German shipowner Manfred Muller has a clear message to those of us feeling sorry for ourselves during the coronavirus crisis: remember the seafarers.
The chief executive of EMS-Fehn-Group has sent a message to all of the company's 100 crew, assuring them they have not been forgotten.
He wrote: "Let’s put all the hysteria, the fake news, the horror stories and the lame jokes aside and have a look at what really matters.
"All of us are used to a free life. We are allowed to go anywhere we like and meet anyone we want. This personal freedom has now been restricted in order to stop the spread of the virus."
He added that social media accounts have been full of complaints about what a hardship it is not to be able to visit your friends, go to the pub or watch your football team.
"What all those people forget is the fact that they are extremely privileged," he added. "There are people who even under normal conditions are not able to visit their friends, go to the pub or watch their favourite football club — the seafarers.
"And now the coronavirus puts even more limitations on them."
Real hardship
Travel bans have wreaked havoc with crew's live in recent days, with many owners banning changeovers for weeks.
Muller said: "They are not allowed to leave the ship and are confined to their vessel.
"Many seafarers, whose contracts run out, cannot fly home, because there are no flights. And many, who wanted to go aboard and start earning money, cannot fly out to their vessel. That is what I would call hardship."
Muller added that shipping is vital to keep economies running and allows us all a living standard higher than ever before.
"But society often forgets the people who make shipping possible and that is the people on board. We certainly do not forget you," he said.
The CEO said management are doing everything possible to help seafarers, keeping in constant contact with ships and masters.
Italian response
The message prompted a response from TradeWinds reader Tommaso Panzeri, who works in customer relations and the new projects department of Italian fuel company Bunker Energy in Genoa.
He wrote to TradeWinds: "As an ex-deck officer, I share Muller's view in full: we really should stop moaning and get on with things and follow the rules we are being given without complaining.
"I am overwhelmed seeing my hometown almost deserted under a beautiful spring sunny day. I can hear the birds singing over the constant siren sounds of the ambulances."
He added: "Still I am seeing some people walking around without having something urgent to do, just for the sake of a stroll. Still some have the luck to go shopping in nice places and have their best meat cuts and fine wines.
"I am not against all this but in times of crisis one should be more aware of how lucky we are to be easily able to work from home."
He said that from his window, he can see ships going in and out of the port.
"Not many really and perhaps at a slower pace but still trading along," he added.
"Seafarers are normally working in the restricted environment of a ship, miles away from home: now they can't even reach home even if they have the possibility, as they simply cannot get off their ships. Still they carry on their duties and play their part for the world economy to not reach the looming collapse."
EMS has 12 small cargoships and also interests in chartering, logistics, heavy haulage and crewing.
It has 200 employees in total.
