Page 44: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2020)

SHIp REgISTERIES & CoviD-19

Facilitating Maritime Commerce During a Pandemic

As COVID-19 continues to “Many routine impact every corner of mari- practices have time, we check in with the become increasingly leaders of the world’s top complicated: two ship registeries – Inter- docking for repairs, national Registries Inc. and accidents on board,

Panama Ship Registry – for crew changes, insights on the challenges all represent a ahead.

challenge.”

Rafel Cigarruista,

By Greg Trauthwein

Director, Panama

Panama Ship Registry

Ship Registery erations. In fact, this is the second major are there to help them in these difficult

How has COVID-19 impacted the market and your organization?

difficulty we are facing, since restric- moments. Every 24 hours we live, we

Cigarruista, Panama COVID-19 tions also apply to the nautical inspectors gain experience by testing or disapprov- has impacted the maritime sector from who are critical to ensuring compliance ing the actions we implement. This ex- every perspective, from design, construc- with national and international regula- perience tells us what we must improve, tion, marine insurance, cargo movement, tions. The RMI recognizes that it is vital maintain and/or change.

maritime administration, ship operators to maintain a robust inspection regime; and managers, port operators; in short, for without inspections, the ships, their Gallagher, IRI This is a dynamic and the whole industry. Each and every one crews, and the wider environment are rapidly changing situation, but that does of us has suffered a blow that has shaken put at risk. Therefore, the RMI Registry not mean we cannot plan for the future. us to the core. issued Marine Safety Advisory 17-20, Our team has been focused on keeping which allows for temporary alternative our fleet moving as efficiently as possible

Gallagher, IRI The most significant inspection arrangements when an in-per- both in the short- and long-term. Teams disruption has been with crew changes, son inspection is not possible. that have moved to remote work have fo- specifically the restrictions placed on cused on short-term projects that will en-

How has this pandemic impacted your getting crew both on and off the ves- hance customer service during and after short- and long-range planning.

sels safely as well as their onward home the pandemic, such as IT improvements,

Cigarruista, Panama When CO- travel. Crew members are worried about and internal operations and processes. their families and want to go home at the VID-19 started and was contained in Chi-

Much of what our teams are doing is end of their contracts, but that requires a na, the analysis was that it only affected business as usual in a new environment. lot of coordination between governments ships under construction and operating in

In the short-term we are focused at the and the industry. Early on the RMI put its that country, or perhaps depending on the management level on contingency plan- support behind the IMO and the global extent of the virus, it could affect ships ning and ensuring offices have the sup- movement to have countries identify sea- that had to go to China. When the virus port they need to move tasks around and farers as key transport workers to help began to spread throughout Asia, we re- assign duties differently. For example, facilitate crew changes. Unfortunately, considered the initial measures and took we have largely shifted production of our measures based on the daily development there is still some way to go. Travel re- seafarer books and licenses to our Hong strictions have not only impacted crew, of the situation. The most important thing

Kong and Piraeus offices. For the long- but also the many people who need to for us is not being an obstacle for our term, we do not have a crystal ball to tell board vessels to support safe vessel op- shipowners, but make them feel that we us when restrictions will be lifted or what 44 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • May 2020