Posted on 29 March 2022
The Kiribati government closed their international border late in March 2020, to keep their island population of approximately 140,000 people safe from COVID-19. Luckily the system worked. However, Maria Borovnik (Massey University), Charlotte Bedford (Development Policy Centre) and Rochelle Bailey (Aus Dept of Pacific Affairs) ask if the pandemic has ended seafaring for Kiribati?
Many Kiribati seafarers ended up stranded as a consequence of the strict border closure. For some this has meant that, after completing their on-board contracts, they have not seen their families for over two years.