During the COVID-19 pandemic crew change has been the most crucial obstacle for Ship Operators globally.
The essential service seafarers are offering to facilitate the needs of economies in lockdowns and the detrimental requirement to ensure their health and safety of such workers who have been stuck on board the vessels for extended periods of time unable to visit their families and beloved ones in order to serve a higher cause, has been an issue which all stakeholders have had a difficult time facing at both a local and international level.
As per the recent data compiled by the International Chamber of Shipping, Cyprus has been amongst the 50 countries globally reported to have successfully completed crew changes in May 2020 and onwards.
CSA’s Members being the local Shipping Agents dedicated to serve the needs of their Principals/Operators, have been strictly adhering to all Directives issued by the Competent Authorities ensuring that crew changes can be successfully and safely conducted alongside the quay, at the designated anchorage areas or at Ship to Ship operations.
CSA spares no time during the extraordinary times we are facing, in liaising with all Local and International Bodies to ensure that Cyprus shall remain a place at which seafarers are welcomed and vessels at serviced at the highest quality possible.
The Cyprus Shipping Association (CSA) was established in 1945, to provide a professional forum for the Shipping Agents of Cyprus. In 1954, following its registration under the provisions of the local Trade Unions Law, the Association became the official body representing the profession of the Shipping Agent in Cyprus. The Members of the Association are the leading and long established Shipping Agencies in the island.
The main aims of the Cyprus Shipping Association are:
As the spokesman for the Shipping Agents in Cyprus, the Cyprus Shipping Association ensures that its voice is heard on public issues affecting its members and contributing to the solution of all their problems. The Association also acts as liaison, negotiator and representative for its members in their dealings with the Government, the Legislature, the Port Authorities, the Department of Customs, the Business Community, the Trade Unions and all other interested parties.
With the Shipping Agent being actively involved in the operation and marketing of the Cyprus Ports, the Cyprus Shipping Association plays an important role in port affairs, taking part in the formation of policies applied and the solution to problems arising. The Association maintains close links with other local and international professional bodies pursuing common objectives. Its international affiliations include membership of the Federation Of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents (FONASBA), the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and the the International Cargo Handling Co-ordination Association (ICHCA). At local level it is a member of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (C.C.C.I) and the Employers and Industrialists Federation of Cyprus (E.I.F).
The Cyprus Shipping Association further provides its members with a platform for the exchange of professional experiences of common interest and acts as a centre for the collection, evaluation and distribution of information on local and international developments relevant to the profession and the port industry in general. In a day and age of revolutionary changes and of enormous growth in competition, the Association places increased emphasis on the upgrading of the skills of its members and their staff, the technological advancement of their operations and the strategic planning of their activities.
