Drewry: Seafarer shortage will persist

Despite the economic downturn, finding sufficient numbers of seafarers will remain a major challenge for the shipping industry, said a just-released report prepared by Drewry Shipping Consultants, in conjunction with Precious Associates Ltd.

Newbuilds may be cancelled, the order book may not be delivered and older vessels may be scrapped reducing the overall fleet, but the scale of officer shortfall will still be considerable, the report claims. It said there is still a shortage of as many as 33,000 officers for 2009, which would rise to 42,700 by 2013, even after adjustment for newbuilding cancellations and scrapping.

It suggests fleet owners and managers review personnel strategies to avoid future manning issue, and said concerns are being raised about companies cutting back on training to mitigate costs.

If they do, the manning problem is likely to return to bite them, Drewry said, particularly given the length of time it takes to bring a seafarer to officer class. Some companies are beefing up remuneration packages with more than cash, it said.

Some nationalities have seen increases in leave entitlements -- good for personnel but not for employers as it has significantly added to both establishment and employment budgets, Drewry said.

At the same time, pressure to promote officers quickly is emerging and this too could have a negative impact both commercially and operationally, it warned. Clearly any reduction in efficiency or safety would be counterproductive.

Source: American Shipper