THE Anastasia is one of dozens of ships that became stuck off the coast of China last year amid a trade dispute. The vessel was eventually able to perform a crew change in Japan on 10 February, following six months’ of attempts by liner company MSC to convince chartering parties to find a way to relieve the seafarers onboard.
DCN reported previously that MSC, the operator of the Anastasia, had recently directed the vessel to Japan after it had been stuck off the coast of China since September.
“The reunions are overdue, but we are glad to finally see the courageous crew of the cargo ship Anastasia repatriated to India after an extraordinarily challenging stint at sea,” MSC said in a statement.
Hundreds of thousands of other seafarers are stuck at sea since crew changes were banned by many governments to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
“While MSC observes and supports COVID-19 health and sanitation requirements wherever it operates, the situation has led to serious consequences for seafarers’ physical and mental well-being, as well as risking serious disruptions to global trade,” the company said.
“MSC continues to monitor the well-being of all the seafarers who have recently disembarked from the Anastasia.”
The International Transport Workers’ Federation said that while it’s expensive, shipping companies should be paying to get seafarers off ships stranded off the Chinese coast, because it’s the “right thing to do”.
“MSC has led the way by paying the necessary costs and penalties to charterers and cargo owners in order to rescue the crew of their ship, the Anastasia, and see them rescued from their six-month floating prison via a port in Japan” said ITF president Paddy Crumlin.
“We call on all responsible ship owners to follow MSC’s lead and perform these long-overdue crew changes.
“A number of seafarers have already attempted suicide on these ships, desperate to end their ongoing suffering. Health conditions are worsening. Medical supplies are running low on some vessels.
“We are very concerned to hear reports that in some cases local Chinese authorities have blocked seafarers from accessing medical professionals, including urgently-needed hospitalisations,” Mr Crumlin said.
More than 60 vessels are thought to still be unable to unload their Australian cargoes such as coal and undertake much-needed crew changes of the seafarers.
A rising number of seafarers have been onboard vessels for longer than a year, with some as many as 20 months. Between three and six months of this time has been spent waiting off the Chinese coast.
