A bulk carrier which has its crew organised by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) which also maintains the vessel, will disembark the mainly Indian crew in Japan on 10 February, ending nearly six months of disputes in efforts to repatriate the seafarers.
[s2If is_user_logged_in()]The Anastasia has been at anchorage off the Chinese coast since September 2020, with discussions at a diplomatic level between the Indian and Chinese governments proving fruitless, MSC requested that the master sail to Japan as a result.
Crew will disembark and will receive medical attention in Japan before being repatriated and reunited with their families in their home countries.
Last month new MSC CEO Soren Toft signed the Neptune Declaration, along with many others in the maritime industry demanding that governments, recognise seafarers as key workers and give them priority access to Covid-19 vaccines, establish and implement gold standard health protocols based on existing best practice, increase collaboration between ship operators and charterers to facilitate crew changes and ensure air connectivity between key maritime hubs for seafarers.
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