The Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASA) has hit out at charterers who claim to support seafarers yet demand “no-crew change” clauses in contracts.

The Philippines has joined a growing list of countries that is banning crew change for foreign seafarers vessels that have called at Indian sub-continent nations in the previous 14 days as well some Middle East countries.

The global crew change crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over and is set to be even worse this year according to top ship managers.

Shipping companies and charterers have come together with charities in an emergency relief fund for seafarers and their families devastated by the Covid crisis in India and other countries.

Vaccination being made mandatory before joining ship is just one of the numerous challenges being faced by Indian seafarers as the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to overwhelm the country’s health infrastructure.

Singapore has banned crew change for seafarers with recent travel to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.

Fujairah has banned crew change from vessels arriving from India as more countries raise barriers to travellers from the country which experiencing a huge surge in Covid-19 cases.

Ship and crew managers are bracing themselves continued, and possibly even bigger, challenges with crew change as new Covid-19 variants emerge, and infections spike in key seafaring nations.

Singapore is barring crew change for seafarers with recent travel to India following a huge spike of Covid-19 cases in the country.

Even though the Chilean Government has decreed an extension of the border closure until 30 April, with tighter restrictions, crew change will be allowed to continue.