It is more important than ever to keep supply chains open and maritime trade and transport moving...

keeping the world’s ports open for calls by visiting commercial ships, and facilitating crew changes and the movement of ships’ crews...

the world’s professional merchant seafarers [should] be granted appropriate exemptions from any national travel restrictions...

we suggest that professional seafarers, regardless of nationality, should be treated as any other international ‘key workers’... they should be afforded special consideration and, notwithstanding the need to comply with emergency health protocols, treated with pragmatism and understanding when seeking to travel to and from their ships.