Trained Seacope fishing crew ready for the sea as COVID-19 travel ban lifted
The Walvis Bay fishing company, Seacope Freezer Fishing started getting ready to put out to sea as soon as the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources lifted the ban on sea-going vessel operations last week.
In preparation for the return of its MFV Pemba Bay freezer vessel to sea, the Seaflower Whitefish Corporation Limited subsidiary, has done all the necessary COVID-19 awareness training for its crew members.
The 56 crew were trained in COVID-19 detection and prevention measures on board the vessel as well as during offloading processes onshore.
“The government considered the importance of our industry in our economy and that is why we took the initiative to train our crew. The training is in line with the Covid-19 Labour Directives that were introduced by the government on 20 April to which we all must abide and safe guard the health and safety of our employees and equally produce a product that is safe amidst the situation we have found ourselves in.
This is not only important to the company but to the nation as well,” stated the company’s Human Resources consultant Annastasia Helao.
The Pemba Bay vessel Captain Luis Mulet Sar said that “unlike land operations, fishing vessels can not just be reconfigured, but some permanent changes need to be done to the operations.
“The exercise will be costly, but it has to be done as we have to adjust to the new normal. Some of the changes that we have done include installing a temperature scanner at vessel entrance, enforcing social distancing on the vessel, screening the crew twice a day and providing cleaners on the vessel with disposable protective clothing,” he added.
Meanwhile, the company said major risk areas such as rails will from now be cleaned three times a day, as opposed to once a day before. Showers will also be sanitised daily with alcohol-based sanitisers in addition to disinfectants, while one cabin will now be dedicated as an isolation room in the event of any suspected cases.
