2010: Year of the Seafarer

The local maritime industry, this year, will celebrate Maritime Awareness Week under the theme, "2010: Year of the Seafarer", under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Maritime Awareness Week will be celebrated September 19-25, with several planned local activities including a church service, regatta and open day at the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI).

Jamaica's Maritime Awareness Week is developed around the World Maritime Day, which is celebrated annually by the international shipping community and falls on the last Thursday in the month of September. The IMO, a United Nations body which has oversight for international maritime affairs, and of which Jamaica is a member, sets the general theme of World Maritime Day, and member states may modify it to suit their local situation.

Speaking at the launch of Maritime Awareness Week 2010, in January this year, IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos said 2010 promised to be an auspicious and important year for the seafaring profession, with plans to adopt amendments that would bring the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (the STCW Convention), and its associated Code, fully up to date with today's expectations.

He said designating 2010 as the Year of the Seafarer would help to reassure those who work at the "sharp end" of the industry - the seafarers themselves - that those responsible for the international regulatory regime understand the extreme pressures seafarers face, and that they approach their task with a genuine sympathy for the work that seafarers carry out. The theme had also been chosen, he said, to allow the maritime community to pay tribute to seafarers for their unique contribution to society and in recognition of the vital part they play in the facilitation of global trade.

Lifeblood of the global economy

Rear Admiral Peter Brady, director general of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, also speaking at the launch of Maritime Awareness Week 2010, said, "Shipping has become the lifeblood of the global economy and the world needs its seafarers as much as it needs its ships."

He added that the changing demands of the industry striving to be more competitive means the global rules governing the training and certification of seafarers had to be revised. "It is, therefore, apt that the revision of the 1995 STCW Convention and Code be completed in a year when the contributions of the world's seafarers are embraced worldwide," Brady said.

Since then, at the Manila Conference held on July 14 this year, participants adopted major revisions to both the STCW Convention and Code, ensuring that the necessary global standards will be in place to train and certify seafarers to operate technologically advanced ships. The Manila amendments contain provisions on hours of rest for watchkeepers. Resolutions adopted by the conference include one on the "Year of the Seafarer", with June 25 to be celebrated as the "Day of the Seafarer."

MARITIME AWARENESS WEEK

September 19-25, 2010

Schedule of Activities

DAYDATEACTIVITYLOCATIONTIME

SundaySeptember 19Church ServiceSt Thomas Parish Church,8:30 a.m.

Morant Bay, St Thomas

Regatta'Our Beach'

Lyssons, St Thomas12:00 p.m.

MondaySeptember 20Oath of Allegiance Ceremony/Open DayCaribbean Maritime Institute9:00 a.m.

TuesdaySeptember 21Shipping FeatureGleaner

Open Day (cont'd)Caribbean Maritime Institute9:00 a.m.