Adrift: COVID-19 and the Safety of Seafarers

Abstract

Seafarers--the essential workers of the global trading system--are facing significant risks. The COVID-19pandemic has spurred a crew change crisis, in which employers have enacted strict leave policies and longer contracts, and port states have refused to allow mariners to disembark. As a result, more than 400,000 seafarers remain stuck on their ships. Since March, seafarers and advocates have raised alarms about the mental and physical burden of these long watches. But as the pandemic approaches its first anniversary, the mounting toll on mariners is stretching beyond personal exhaustion and deeper into society and the entire blue economy. This policy paper, based on ongoing CNA analysis, surveys the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on seafarers, examines the follow-on effects on society, and recommends global solutions to protect maritime workers.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 23, 2020
Accession Number
AD1145695

Entities

People

  • Cherie Rosenblum
  • Cornell Overfield
  • Joshua Tallis
  • Kevin Inks

Organizations

  • Center for Naval Analyses

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Commercial Fishing
  • Contracts
  • Covid-19
  • Governments
  • Health
  • Homeland Security
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Health
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Naval Operations
  • Navy
  • Navy Aircraft
  • Security
  • Ships
  • Societies
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.