The investigation of the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on seafarers

ABSTRACT The global crisis, which has spread to the world due to the ‘Covid-19’ pandemic, has affected every area of life, from health to production, from trade to lifestyle, and from education to socialisation. International measures are taken within the scope of combating the global pandemic negatively influenced trade. Considering that 80% of global trade is maintained through maritime transportation, the importance of continuing the safe operation of merchant ships becomes apparent. This study aimed to identify the problems experienced by seamen during the pandemic process and offer solutions to these problems. In this context, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seafarers actively working on the ship. The data obtained from the interview were coded in the Nvivo 10 program, made meaningful and evaluated. The results of this study show that the Covid-19 pandemic has a significant impact on seafarers.