Between unserved Russian ports, ships repressed, clutter of ports in northern Europe or, outbreak of the fuel price, the impact of the conflict affect the entire sector.
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The bulk banglar samriddhi was about to load a ceramic cargo before putting the course on Italy when it was hit by a missile in the Ukrainian port of Mykolav, Wednesday, March 2, killing one of the Twenty-nine Bangladesal members of his crew. A few hours later, six sailors managed to escape from their Estonian ship just before he flows off Odessa, touched by an explosion. On the coast that stretches along the Black Sea, south of Ukraine, at least 70 ships are blocked and several hundred sailors are waiting to be evacuated. Maritime transport, on which 90% of international trade depends, undergoes the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Between the Russian ports not served, ships repressed in the United Kingdom or Canada, the congestion of ports in Northern Europe or, the outbreak of the price of fuel, the repercussions propagate over the whole of global shipping.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Navy Transportation Security Agency, meets in London on Thursday, 10 and Friday, March 11 to examine the situation of boats and sailors blocked at sea Black and at sea of Azov. “You have to establish a blue humanitarian corridor to evacuate the few hundreds of sailors as well as the vessels” Plaid Guy Platten, Secretary General of the International Market Navy (ICS), an organization representing shipowners. Several crews were evacuated from the ports located west of Ukraine, abandoning their ships. “It will be necessary to wait until months, after the end of the conflict, so that the boats can go out or return to the Ukrainian ports because any navigation has become too dangerous because of the probable presence of underwater mines”, warns Ian Wilkinson, Danish Cabinet Risk Intelligence, specialized in maritime security.
Elsewhere in the world, repatriation of Russian and Ukrainian crews is long and difficult. “There are Ukrainians who want to stay home and companies must repatriate them to their country and others who prefer to stay on board ships, make money and help their loved ones”, entrust Corine Archambaud, Inspector of the International Transport Federation (ITF), Le Havre.
Fear of a workforce shortage
Russians and Ukrainians have not all perceived their salary, because of the Western penalties put in place against Russian banks or the situation in Ukraine. Maritime companies pay them on the accounts of Russian private banks spared by penalties, or banks in Cyprus, and even on electronic portfolios or prepaid bank cards. Contacted by Le Monde, the Maersk and CGM companies do not wish to indicate how they pay their salaries to their Russian employees. While Ukrainians and Russians constitute 14.5% of the global merchant navy, or 1.9 million sailors, the war in Ukraine has feared a shortage of workforce that would have repercussions on the activity. “Many officers come from these two countries and they can not be replaced overnight,” worries Guy Platten.
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