Transport Canada has announced in an industry bulletin that crew changes in the maritime industry have been deemed essential. Because the “marine transportation sector provides a vital service to all Canadians in ensuring that goods (food, medicine, and other essential products) arrive safely in our ports” the exchange of crew is critical for the continued success of this supply chain. Transport Canada recommends that “the airline passenger (seafarer) joining a vessel in Canada as a crew member will have in his/her possession a seafarer identity document issued in accordance with the Seafarer’s Identity Documents Convention, 2003 (ILO Convention No 185) supplemented by a passport or other seafarer documentation, including proof of employment by a vessel operating out of a Canadian port; and a visa, if required.” We also suggest that the above linked Transport Canada bulletin is printed and carried by any travelling seafarers.

While this announcement is certainly a good thing, the logistics of crew changes in Ports outside of Vancouver just got more difficult as Air Canada announced that air service between Vancouver and Prince Rupert will temporarily stop. Provisional cancellations will continue until at least April 30th. These measures will certainly have far reaching effects especially in the marine industry where the logistics of courier packages, vessel spares, original government documentation, cargo samples, private surveyors and crew changes will need to be adjusted. Air Canada confirmed that all passengers heading to Northwest destinations will be redirected to Terrace, British Columbia which is an approximate 2 hour drive from Prince Rupert and may be used as an alternative for the time being. Crew changes are still possible through Terrace, however, additional costs will apply for transportation to/from Prince Rupert. Further details on effected routes can be found here.

Please note the following news release from the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General announcing that the Province of British Columbia will be taking measures under the Emergency Program Act to maintain essential goods and services:

“Using the extraordinary powers under the Emergency Program Act, the minister is issuing a series of ministerial orders to ensure a co-ordinated response to COVID-19 across all levels of government for the duration of the provincial emergency. This includes:

• Supply chain: Establishing a new Provincial Supply Chain Coordination Unit to co-ordinate goods and services distribution; taking a more active role in co-ordinating essential goods and services movement by land, air, marine and rail; and suspending any bylaws that restrict goods delivery at any time of day.

The Province, in consultation with the Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, has defined essential services British Columbians rely on in their daily lives in the context of COVID-19 response and recovery. This is distinct from essential service designations under the Province’s Labour Relations Code.

Essential services identified in the BC Government News Release in the Transportation, infrastructure and manufacturing sector include:

• supply chain services needed to supply goods for societal functioning, including cooling, storing, packaging, transportation, warehousing and distribution;
• workers who support the maintenance and operation of cargo transportation services, including crews, maintenance, operations and other facilities workers;
• manufacturers and distributors (to include service centres and related operations) of packaging materials, pallets, crates, containers and other supplies needed to support manufacturing, packaging staging and distribution operations;
• truck drivers who haul hazardous and waste materials to support critical infrastructure, capabilities, functions, and municipal and provincial services;
• local, regional, and provincial delivery services, including but not limited to businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food, goods or services directly to business and residences and mailing and shipping services;
• services to support and enable transportation, including highway, road, bridge maintenance and repair;
• employees who repair, maintain and overhaul vehicles, aircraft and parts, rail equipment, marine vessels, and the equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and passengers, as well as vehicle rentals and leasing;
• services that facilitate the transportation of essential supplies, personnel and services, including port/waterfront operations, road, air and rail operations;
• facilities supporting interprovincial and intra-provincial delivery of goods, including truck scales, commercial vehicle inspection stations, brokerages, truck towing and repair services, commercial cardlock fuel providers, truck and rest stops;
• government-owned or leased buildings;
• businesses that supply other essential businesses and people working from home with the support or supplies necessary to operate;
• private transportation services, such as taxis, ride-hailing, helicopter, aircraft and marine vessels;
• public transportation services under rules for physical distancing or other recommendations from the PHO;
• workers supporting the chemical and industrial gas supply chains, including workers at chemical manufacturing plants, workers in laboratories, workers at distribution facilities, workers who transport basic raw chemical materials to the producers of industrial and consumer goods and support the natural resource sector, as well as workers supporting safety at such facilities;
• provision of public services that support the safe operation of regulated businesses and the provision of public services that support those businesses to meet other regulatory requirements;
• workers who support the operation, inspection, and maintenance of essential public works facilities and operations;
• workers who support the inspection and maintenance for ongoing safety at industrial facilities;
• inspectors who ensure worksites are safe and health for workers, and who investigate serious workplace accidents;
• workers who process and manage claims made by injured workers, including services related to their care and treatment, as well as the provision of workers’ compensation benefits;
• hotels and places of accommodation;
• activities of the consuls general and staff who support the work of the consuls general;
• landlords of buildings where the consulates are located and those who must guarantee access to consular offices as well as the operation of the consular offices;
• storage for essential businesses;
• businesses that provide materials and services for the operation, maintenance and safety of transportation systems (road, transit, rail, air and marine) including delivery of maintenance services, such as clearing snow, response to collisions and completing needed repairs to transportation systems;
• businesses that extract, manufacture, process and distribute goods, products, equipment and materials, including businesses that manufacture inputs to other manufacturers (e.g., primary metal/steel, blow moulding, component manufacturers, chemicals, etc., that feed the end-product manufacturer);
• vegetation management crews and traffic workers who support environmental remediation/monitoring and who respond to environmental emergencies;
• businesses providing staffing services, including temporary labour services; and
• businesses that support the safe operations of residences, essential businesses and facilities/buildings.”

