Employers and unions have teamed up to establish a list of approved quarantine hotels for crew changes.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and International Maritime Employers' Council (IMEC) are involved in the initiative, which has been set up to ensure seafarers can safely join ships as countries continue to shut borders to keep out the Omicron variant.
The Crew Enhanced Quarantine International Programme — CrewEQUIP — nominates hotels for crew change that meet high industry protocols on hygiene and Covid-19 testing integrity. The hotels have been vetted and approved by classification society Lloyd's Register.
Shipping companies and their representatives can sponsor pre-embarkation quarantine facilities for seafarers to be considered for recognition under the scheme.
Companies are now able to book, or nominate hotels, at a dedicated website.
"This new quarantine facility programme will give industry more confidence to support the movement of more seafarers more regularly around the world, safe in the knowledge that there is a considerably less risk of Covid-19 being introduced to a vessel," said IMEC chairman Captain Belal Ahmed.
ITF seafarers' chair David Heindel said: "Thorough programmes like CrewEQUIP, unions and industry are providing a robust system that reduces at least one of the factors that risk successful crew changes."
In a separate development, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) have established an action group to facilitate the international free movement of transport workers during the pandemic.
Discussions with shipping representatives are scheduled to begin this week. The ILO and WHO are hopeful of developing a so-called Yellow Card passport for seafarers, which will act as proof of vaccination.
ICS secretary general Guy Platten urged governments to act quickly to resolve the crew crisis, amid the spread of Omicron and continued supply chain problems.
"World leaders need to urgently provide a long-term solution to ensure that seafarers are no longer unduly impacted by ever-changing travel and quarantine restrictions. The reinstatement of harsh travel rules by governments as a knee-jerk response to the Omicron variant is of great concern," he said.
"Coordinated action must be taken by world leaders to exempt transport workers from travel restrictions and prioritise them for vaccinations and boosters. We do not want to see a return to the peak of the crew change crisis."
