World Maritime Day 2015

The shipping sector currently employs more than 1.5 million seafarers worldwide, and is expected to grow by as much as 70% by 2030. Demand for qualified workers is increasing and manpower shortages predicted throughout all maritime industries. To draw attention to important maritime issues, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) celebrates an annual World Maritime Day on 25 September. The 2015 event focuses on maritime education and training, an important part of the IMO’s mandate and work. In highlighting this theme, the IMO aims to attract more young people to careers in the maritime sector, both on-board and onshore, and ensure that they receive adequate training.

The theme also serves as a reminder of recent changes in seafarer training standards, based on the IMO’s International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention). Adopted in 1978, it was revised in 1995 and 2010. These changes are to be implemented by 1 January 2017 and, according to the IMO, ‘much remains to be done’.

Written by Marketa Pape.

(Note that World Maritime Day is a separate event to European Maritime day which is celebrated annually in May each year).

• Primary Source

European Commission: Maritime Affairs: European Maritime Day http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/maritimeday/en/home

IMO: World Maritime Day http://www.imo.org/en/About/Events/WorldMaritimeDay/Pages/WMD.aspx

---