CMA President Joe Gross explains to Carly Fields and Kate Jones why more thought needs to be given to the demands placed on seafarers during scheduled shore leave
Times were that when a seafarer finished his or her rotation at sea, they would get to enjoy shore leave with friends and family and not give too much thought to the next rotation until it was time to pack for the next voyage.
But more and more the respite offered by shore leave is being eaten into by the increased demands of continuing education - mandated by regulatory authorities - to renew or secure new certifications. Former seafarer and Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) president Joe Gross tells The Sea that this is a trend of concern.
Mr Gross, who is also dry operations manager for the US arm of ship operator d’Amico, calls for seafarers to have the chance to recover from onboard stints. “Serving four to five months or more at sea is exhausting. You are working every day in a noisy environment, perhaps with bad weather and/or including transits through a piracy zone.”
Seafarers, he says, need time to recuperate after being away at sea, but are not always being afforded that basic necessity. “Now, during your time off you are renewing your certificates, so a few months of holiday may actually only end up being a few weeks - and that’s tiring.”
Mr Gross, who spent six years at sea, is also concerned about issues at play when it comes to the mental health of seafarers, as well as social integration problems on board. As an example of the latter, he explains that the crew used to gather for movie nights in the mess room, but now seafarers can watch films in their own cabins.
“It’s a challenge. It’s important to get these messages out to the shore community — many of whom have not benefited from ‘sea’ time.”
Mr Gross reports that the issue getting the most airtime among CMA’s members is the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) incoming 0.5% mass by mass limit on sulfur in fuel oil used on vessels running outside designated emission control areas. This limit will be implemented on 1 January next year and is often referred to as IMO 2020.
But while the legislation undoubtedly presents challenges, there is an upside that is largely being overlooked, he says, suggesting that more attention should be paid to the wealth creation presented by this and other environmental ‘challenges’, and the economic perks of carbon reduction.
“As we reduce carbon emissions, the reality is that economies grow,” he notes.
Mr Gross also reminds the industry that IMO 2020 will not only lower air emissions, it will also improve health. “There have been studies that have shown how many lives will be saved, but the figure is actually much higher than that as the lives saved will touch so many others as well: family, friends and so on. So, there’s a huge wealth-creation dividend beyond the reduction in emissions.
“People get stuck in the disruption issue itself rather than taking a step back. Come 1 January, 2020, the industry will have reduced its sulfur emissions seven-fold from one moment to the next. I don’t know of any global industry that has achieved a reduction like that.”
IMO 2020, regulatory issues and the IMO target to cut GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared with 2008 will all be on the bill at CMA Shipping 2020, a three-day shipping conference and exhibition hosted by CMA.
Taking place from 31 March to 2 April, 2020 at the Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, located in Stamford, Connecticut, the event describes itself as “the largest international shipping event in North America” and is set to attract more than 2,500 people.
Blockchain and robotics, as well as bunkering, are other planned topics for the event, and Mr Gross says that sessions are being scheduled on sustainable transport solutions; infrastructure; renewables; smart operations; problems on the Mississippi River; cybersecurity; wealth creation, and environmental opportunity.
BOOK NOW
Beyond CMA Shipping 2020, CMA wants to “take a more forward stance” with regard to women and young people, with education having “always been an important facet” for the organisation.
The CMA Shipping conferences always feature a session about the human element, which includes those at sea, says Mr Gross, adding that there will be an attempt to extend this and discuss recruitment and retention at future conferences. After all, he emphasizes, the industry would be “nothing if it weren’t for seafarers”. >
This article was originally published by The Sea, and is republished with permission.
