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Maritime tragedies, such as the sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1 with two New Zealanders on board, are a common but almost unreported occurrence around the world.
The alleged collapse of livestock transport in the South China Sea has focused attention on maritime safety.
But a seafarers’ advocate said maritime tragedies were a depressingly common occurrence around the world, with most victims disappearing without the world paying much attention.
The Reverend Lance Lukin also said countless sailors from around the world, often underpaid, were trapped on ships and prevented from disembarking due to coronavirus border closures.
Cameron Burnell / Fairfax NZ
The Rev. Lance Lukin, here giving a blessing, says that the safety of seafarers in New Zealand and the South Pacific needs to improve.
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An unknown number of New Zealanders are trapped on ships from around the world.
Lukin of Oceania Mission to Seafarers said that even before Covid-19 disrupted the industry, crew members could get stuck abroad when employers faced financial problems.
Graham Flett / AP
The Gulf Livestock 1 freighter left Napier in August with dozens of crew and thousands of livestock (File photo).
“The crew is abandoned, the company goes bankrupt and the crew is stranded for two or three years on a ship. There are a lot of atrocities happening. “
The Allianz insurance company said the coronavirus and recession could threaten improved safety and lead to further losses from cost reduction, fatigued crews, idle vessels and weakened emergency responses.
An Allianz report said 41 large ships were lost around the world last year.
Lukin said the data was probably not counted.
He said many of the crew of the world’s cargo ships were Filipinos who could be paid as little as 90 cents an hour.
“About one ship a day somewhere in the world will run aground, capsize or sink. In New Zealand we don’t see much of it, and we don’t hear much because predominantly Westerners are not involved. “
Japan Coast Guard
A 30-year-old Filipino from Gulf Livestock 1 is seen on a life raft calling for help.
Lukin said some unsafe vessels visited the South Pacific seas where some nations had not signed the Maritime Labor Agreement (MLC).
New Zealand is one of at least 97 signatories to the MLC, which means that foreign ships arriving here must meet minimum health, safety and welfare requirements.
Lukin doubted this was being closely monitored.
“Who is watching that?”
Another of his concerns was New Zealand’s refusal to sign the International Labor Organization’s Work in Fishing Convention, known as ILO188.
The convention would guarantee that the crews of fishing vessels had decent working conditions, accommodation, food, safety and health at work, medical care and social security.
Lukin said that cost-conscious industry interests were preventing New Zealand from ratifying the ILO188.
It was unclear how many New Zealanders were stranded on ships overseas, but last month, 12,000 cruise crew members of different nationalities were stranded in US waters alone.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said a small number of New Zealand seafarers manning commercial ships were among New Zealanders in need of consular assistance since Covid-19 hit.
This consular assistance generally involved helping seafarers disembark in countries with border restrictions and connect with viable air routes home or somewhere safe, a ministry spokesman said.
Many private companies led repatriation efforts, but MFAT said it was waiting to respond to requests for help from Kiwis abroad, including those on the high seas.
Last month, Sealord chartered two private jets in an attempt to bring five crew members mainly from Nelson to Mauritius and repatriate seven others to New Zealand.
In April, Kiwi volunteers were trapped in a floating hospital off Spain’s Canary Islands.
And 217 people, mainly Kiwis and Australians, had delayed departures when Covid-19 passed through the Greg Mortimer cruise ship off Uruguay earlier this year.
