This year was extraordinary for tanker owners. We’ve seen the rosy first half-year when the plummeting crude oil price pushed VLCC earnings to [skyrocket], and we are facing daily challenges such as how to complete the crew change operations in the current pandemic.
After a year like no other, TradeWinds asked 40 shipping industry stakeholders what they see for 2021 after a year beset by the coronavirus, and how the pandemic will shape shipping's future.
Under the circumstances that dining out, drinking and travelling are luxuries, we are forced to revisit some of the fundamental questions in our lives. Why are human beings so vulnerable tackling new diseases? Why did a virus take the lives of more than 1.5m people in such a high-tech era? Why is the spread of the disease uncontrollable in many countries where medical standards are superb? To answer those questions, we’d better come down to the basics.
The most successful countries in fighting Covid-19 adopted a rigorous process of mitigation or complete elimination of social contacts. Besides, extensive campaigns are held to raise social awareness among the population about the rigorous precautions with personal hygiene and for constant disinfection of surfaces and environment. The general public is used to the basic methods to avoid the spread of the disease: wearing face masks, reducing social activities and isolating contacts of the confirmed or suspected cases. All these manners are not rocket science but basics which do cut the chains of the disease spread. Without the vaccine available, those primordial prevention methods are most effective. Acknowledgment of the wisdom of old ways and follow the disciplines, as simple as that.
Don’t overlook the fundamental
For the shipping industry or any stakeholders of the maritime business, what we have learned from this pandemic is that we do need to take care of the fundamental. At the time when shipping executives are talking about big numbers, technology and revolutionary future fuels, special attention still should be paid to the well-being of our seafarers, as well as the safety of vessel operations. The foremost features of our vessels are to transport cargo from the loading ports to the discharging ports, timely and safely. All these jobs are done by the reliable hands of front-liners on board.
Landbridge held its inaugural online crew conference this year targeting all vacating crew onshore to offer solutions to enhance seafarers’ mental well-being and physical health. The conference reinforced our belief that the bond, trust and knowledge shared between office staff and seafarers are essential to the success of any shipping company. Those simple principles definitely will shape the results when an industry handling next big crisis like Covid-19.