As usual, we will continue to provide any and all developments on the situation as it progresses and it’s effect (if any) on the shipping industry in Western Canada.

Please note the following update regarding COVID-19 and the challenges affecting shipping locally and globally – “The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with provinces, territories and international partners, including the World Health Organization, to actively monitor the situation. Global efforts are focused on containment of the outbreak and the prevention of further spread.” Local officials, government authorities and key public stakeholders have been assessing the situation concluding that there is a need for “clear communications to provide a safe working environment for pilots and shore side labour and to avoid misinformation that could impose unnecessary constraints to the working environment, both at sea and alongside.”

Going forward, the focus of local groups including the BCMEA and ILWU will be to re-inforce pre-existing Transport Canada protocols. These protocols include specific reporting requirements for vessels including the 96 Hour Pre-Arrival Report which includes sections assessing crews health. Organizations are also working together to minimize human to human contact by doing longshore dispatch by telephone (rather than longshoremen showing up at the Union hall for dispatch). On Monday March 16, the federal government addressed the nation by announcing broad reaching travel restrictions. These regulations effectively prohibit the entry of Canadian non-residents (some exemptions apply) which means crew changes would not be permitted for the foreseeable future. This is currently being reviewed from what we hear and ship’s crew may be classified as essential which would negate the restrictions (to be confirmed). Further constraints and new measures may be implemented if existing systems are deemed inefficient.

In the Port of Vancouver, we have witnessed an increase in terminal requests for crew lists, Ports of Call and other documents that may assist the shore-side labour with identifying potential risks. These additional security measures coincide with the advice of Transport Canada Marine Safety and Security in which the implementation of safe guards is encouraged. There are currently no impacts to cargo operations on the waterfront, however, it is expected that the situation will be reviewed daily. The pilots have been circulating a Notice to Industry which outlines their sanitary requirements for vessels under their command –

• In the hour prior to pilot boarding, please wipe down the entire bridge with a 5% solution of bleach water or comparable disinfectant (chart table, instruments, chairs, helm, entire console, windows, etc.)If the vessel has an elevator, please wipe down the inside of it and ensure that the pilot rides the elevator to the bridge alone (the need for social distance is impossible with two people in a ship’s elevator).
• If the vessel does not have an elevator or the elevator is broken, please wipe down the staircase handrails with disinfectant.
• Crew members entering the bridge should thoroughly wash their hands and face prior to entering the bridge and pilots immediately upon entering will do the same.
• Any member of the bridge team, including the pilot, should sanitize their hands or wash them immediately after touching their face. Pilot should make this awareness a part of MPX.
• Please only allow the essential personnel, such as persons engaged in navigation of the vessel, in the wheelhouse while a pilot is onboard.
• Please refrain from eating on the bridge and ensure soap and paper towels are available in the bridge head for use by the pilot and crew.

Internally, we will start a “half staff” procedure, whereby some staff will work from home on alternating days to minimize human to human interaction within the office. Our customers should expect no discernible change to our communication or level of service. We have been taking our lead from Transport Canada’s guidance with regards to interaction with vessel crew members. Most vessels arriving in our basin have come empty from Asian discharge ports. Each Asian port is at least 14 days steaming from Vancouver therefore, presuming that vessels are being truthful with their reporting of any sick crew members, any vessel crew with COVID-19 should have already passed the incubation period – thus should be healthy. Likewise, any vessel arriving from USA port should have already been cleared by USA authorities. Nonetheless, the system is not perfect therefore extra discretion would dictate that we should take our own precautions to minimize unnecessary contact. As such, we will be attending vessels on arrival for inspections/port formalities and on completion for signing of documentation.Unless absolutely necessary, we will be avoiding our usual daily visits to vessels alongside and instead will establish telephone communications with the vessel masters. All of our controlled vessels will be advised accordingly immediately so they can prepare accordingly.

Boarding agents have been instructed to: avoid contact such as hand shaking, no use of vessel’s computer or pens/pencils, where possible, avoid transfer of paperwork from crew hand to agent hand (SOF/NOR/MR can be done electronically). Our provincial and federal governments are taking measures to prevent the spread and we will do our part to end this pandemic as quickly as possible. We will keep you advised if our office policies change in the coming days, since this situation appears to be very fluid.

Further information on industry guidelines for the Coronavirus can be found through the International Chamber of Shipping.