Maritime resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: impacts and solutions

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to study the resilience of the maritime industry by analyzing the impacts of COVID-19 on the maritime industry, in particular, on the shipping management aspect and offshore sector, investigate the effectiveness of current solutions and recommend future solutions for the industry to reduce or mitigate the negative impacts.Design/methodology/approachIn order to better appreciate resilience in the maritime industry, the study conducted secondary research and semi-structured online interviews to (1) identify the impacts of COVID-19 on the shipping management and offshore sector, (2) analyze the effectiveness of current solutions and (3) provide some strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the current measures.Findingshe results are congruent with existing literature which indicate that the pandemic has negatively affected the global economy, changed the global trade network and contributed to the sharp decline in demand for oil. In response to the pandemic, governments have implemented safety and health-related measures such as lockdown, safe-distancing and travel restrictions. Often, measures differ from countries to countries and these non-standardized and changing regulations further increase the challenges faced by the industry. From the shipping management perspective, the industry experienced issues such as crew changing, trade contraction and the expiration of shipping certificates, which supported and validated current research. Meanwhile, the offshore industry is challenged by the increasing market volatility and uncertainty, increasing need to source for alternative fuels and the declining oil exploration activities. Current strategies adopted by shipping management companies include crew change management, capacity management and the extension of ship certificates, whereas offshore industry chose to collaborate with oil majors.Research limitations/implicationsBy identifying the impacts and challenges and studying the effectiveness of solutions adopted by the maritime industry, this paper allows maritime industry stakeholders and policymakers to develop strategies to mitigate the effects of the global health crisis and strengthen the resilience of the industry. However, as the pandemic continues to develop and evolve, strategies need to be reviewed continuously in response to the changing situations.Originality/valueThis research analyses the impacts and solutions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributes to the development and formulation of strategies to strengthen the resilience of maritime transport.

Developing a resilience assessment model for critical infrastructures: The case of port in tackling the impacts posed by the Covid-19 pandemic

“…The key literatures regarding risk and resilience assessment of pandemic impacts are mainly associated with the effects of a pandemic on seaport transportation and the maritime supply chain. Similarly, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have mainly been considered the seaborne trade (e.g., Chua et al, 2022 ; Xu et al, 2021a ), port and sea transport (e.g., Mack et al, 2021 ; Narasimha et al, 2021 ), and supply chains (e.g., Lahyani et al, 2021 ; Lopes et al, 2022 ; Ozdemir et al, 2022 ). In this case, ports have experienced significant changes to normal operating environments due to the Covid-19 pandemic ( UNCTAD, 2022 ).…”

Legal assessment of BIMCO’s infectious or contagious diseases (IOCD) clauses for voyage and time charter parties

“…It is the owners who are responsible for the management of the ship, its safety, and the safety of the crew and cargo. Therefore, in cases where the charterer does not give the right to the owner to deviate from the agreed journey, a deviation normally constitutes a breach of the terms of the charter agreement and charterers will be able to claim compensation for the damages suffered as a result of the delay [40] .…”

Implementation of Aggregated Response Plan to Effectively Protect Crew Health and Safety and Prevent Spread of Covid-19 Pandemic Aboard Ships

“…In addition to the quarantine imposed by the Company, which may be in a hotel or any other place exclusively for this purpose and under monitoring, to avoid contact with other people, the infected person should also go through a parallel series of tests to determine his/her physical status as well as his/her immune system. A questionnaire with various questions about his/her health, such as whether he/she has any medical history or any specific illness in the past, symptoms, or even allergies, would help clarify the resilience of his/her health (Chua et al, 2022;ILO, 2021).…”

“…The psychologist should try to help each seafarer as much as possible to guide and support them. A specialized questionnaire with questions based on these issues and problems that may surround the sailors would be an ideal solution to ascertain the character and nature of each person (Chua et al, 2022;Nam & Kim, 2021).…”