Coronavirus: Let’s keep ships moving, ports open and cross-border trade flowing

Statement on 25 March by UNCTAD Secretary-General, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi

Note: There is a series of related links to be found at the foot of this article*

Trinity House has been closely monitoring the developments of the impact of COVID-19 and has followed advice provided by HM Government.

With regard to its function as the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, the Trinity House priority is to keep staff safe while delivering its statutory functions.

With the slogan ‘Transport keeps us going’, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), together with 33 organisations issued a Declaration on 24 March stressing the essential role transport is playing in the corona crisis.

A Message from the President regading COVID-19

‘Dear Colleagues,

On 13 March the Fairplay Towage Group announced that it had been awarded the licence to operate harbour tugs in the port Las Palmas / Gran Canary and extended its operational area now into Spanish waters for the first time. 

The board of the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) has met in London and highlighted the issue of non-payment of navigational dues as critical to the ongoing modernisation and provision of aids to navigation in the Gulf region.

As part of the cruise industry’s continued commitment to the health and safety of guests and crew, as well as the residents of port cities and destinations around the world, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), a leading voice of the global cruise industry, announced on 8 March the adoption of additional enhanced screening measures in response to COVID-19.

At IHMA the staff of the secretariat have been keeping abreast of updates from the WHO and other national and local authorities. They have taken into consideration all available information, weighed all possible options and have come to the difficult decision to reschedule the IHMA Congress which was due to take place in Hobart on 23-26 March 2020.

The IMO Secretariat will continue to monitor all developments related to COVID-19 and will advise as soon as possible on the future postponement of meetings beyond the end of March.  This was reported by IMO Media on 6 March.

ITCO, the International Tank Container Organisation, has published its 8th  Annual Tank Container Fleet Survey. This year’s survey estimates that, at 1 January 2020, the global tank container fleet had reached 652,350 units worldwide, compared to the figure of 604,700 on 1 January 2019, a year-on-year growth of 7.88%.