially if the ports have restrictions," says Capt. Francisco Baguip Jr.

It's estimated that over 19,000 seafarers visited the Port of Saint John last year.

"Ninety per cent of what we consume is moved around the globe on ships," says Port of Saint John CEO Jim Quinn.

"They're an essential group of workers who allow us to have the comfort that we have."

One of the more recent challenges faced by seafarers is getting access to COVID-19 vaccines. The International Maritime Organization has encouraged giving priority access to vaccinations to seafarers.

"The reasons are varied, but most of it comes down to the fact that they're not home for very long, and sometimes the countries where they're from, access to the vaccine is very difficult," says Capt. Hall.

"The other problem is as they're moving around the world for extended periods of time, the countries which they visit do not have vaccines to offer them. So not only are they waiting longer than normal, they don't have access to vaccines like the rest of us do."​

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