SEABOS CALLS ON GOVERNMENTS TO SUPPORT BOAT CREWS

SeaBOS, comprising CEOs from ten of the world’s largest seafood businesses, calls on governments to urgently address the critical humanitarian, safety and economic crisis in the seafood and shipping industry, that has been created by restrictions on crew movement onto and off vessels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Shigeru Ito, Chairman of Maruha Nichiro, the largest seafood business in the world, and Chair of the Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS) Association said “It is vital to recognise seafarers as key workers, and have safe and speedy procedures with visa and quarantine exemptions, so crew changes can occur on vessels, globally. We are supporting calls for Governments to urgently address the crisis.”

“World supplies of seafood depend on people. There are an estimated 300,000 seafarers including fishing crew stranded at sea and in ports around the world, unable to return home, or go to sea. This crisis impacts everyone – shipping and fisheries are a crucial component of the global economy,” said Therese Log Bergjord, CEO of Skretting / COO of Nutreco, and Vice-Chair of the SeaBOS Association.

SeaBOS is supporting calls for governments to implement measures facilitating the movement of seafarers and fishing vessel personnel as outlined by UN agencies, such as the UN Global Compact Action Platform for Sustainable Ocean Business; the International Maritime Organization; the International Civil Aviation Organization; and the International Labour Organization (see IMO Circular Letter No.4204/Add.18).

SeaBOS members either operate or purchase products from tens of thousands of fishing vessels worldwide which require hundreds of thousands of crews, workers, transport providers, port workers and suppliers to deliver end products to the consumer.

A growing number of seafood businesses are unable to supply markets the needed seafood, either due to inability to move workers to and from vessels and aquaculture establishments, or from shipping delays and supply chain challenges.

Seafood is amongst the most widely traded commodity in the world, and relies on fishers and aquaculture workers to produce that; along with post-harvest operators, and transport workers, to deliver it to key markets to feed the world.