The tragedy that befell the Gulf Livestock 1 cattle transport ship highlights the poor state of maritime safety, which is exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis, according to a report.
The Gulf Livestock 1 was sailing from New Zealand to China when it lost power and capsized off the coast of Japan on September 02 in the midst of a typhoon. There were 43 crew members on board – 39 from the Philippines, two from New Zealand, and two from Australia. Only three crew members were found but one died shortly after being rescued.
A report by Stuff cited seafarers’ advocate Rev. Lance Lukin, who said that victims of shipping tragedies are not receiving the attention they deserve. Furthermore, many mariners worldwide, including an unknown number of New Zealanders, are confined in their vessels in poor conditions. They are being prohibited by governments to disembark, due to border closures that are part of COVID-19 restrictions.
A report from Allianz concurred with Lukin, saying that the COVID-19 crisis and the accompanying economic recession could lead to worsening safety on vessels, with more losses caused by cost-cutting, crew fatigue, idle vessels, and hampered emergency response services.
The insurer’s annual shipping review said that travel restrictions have forced many crew members to work beyond their contracts. Being overworked “could lead to an increase in human error,” the insurer said, adding that more than three out of four maritime accidents are caused by human error.
A total of 41 large ships were lost worldwide in 2019, according to Allianz data.
