A declaration marking merchant sailors as key workers during the pandemic is a major step towards safeguarding their mental health at sea, shipping experts said.
Signed by more than 750 organisations in February, the Neptune Declaration prioritised seafarers in the same way as health workers, putting them at the front of the queue for Covid-19 vaccinations.
But with many crews unable to come into ports due to travel restrictions, isolated sailors remain unprotected against the coronavirus.
Getting shore leave is almost impossible now so seafarers are constantly on the move
Neptune outlined the main actions needed to resolve the crew change crisis, which is not only putting seafarers in a desperate situation but also threatening the safety of shipping and world trade.
“Over the past six years we have become increasingly concerned with the social isolation of seafarers and its impact on mental health,” said Roger Harris, executive director of the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN).
“The industry has come together during the pandemic under the Neptune Declaration and that is positive.”
Staged on World Health Day on April 7, the Maritime Standard virtual conference discussed how mental health issues were becoming a familiar curse on the shipping industry.
Since the start of the pandemic, ISWAN said it had seen an increase in demand for its crisis helplines, as well as online counselling and mental health training.
Reducing numbers on giant tankers in recent years to cut costs has placed crews under even greater strain.
“Seafarers live hidden lives, with ports often cut off from the general population, so we need to get out to the world that these workers play a key role in all our lives,” said Mr Harris.
The Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy, the training and development hub of Abu Dhabi Ports and Abu Dhabi University (ADU), agreed a bilateral co-operation to improve training for cadets destined for a life at sea.
Courses aim to prepare recruits for the mental health challenges of months at sea, often cut off from family and friends.
Training is also being offered to captains to recognise early warning signs of mental stress.
In January, Bhupendra Shri, 23, died on board the MT Sea Princess near Khor Fakkan in the UAE, days before it was due to make port in India.
The death was treated as a suspected suicide.
While the number of reported seafarer deaths dropped from 165 in 2015 to 55 in 2016, it rose to 112 in 2019.
Before the Covid-19 outbreak, shipping industry analysts estimated 400,000 seafarers worked on merchant cargo ships –300,000 on passenger and cruise ships, and approximately 200,000 on other types of vessels. Just two per cent of those at sea were women.
Between 2015 and 2019, 527 seafarers were killed at work and a further 509 declared missing.
Chris Peters, Tristar Group's maritime logistics chief executive in Dubai, said the industry was finally addressing the issue of suicides at sea.
“We had seen an increase in seafarer suicides before the pandemic,” he said.
“Because of the internet, seafarers can access social media but that can generate more stress while they are away.
“Crew need training to spot if a colleague has a problem with stress.
“They can’t talk to their wives so need to feel comfortable to engage with their onboard colleagues.”
Dr Fahad Alobaid, a medical advisor at the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company, said one in six workers at sea is thought to suffer some kind of mental illness.
“We have acknowledged there is a mental health issue with seafarers. It is one of the toughest jobs and is a problem that needs to be addressed,” he said.
“They must speak up when they have a problem.”
In a bid to stave off boredom and encourage an open community, many shipping companies have introduced games, quizzes and TV groups.
Meanwhile, the Mission to Seafarers charity in Dubai has implemented several support initiatives.
The ‘We Care’ programme prepares seafarers and their families for life at sea, while chaplains offer support to offshore workers.
The charity’s quarterly happiness index, a survey of sailors it supports, has revealed an increase in perceived pressure and a sense of isolation since the start of the outbreak.
Periods of lockdown, however, have resulted in a wider understanding of their challenges, according to Reverend Andy Bowerman, the mission’s regional director.
“Getting shore leave is almost impossible now, so seafarers are constantly on the move,” he said.
“Time in port is decreasing, so they are being squeezed more and the pandemic has highlighted that.
“Companies should have a culture that does not stigmatise mental health as we are at a tipping point for the industry."
Shipping incidents in Gulf waters: in pictures
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
Inside%20Out%202
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE’s revised Cricket World Cup League Two schedule
August, 2021: Host - United States; Teams - UAE, United States and Scotland
Between September and November, 2021 (dates TBC): Host - Namibia; Teams - Namibia, Oman, UAE
December, 2021: Host - UAE; Teams - UAE, Namibia, Oman
February, 2022: Hosts - Nepal; Teams - UAE, Nepal, PNG
June, 2022: Hosts - Scotland; Teams - UAE, United States, Scotland
September, 2022: Hosts - PNG; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
February, 2023: Hosts - UAE; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Meydan race card
6pm Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
1,800m
7.10pm Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m ,400m
7.45pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
8.20pm Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
8.55pm Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
