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Shortage of mariners raises concern that shipping accidents will rise
A freighter's oil spill in San Francisco Bay last week has highlighted a worldwide dearth of 10,000 officers.
By Ben Arnoldy | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the November 16, 2007 edition
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Oakland, Calif. - The Cosco Busan left its moorings in the port of Oakland at 7:48 a.m. last week. The questions continue to swirl about what happened next – before the ship dumped 58,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay. Did the radar go out? Was there a miscommunication between the captain and the pilot who was sent on board to guide him?
The American pilot's lawyer is saying the Chinese captain, who had no experience in the bay, misinterpreted symbols on an electronic chart.
But whatever the cause of the Cosco Busan incident, it highlights the potential for environmental damage and public danger of the sort that worry ship operators looking at a worsening shortage of experienced mariners.
"As the liability insurers, we are conscious of the fact that human error plays a very major part in liability claims. With the sort of manning problems that are now being faced, it's only likely to become more of a problem," says Andrew Bardot, head of the International Group of P&I Clubs based in London.
Booming global trade means more ships are moving everything from oil to Chinese plastic toys. Meanwhile, fewer young people in the developed world are taking to the high seas. While more Asians have come on deck, not enough are moving up the officer ranks to replace the retiring Westerners.
The worldwide shortfall of officers stands at 10,000, or 2 percent of the total workforce, according to a 2005 survey from BIMCO/ISF, two international shipping groups. By 2015, however, the survey projects the officer shortage to triple.
The numbers mask a more troubling skills shortage, since more sensitive shipping – cruise ships, cargo ships, and fuel tankers – is entrusted mainly to developed world officers who have undergone more rigorous training, says Commodore John Keever, vice president of the California Maritime Academy (CMA) in Vallejo. More than a quarter of these officers are over 50 years old and moving toward retirement.
Several reasons underlie the growing shortage.
First, there are more ships. The number of tankers worldwide rose 17 percent between 2001 and 2005; container ships jumped 30 percent, according to the US Department of Transportation.
There's even competition from mega-yachts. More than 450 yachts over 30 meters long are currently under construction, and they'll need an estimated total of 5,000 crew members, according to Lloyd's List, a British shipping publication.
With demand for seafarers up, supply is going down in traditional seafaring regions such as Scandinavia, Japan, and Singapore. Strong economies there mean it's no longer true that someone with a bachelor's degree and sea credentials could make twice the money on ship than on shore, says Commodore Keever.
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