Sea rescue: big brands take control list to take crew home Business and Economy News An estimated 200,000 crew members are stuck in merchant ships around the world in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Unilever Plc and other major retail brands include a giant set of tools in an effort to inspect their shipping supply chains, return people stuck in commercial vessels home, and eliminate human rights risks. The voluntary initiative, which will be launched later this week, calls on companies that place cargo in shipping containers to address the problems caused by the government’s restrictions on crew changes. It is estimated that more than 200,000 crew members around the world are still stuck in ships after their contracts have ended and safety standards accepted worldwide have been exceeded.