The issue of ‘rogue’ crewing agents has been in the maritime press recently. We thought it might be helpful to advise you what to look out for when choosing a crewing partner, to ensure that you or your crew don’t fall victim to underhand practices.
Telltale signs are if a crew agent says it will not charge you a fee to find your crew. Danica Crewing Specialists CEO Henrik Jensen points out: “If they aren’t charging you a fee then it’s likely that they are getting their funding from the crew instead. Which means their loyalty does not lie with you.”
In many instances this means they are providing services to the crew to boost their chances of being employed.
In certain countries rogue crewing agents are a real problem and one that is growing. In many cases, there is a mutual agreement between the seafarer and the crewing agent where the agent, knowing the shipping company’s requirements, designs the seafarer’s CV to perfectly match, and also guides the seafarer on what questions they will be asked at interview. Some even offer a substitute to sit for online tests! For this ‘service’ the seafarer pays a fee or commission.
Having under-qualified seafarers onboard your vessel is a safety risk – both to the safety of your asset and also to the safety of the other crew members who are relying on their colleagues to have the necessary professional experience and knowledge for their rank and position.
With Danica you can be sure that the seafarers we supply to you have been carefully screened and that all their qualifications have been verified. We also conduct interviews with officers trained in that rank to ensure that our crew have the right knowledge and experience for the position they are applying for.
Henrik comments: “The safe manning of your ships is as important to us as it is to you. With Danica you are in safe hands.”
