Risk of crew crisis worsening again: Euronav

The crew change crisis that has dogged the shipping industry during the Covid-19 pandemic is at risk of worsening again unless action is taken, Euronav chief executive Hugo De Stoop told Argus.

Many countries banned crew changes at times during 2020, while restrictions on international flights made it difficult for seafarers to be transported between ships and their home countries.

At the worst of the crisis Euronav had 670 people on board its ships with contracts extended by more than 30 days, De Stoop said, but this is now down to 47. Attaining this reduction cost money and man hours, he said.

"It was getting easier, and we managed to go back to some sort of normality [with respect to crew changes]", De Stoop said.

"We saw a relaxation of some of the rules, but now we see a reinforcement of those same rules", he said, and they are seeing the global statistics on seafarers trapped on board vessels increasing.

He called on politicians to do more to facilitate crew changes and avoid a worsening of the "humanitarian crisis". He said that many of the nations that are common crew change destinations do not provide a large number of seafarers, which may make politicians in those countries less inclined to tackle the issues.

Covid-19 has caused a 4.5pc increase in average daily vessel operating costs, according to shipping consultancy firm Drewry. Personnel costs rose by 6.2pc because of crew change restrictions. These additional costs are also likely to impact freight rates to some degree.

By Will Collins