Seaways Focus - December 2024
Fairness and integrity
by John Lloyd FNI Chief Executive, The Nautical Institute
I have been keenly aware of the diverse nature of our industry in recent weeks, particularly in light of my visit to Manila and the Global Crew Connect conference there. With 25% of seafarers recruited from the Philippines, it is essential we continue to support their training and development needs in the years ahead, if we are to ensure the safety of our ship operations worldwide.
At the same time, it seems to me, the colleges there have a responsibility to ensure that the trainees they recruit (and charge fees to) have a realistic prospect of gaining the sea service they require to achieve their qualifications and to gain employment in our community. We all share a responsibility to support fair opportunities – perhaps employers should boycott those colleges that refuse to balance supply and demand, and reward those that display fairness and integrity in supporting their cadets! Just an idea.
If you are a ship manager or owner and willing to help provide seatime, whether in this region or other parts of the world, please get in touch. Help us to help others become the next generation of maritime leaders. You can contact me at [email protected]
Responding to criminalisation
On the subject of fairness and integrity, it is sad that we are still seeing incidents of the unfair criminalisation of seafarers, who are used as scapegoats in several parts of the world. It cannot be right that mariners are detained without evidence or cause when going about their duties professionally and with due diligence. The world would soon come to a grinding halt if we treated airline crews in the same way and it is time we showed more respect to maritime industry key workers.
The Nautical Institute has always taken a highly visible and energetic stand against the criminalisation of seafarers and it is a sad reflection on the wider community that this is still a key issue in many parts of the world.
We look forward to working with other leading stakeholders as we wrestle with this important issue and combat the growing trend of false accusation, false convictions and unfair treatment.
Worldwide engagement
Our initiatives engaging with the wider maritime community continue to bear fruit. As we approach the end of 2024, I wish to offer a special thanks to all those organisations that have helped us host events throughout the year in the Philippines, Bali, London and a whole host of branch launches and meetings. Without your support this engagement would not be possible and our maritime community the weaker for it. Thank you.
"There are many things about the industry that require positive change - and by working together, we are all making a difference."
A special mention is due to two organisations that have helped us make very specific contributions. Firstly, the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) is the lead sponsor and supporter of our Navigator magazine, resulting in a hugely impactful series of professional pamphlets, produced three times a year, that spotlight key issues of maritime operational importance to navigating officers. This publication helps generate awareness and debate about important safety matters and helps produce on-board discussion, knowledge-sharing and mentoring. We know that each issue has a life on board that goes well beyond the individual publication date, with some vessels building up reference libraries that go back several years. With tens of thousands of each issue distributed in hard copy and with on-line versions available too, we are able to encourage professionalism and positive safety messages to our seafarers and beyond.
As we have diversified our membership to include the fishing community we are especially grateful to The Seafarers Charity for their support. Their financial contributions have included the development of a ‘Thrive in Fishing’ publication that highlights the importance of fishing as a central pillar of the food and supply chain. At the same time, it promotes important welfare and safety messages affecting fishers and their families. Watch out for the release of this document in the coming weeks.
The Seafarers Charity has also supported our work delivering auditor qualifications and managment training to the fishing sector and more widely.
Together we are all making a difference and helping bring about positive change to our industry.