Cancelled Ferry Sailings are a symptom of a longstanding problem in the marine industry. It’s only going to get worse.
After BC Ferries cancelled two sailings between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland on August 4, 2021, its president and CEO Mark Collins issued a statement pinning the service disruptions on crew shortages. Three officers had called in sick, and replacements couldn’t be found on short notice.
BC Ferries was in the process of recruiting 60 officers and 50 other employees for key positions to create redundancy in the system. But the company was struggling to fill those positions. Qualified workers were “very difficult to find,” Collins said, partly due to a global mariner shortage.
The global mariner shortage isn’t new, it’s just being newly felt by the public. The pandemic has exacerbated the problem, disrupting supply chains and transportation services.
