Covid-19 crew-change crisis poses ongoing challenge

Shipowners continue to fall foul of logistical and legal uncertainties associated with Covid-19. Will Pyle, of Campbell Johnston Clark, explores issues and clauses arising from shipping’s resulting crew-change crisis – one of the industry’s most pressing predicaments

The impact of the pandemic on crew changes has been a major challenge for the maritime sector. This challenge looks set to continue into the second quarter of 2021, with several countries recently adopting more stringent crew-change restrictions in light of the new coronavirus strains discovered in South Africa, the UK and Brazil.