66 SUOMEN MERENKULKU ■ FINLANDS SJÖFART THE GLOBAL SEAFARER technical David Appleton. ‘Whilst this is a positive step for seafarers employed by those companies, others are still having to face unacceptable risks transiting the area. Until such time as the safety of shipping can be guaranteed, shipping companies must ensure that the safety of seafarers takes precedence over any commercial considerations. In any case, seafarers should have the opportunity to disembark, if they choose, before their vessel sails through a dangerous area.’ INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE An international response has been put in place. The United States announced a multinational coalition to safeguard Red Sea shipping in December called Operation Prosperity Guardian, which the UK is also participating in. The EU is also planning to send a task force, and warships of several nations have intercepted and destroyed dozens of drones and several boats that were moving to intercept cargo ships in the area. As the Telegraph went to press, shipping companies had yet to resume sailing, however: despite an announcement on 24 December saying that it would return to the Red Sea after the launch of the task force, Maersk for example has continued to pause sailings. ‘Even for those seafarers who are now being re-routed, this is not a good situation,’ explains Mr Appleton. ‘It means extra days Nautilus International has reached an agreement with Dutch shipowners to designate a large area around Yemen as ‘gevaarlijk doorvaartgebied’ (a high-risk/dangerous transit area). This applies to seafarers, including trainees, who are covered by a Dutch collective bargaining agreement and work on Dutch-flagged ships. The shipping company must inform seafarers when their ship is to transit the high risk area and outline the risks and any protective measures it is putting in place. The seafarer then has the right to ask the shipping company to leave the vessel, and the company must attempt to facilitate this if the request has been put forward in a timely manner. 18 + major shipping firms rerouting vessels 10 extra days onboard for crew of redirected vessels Netherlands outlines protective measures onboard ship during the long journey around the Cape of Good Hope. ‘A piecemeal approach to the security situation cannot ensure the safety of all maritime professionals in the Red Sea or an adequate global supply chain, even in the short term – and with no obvious conclusion apparent, a long-term solution is needed. ‘In December the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) – of which Nautilus International is an affiliate – joined with the European Community Shipowners’ Associations in calling for immediate action to urgently address this alarming situation. They asked authorities to enhance protective structures for the security of commercial vessels transiting through the area, and for coordinated efforts, including diplomatic, to maintain freedom of navigation through the Red Sea and ensure seafarers can work free from the threat of attack. The United States’s force to counter Houthi attacks is the beginning, but should not be the sum total, of this effort.’
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