IT in Brief

CREW SHORTAGE CRUNCH

The maritime sector has been spared the full effect of a crew crisis but still has no plan detailing how to deal with the problem. Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association managing director, Arthur Bowring, told the SeaTrans Asia conference in Shanghai that the crew shortage was a result of fleet growth in the past three years, which had outpaced desperate attempts to plug the staffing gaps. These have included promoting junior officers and even having training staff return to sea service. ‘How could we have predicted that so many units would be added to the world fleet in three years with almost no scrapping?’ he asked.