Overview of documents concerning the COVID-19 pandemic by EMPA

"We want Ports Authorities to Prioritise the Safety of Maritime Pilots"

In this interview, the President of the African Maritime Pilots Association (AMPA), Captain Mohamed Rafouk who is based in Morocco speaks on how maritime pilots in Africa have coped since the outbreak. He also talks of their interactions with Port Authorities and what their expectations are.

ANTWERP - A pilot who visited the ship Minerva Oceania to lead it to the port of Antwerp appears to have become infected with the coronavirus.

“The current plight many seafarers are facing, unable to crew change or return home, is being described by many voices within the maritime community as the next humanitarian crisis.”

The ship could not slow down and sailed against the Old North Lock - “Alte Schleuse Nord”.

Fewer vessels in voyage mean less pilotage and this means less income for many Pilots. Not every Pilot is an employee and many pilots are self-employed and organised in a brotherhood per example. They are earning only money if they are piloting a vessel. No vessel – no money.

The maritime sector is experiencing a significant shift due to escalating environmental issues, changing regulatory frameworks, and heightened public demands for sustainability. During this transformation, marine pilots are essential;

That data comes from Victoria-based MarineLabs, a company building something Canada's coastal economy has needed for a long time: a real-time, hyper-local intelligence network for the ocean's edge.

Norwegian shipping company Bukser og Berging has placed an order for a new pilot launch to be built by Kewatec Aluboat of Finland.

Port of London Authority marine Pilot, Ms. Ivana Carrioni-Burnett, provides a personal opinion and insight into her recent experiences in UK waters as a newly qualified Pilot in relation to her interactions with seafarers away from their families, including during the COVID-19 crisis.