Gibraltar Port Authority praised by BIMCO after easing shipping restrictions
Gibraltar is following the recommendations proposed by BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and other industry partners, and facilitated by IMO in a circular letter, by easing restrictions to crew change as a result of COVID-19 challenges, BIMCO said in a statement.
Recently, BIMCO, ICS and other industry partners teamed up and presented the IMO with a list of recommendations for governments and relevant national authorities to facilitate maritime trade during the pandemic. Seafarers unable to disembark and be repatriated is one of many unfortunate scenarios caused by the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by many port states.
Subsequently, the IMO issued a circular letter which recommended a pragmatic approach to restrictions. With a reference to this circular, the Gibraltar Port Authority has eased its restrictions and now allows crew change within the port limits under certain conditions.
BIMCO said it “welcomes this pragmatic approach and encourages other port state governments and relevant authorities to do the same.”
It said it is monitoring restrictions to crew mobility and provide a variety of information on the topic to the shipping industry such as:
- Details about implementation measures
- Overview of challenges to crew mobility which has recently been amended with a new section highlighting countries that take a pragmatic approach to crew change
- Overview of extensions and exceptions to seafarers’ certificates
- Analysis of implications on statutory ship certificates, surveys, inspections and audits
BIMCO encourages relevant stakeholders in the industry to take full advantage of the information offered and encourages stakeholders to share new information with BIMCO in return.
For more information visit www.bimco.org
18th April 2020
