A shortage of experienced crew members is becoming more and more obvious, Danica Crewing Specialists has warned.
There is a particular dearth of well-qualified senior officers.
“One of the causes of this recent situation is a switch by owners away from using Russian seafarers, who make up 5% of the global maritime workforce, for practical reasons such as difficulties in transits and obtaining visas, or ethical reasons,” the German crewing agency said.
This has resulted in a surge in demand for Ukrainian seafarers as owners seek alternatives.
“Fortunately, there are many Ukrainian seafarers in the labour market. When the war broke out the majority were at sea and did not return to Ukraine. Some have settled in other countries, either temporarily or permanently, which means they remain available to the shipping industry,” Danica explained.
The company believes another reason for the shortage is more seafarers choosing not to progress up the ranks, either because they do not want to or because they are transferring to shore-based roles instead.
It argues that shipping is still “paying the price” of the exodus of seafarers during the pandemic, when crew changes became impossible for a while and those on shore had to seek alternative employment to pay the bills.
“Some seafarers found they preferred life ashore and did not return to the industry, while others switched to a more ‘part-time’ approach, returning to sea occasionally to boost their income,” Danica said.
The agency believes the solution to the problem lies with a diversification of crew composition.
“The shipping industry is very international and most in the industry understand that competencies and behaviour do not relate to a certain passport but to the individual holding the passport,” it added.
Danica is seeing forward-thinking shipping companies’ recruitment and sourcing policies changing to encompass a more international approach.
“Now is the time to focus on securing the best talent for each vacancy and not be limited to sourcing from a few countries only,” it said.
Danica l has expanded its office network from Eastern Europe to encompass all major seafaring hubs, including India and the Philippines.
