World Maritime Day: seafarers are shipping’s future

Mr Ofer added: “Partnering with MHSS gives our team access to insights, tips, mental exercises and 24/7 support from a qualified clinical psychologist. Just like physical exercise, mental health is something we need to work on daily.”

Mr Schou said the mental health of its seafarers and shore-side personnel is “at the top of WSM’s priorities.” He added: “We have seen that the pandemic situation has put a tremendous strain on our seafarers and shore-based employees. We are going down several different routes to try and find solutions for the crew.”

One of those starting points is increasing broadband and connectivity onboard vessels to enable crew to have more frequent contact with their loved ones at home. Additionally, Mr Schou noted: “We are working with several services where crew can get mental health assistance if they feel a need to speak with a professional.”

Mr Taylor said V.Group has taken a number of steps to support its seafarers during the pandemic, implementing new procedures and measures, including chartering aircraft, to repatriate crew as quickly as possible.

“Long periods away from families, along with heightened restrictions, can all take their toll”

“V.Group worked in collaboration with industry associations, including the International Chamber of Shipping and The Food and Drink Federation to highlight the issues facing crew and call for international keyworker status to allow crew changes,” he said.

“In order to provide practical support, V.Group teamed up with the Sailors’ Society to produce a wellbeing guide and supported The Flying Angel fundraising campaign, organised by The Mission to Seafarers.

“V.Group implemented many initiatives to address the day-to-day challenges facing crew,” said Mr Taylor. “To address mental fatigue, seafarers have access to over 80 e-learning courses, with modules including the Resilience programme, developed to provide tools to handle stress and anxiety. All seafarers and shore-based staff also have access to V.Group’s Support Centre, which provides 24/7 access to helplines and chat support,” he added.

Increased communication – both physical and virtual – between shore and ship have been critical, noted Mr Schou. “Where possible, we will schedule vessel visits that enable our office personnel and management to go onboard and speak with the crew.” These physical visits are combined with frequently scheduled management calls to speak with the crew onboard and gauge the atmosphere onboard. “I have conducted such open sessions with our crew onboard regularly and this interaction has been very valuable for us to improve our operations and environment onboard, said Mr Schou.

Other stress-relief measures include competitions and quizzes for WSM crew to compete amongst the vessels.

Mr Schou emphasised that transparency is essential. “We keep a regular update on the progress of the crew change situation and our measures taken, so that they can be relieved on time.”

Against the background posed by the crew change crisis and the pandemic, strong growth is projected in the LNG trade as part of a global energy transition. This, in turn, has led to a robust order book of close to 200 LNG carriers, creating an urgent need to attract the next generation of seafarers in the years ahead.

“Today, we can say with somewhat certainty that there are not enough crew to go around – especially with the stringent requirements which oil majors/charterers impose,” said Mr Schou. “Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to this potential challenge,” he added, noting that companies must quickly develop strategies to build LNG-experienced crew.