Page 10: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2020)

Government Update

Seafarers & a brave new world

In Shakespeare’s famous shipwreck play “Tempest”, the young isolated Miranda upon seeing the sailors who survived the storm says:

O, wonder!

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

That has such people in’t!

e are now well into the new world cre- dark and close. The doctors and nurses can’t do their impor- ated by COVID-19. And we are rightly tant work. The ambulances stop. Law enforcement offcers astonished at the number and variety of and fre fghters can’t respond. There will be no groceries to goodly creatures who have stepped for- stock the shelves.

W ward to provide relief. Doctors, nurses, This is the reason that the Department of Homeland Security frst responders, even grocery workers (DHS) has designated the maritime community and other por- and truckers are rightfully acknowledged tions of the transportation industry as critical infrastructure.

for their bravery and sacrifce for the greater good. So when you are giving thanks for the sacrifces of doc-

There is another large group who are also providing vitally tors, nurses, and so many others, remember the seafarers and needed service to relieve our stress and provide critical as- other persons in the maritime community and the important sistance. Seafarers, domestic and foreign, deliver our food, work that they perform behind the scene. This is truly a brave medical supplies, vehicles, fuel, and other products on which new world!

society relies so heavily. A large percentage of our products are imported by ship. Those ships are operated by foreign seafarers, mostly from lesser developed countries, who spend many months separated from their families. Domestic ships have U.S. seafarers, who also spend extensive periods away from their families. Foreign ships are guided in and out of

The Author port by marine pilots. Cargoes are loaded onto and unladen from ships by longshoremen. They and other harbor workers move outgoing cargoes from trucks and trains onto docks and

Bryant incoming cargoes from the docks onto trucks and trains for

Dennis Bryant is with Bryant’s further distribution, as well as those who work in shipyards to

Maritime Consulting, and a regular build and keep ships in operation. contributor to Maritime Reporter &

Without this critical sector, the economy would quickly

Engineering News. grind to a halt. If the economy grinds to halt, the hospitals go 10 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • May 2020