25 June 2024 02:21 pm Views - 24
By Captain Harsha Perera
On behalf of Ceyline Shipping Limited, the market leader in Sri Lanka for providing comprehensive recruitment & placement services and crew management services, it is with great honor that I pen these words to commemorate the International Day of the Seafarer 2024. This global annual celebration which takes place on the 25th of June serves the purpose of recognizing and honoring the seafarers who work tirelessly to keep the global shipping lanes open without any disruption throughout the year, daily. The seafarer is an exceptional individual who must demonstrate resilience and dedication in the face of adversity to ensure the smooth operation of many merchant vessels carrying a varied scope of cargo throughout global shipping lanes. Without this very important cog in the maritime machine, it is fair to say that the world will not be able to maintain the smooth flow of trade across our oceans.
Seafarers are an integral part of any vessel that transports goods at sea, often compromising their personal needs as they spend many successive months at sea to ensure the uninterrupted flow of maritime goods across global sea lanes. This was amply demonstrated during the recent Covid pandemic which brought the world to a halt. The seafarers kept the global maritime industry functioning, regardless of the risks and restrictions faced during the pandemic. In the context of Sri Lanka, it is pertinent to say that despite many parts of the world being shut down, our seafarers managed to continue their employment, following timely embarkation and disembarkation with due compliance with the Covid protocols of various countries.
A seafarer is a person who must understand and comply with various rules and regulations set out by many international and local organizations to implement safety at sea, pollution prevention, mandatory training and certifications. With dynamic regulations and legislation, seafarers must adapt their knowledge so that they will be able to contribute positively towards implementation. To have successful regulatory outcomes, seafarers are trained at training institutes, onboard ships and through virtual training programs. Timely reporting of any incident to relevant authorities to mitigate adverse effects from it is also a very important role that all seafarers are trained to perform.
The global demand for seafarers stands at approximately 1.6 million and Sri Lanka, as a maritime nation, provides about 15,000 seafarers to meet this demand. This active pool of seafarers is estimated to contribute around USD 400 million annually towards the Sri Lankan economy in way of the salaries earned. This figure fittingly demonstrates the very important contribution made by the seafarers to our national economy.
Due to the growth in the maritime transport industry, there has been an increasing demand for well qualified and professional seafarers from Sri Lanka. Leading ship operators and managers from around the world have shown very keen interest in employing and increasing the number of Sri Lankan seafarers on the ships operated by them. This opportunity for Sri Lankan seafarers exists in the face of competition from larger seafarer nations such as the Philippines, India and China, which is a testament to our seafarers’ expertise and dedication.
As a nation, we should collectively mobilize ourselves to cater to this need by molding our next generation of seafarers into well trained, motivated professionals who can meet this challenge. As in any industry, creating job opportunities at the grassroots level and gradually building them up to be true professionals is the best way forward. In this regard, the government of Sri Lanka has already outlined a target of 50,000 active seafarers by the year 2030. While this is indeed a lofty target, a well sustained effort by all stakeholders, manning agents, training institutes and the central government will make this dream a reality. The government of Sri Lanka has already taken the first step in the right direction by introducing seafaring in the school curriculum for our young students to get an understanding of what seafaring is all about, generating interest in this wonderful and challenging profession. Support from the central government is vital to create much-needed trainee positions. The Merchant Shipping Secretariat under the purview of the Ministry of Shipping and Ports, also plays a pivotal role in seafarer examinations & certification, timely issuance of seafarer certificates and maintaining standards under various international conventions.
Certainly, life at sea is not an easy one when you consider being away from the comfort of one’s family and home. It is a relatively tough working environment. That is the very reason why so much emphasis is placed on training seafarers to work in an environment where the margin for error is nonexistent and the impact from human error can result in financial loss, damage to the environment and unfortunate accidents with loss of human life. However, based on my own experiences and the experiences of my peers, I can attest to the fact that the challenges and hard work are always worth it, as this profession is incredibly rewarding.
Ceyline Shipping takes great pride in producing seafarers who are well rounded individuals who can effectively absorb the pressure and challenge of being a seafarer. Our inhouse training institute CINEC (Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College) is fully geared to train our seafarers with state-of-the-art teaching methods and fully qualified instructors, the latest equipment and internationally recognized simulators. At Ceyline Shipping we understand the challenges faced by young seafarers who have completed their initial training and are waiting to find their first job on a merchant vessel. We constantly communicate with our esteemed principals to create job opportunities for trainees.
Ceyline Shipping has a rich legacy in the maritime field, with a policy rooted in providing a sustainable and honest service to all our foreign and local principals in crew management, seafarer recruitment and placement services to all our seafarers. We have a dedicated team for seafarer sourcing, who understand the industry requirements for various types of merchant vessels and carry out an extensive selection process to ensure that our principals are provided with the best seafarers who can meet the very vigorous challenges at sea. Our success would not be possible without the extensive and intricate machinery of our crew pool, and we are grateful for every one of them.
At Ceyline Shipping, we directly help our seafarers achieve their professional and personal growth through our health and wellness initiatives, mental health support and opportunities for their respective career development.
The cumulative efforts of Sri Lankan seafarers which place our nation among the ranks of strong maritime powers are worthy of much respect and recognition. On this occasion, we would like to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude towards all seafarers around the world who put in their best effort to sustain and grow the flow of global trade.
Ceyline Shipping is committed to carrying forward the uncompromising standards of recruitment, placement and crew management services for which we have gained our industry trademark. None of our activities would be possible without seafarers, and we hope to continue our rapport with all seafarers for many more decades to come, raising the bar every single step of the way.