Empty shelves and out of stock...?

[Deleted member 149562]

Much has been screamed across the mainstream media about stocks of just about everything running low. Many tend to blame the respective governments for the short supplies.

However, the reason is far simpler.

Shipping.

Ever since the pandemic started there has been a critical problem with ships that does not appear to be ending anytime soon. It was briefly touched upon, for the wrong reasons, when the mega containership Ever Given got stuck in the Suez a while ago.

Companies around the world depend on containers to ship their raw materials and supplies around the world. It has been a long depended upon method of shipping for many many decades and not had any real issues til now.

Currently EVERY containerport around the world is inundated with empty containers that cannot be shifted. And anchored off EVERY containerport around the world are tens of hundreds of containerships and freighters at anchor unable to enter port and offload their goods and collect the empties. For example off California in the last few weeks there are no less than 60 fully loaded containerships all awaiting berthing permission

Its not just a shortage of truck drivers on land that has caused the jam. Sadly there are several countries who are still refusing crew changeovers, so you have crews who would normally do 3 to 6 month stints onboard that have not left their ships since the pandemic started. The ports are refusing docking cos the crews are not vaccinated, yet they will not allow the crew to disembark to be vaccinated and are blocking attempts to visit every ship and vaccinate onboard. There have been many crew who have died onboard, some from the virus and others through accidents and suicide. Those crew who have died are in ships freezers cos countries will not allow the repatriations home, which is truly tragic and inhumane. Currently any ship with suspected virus outbreaks are either quarantined at anchor for 15 days or in some cases crews have been arrested and held onboard by law enforcement or army and treated like prisoners at gunpoint.

Companies like Coca-Cola Schweppes, Ikea, Walmart, API Mars have started to charter bulk carriers and shipping firms like CMACGM have chartered freight jets to replace the snarled up containerships.

Coca-Cola Charters Bulk Carriers As Container Crisis Spreads Out of Control

Coca-Cola on Friday, October 1st announced chartering of three bulk carriers for the supply of raw materials to its global chain of production units. The revelation was made by Coca-Cola’s procurement director, Alan Smith in form of a Linkedin post, ...

www.fleetmon.com

Los Angeles Experiences Relief From Congestions As Delays Skyrocket In Ports Worldwide

The busiest US ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have experienced a modest relief from congestion over the week. According to the statement released by Marine Exchange of Southern California on Monday, the number of vessels at anchorage in ...

www.fleetmon.com

The supply system has completely collapsed in many countries due to the pandemic causing backlogs of empty containers in the wrong ports, crews not being allowed to changeover normally and record numbers of ships waiting for berths to offload/reload.

The situation onboard these ships is fast becoming critical, yet none of it is being given airtime and crew are suffering as a result along with supplies being stuck or stopped.

Congestion Worsens at LA, Long Beach As A Record 56 Boxships Queue up

America's busiest ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach experience no relief from congestion as the queue of container ships keeps growing in the San Pedro Bay. According to Marine Exchange of Southern California, the situation at the adjacent ports ...

www.fleetmon.com

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

The real cause is, more accurately, the panic buying public.

The recent fuel 'crisis' was a great example of that.
No queues for fuel up here and no apparent shortages. Anyone who appeared to be panicking was given short-thrift by their neighbours.

All those bereft because they can't go abroad for a holiday (in the midst of a worldwide pandemic) and now panic-buying foreign holidays, whilst there are plenty of cheap options and places to visit at home.

And does anyone remember the Great Bog Roll Shortage of 2020? All idiot led.

Now we have a media showing some empty shelves and, all of a sudden, we have those self-same idiots panic buying what they believe to be running out and, guess what...the store runs out...until it get's the chance to stock up once more from the warehouse, out back.

Granted, there ARE problems with supply and there WILL be shortages of some items as consequence, but Christmas will be ruined/cancelled because of a lack of turkeys?!? Putting aside the small detail that Christmas is supposed to be apparently more than a slap-up dinner, what's wrong with chicken, pork, lamb, beef, nut roast, a large salmon...etc., etc.?

Climbs off soap box, kicking it furtively back under the table and returns to gaze at a fish tank.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

One story that really angered me last year in the midst of the pandemic, a bulk carrier that was sailing in Asia.

Her Captain and crew were all Indian/Bangladeshi and as a result of the virus being so out of control in those countries, no Asian port would allow the ship into its territorial waters.

The Captain passed away of a heart attack...something that in normal times would have possibly not killed him as he would have been in port and medevaced.

The Captain received no medical help. No port would allow the ship to dock in order to repatriate his body back to his anxious family.

His body remained in the ship's freezer for 9 months before a country finally allowed him to go home.....and that was India itself, who had also barred his ship from docking until they had a control over the spread of the virus.

I think if people realised just how desperate things were onboard the ships that supply our shelves, maybe they would be a little more patient and forgiving that their favourite brand of fizzy drink had run out.

But in the materialistic world that we live in....I am not so sure.