Saturday, 25 June is ‘Day of the Seafarer’. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness of the vital role seafarers play in the world economy and of career opportunities at sea. But most importantly it is an opportunity for the world to say: “Thank you, seafarers”.

In 2010, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States agreed that the unique contribution made by seafarers from all over the world to international seaborne trade, the world economy and civil society as a whole, should be marked annually with a ‘Day of the Seafarer’ — a celebration of seafarers across the globe.

It’s also a chance to address the issues facing the modern day seafarer such as piracy.

In an article on their webpage, the IMO is asking everyone to voice their support using social media networks. On the Day of the Seafarer, the IMO asks people around the globe to say “Thank you, seafarers” on Facebook, via tweets, by posting a video on YouTube, discussing on LinkedIn, or even writing an inspirational blog.

Maersk Line is  of course very much in support of this initiative, and we encourage you all to voice your support.

Respect, recognition and gratitude
According to the IMO, the aim of the day is to “pay tribute to the world’s 1.5 million seafarers for the unique and all-too-often overlooked contribution to the well-being of the general public, and we would like to do it using as many social media networks as possible.”

The statement adds that by generating interaction on the web about seafarers, we want to “show respect, recognition and gratitude to seafarers everywhere. The universal outreach of social media will raise awareness of the vital role that seafarers play in the world economy and, in many respects, in sustainable development, enabling ships to carry than 90 % of world trade safely, efficiently and with minimal impact on the environment.”

To see how exactly you can support the initiative, you can find the IMO tool kit HERE.

The date chosen was 25 June, the day on which milestone revisions to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (the STCW Convention) and its associated Code were adopted at a Diplomatic Conference in Manila, The Philippines.