Marine pilots who help guide foreign vessels to dock are worried about having enough personal protection equipment (PPE) to keep themselves and others safe during the COVID-19 crisis.
Robin Stewart, president of BC Coast Pilots Ltd., notes that marine pilots, who help international vessels navigate through B.C.’s ports and waterways, are often the first to make contact with crews from other countries, leaving them in unchartered waters during the novel coronavirus pandemic. “This was different,” Stewart said. “Our families felt vulnerable.
The pilots felt concerned.” An integral part of the supply chain, crucial shipments would be unable to make it to port without B.C.