Aging crews on ferry services to outlying islands could soon be a problem if they cannot find people to succeed them after they retire, maritime experts said.
The nation has 26 ferry services to outlying islands, which are operated by 70 captains, Port and Maritime Bureau statistics showed. The average age of these captains is 52. On some ferry routes, captains are still operating ships even after they turn 80, the bureau said.
Taipei University of Marine Technology associate professor Chang Tsai-hsin (張在欣) attributed the aging crews on ferry services to stable incomes and low career thresholds. It might also be a career choice for those whose homes are in the coastal areas or seeking a family-oriented life, she said.
Photo: Chen Hsin-yu, Taipei Times
“Most of the boats that are used for ferry services weigh between 20 tonnes and 500 tonnes. There is no education and age limit for those seeking to operate ferries. So long as they have certificates for third-class mates or first officers and have worked as third-class mates or first officers for at least one year, they can make this a life-long career,” Chang said.
“Because of relatively lower career thresholds, the jobs are mostly done by those who switch their careers when they are middle-aged,” she said.
Unlike crew members working on international commercial ships, who are subject to frequent deployment, crews on ferries work fixed schedules and usually need to care for family members.
Chang said that the booming international shipping business during the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed some shipping firms to give their employees 40 to 45 months of salaries as bonuses, has motivated more young people to pursue a career in shipping.
“Some hope to earn their first ‘bucket of gold’ by working in the shipping business, while others hope to accumulate work experience and would work on ferries or inland shipping services when they get older,” she said.
The bureau said that the average age of captains who operate ferries is about the same as those working for ocean freight shipping and near-sea shipping lines.
Compared with training for other crew members, training a captain takes a relatively long time, the bureau said.
Crews on ferries are mostly local residents or those who are familiar with the routes they work, it said.
“We are encouraging shipping firms to train their own crews. They can also recruit crew members through our smart service platform,” the bureau said.
Cheng Tsuen-ren (鄭尊任), who operates ferries between Magong City in Penghu County and Da Tsang Islet (大倉嶼), said residents there live by the sea and can operate boats from when they are a child.
As a licensed captain, Cheng operates two ferry trips per day, assumes the job of village warden and goes sea fishing at night, he said.
North-South Shipping Firm chairman Chen Kai-shou (陳開壽) said both his son and his nephew are captains and have been trained to operate boats ever since they were children. Now they can operate big boats and have no trouble navigating among islands, and between outlying islands and Taiwan proper.
“I prefer to recruit people who are familiar with sea, sea weather, reefs and waves,” Chen said.
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