The National Seafarers' Day was officially declared today by the Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

The event was held at the Shangri-la Hotel this morning.

The official day was gazetted declaring the 21st of March as the National Seafarers' Day in recognition of the invaluable service of the Sri Lankan Seafarer to the global economy and trade. The initiative aims to raise awareness on the significance of the maritime industry and the role of seafarers in facilitating international commerce.

More than 90% of the global trade is by sea. The sustenance and the growth of the world economy hinges heavily on the ships that trade worldwide. During extraordinary challenging times, like, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the professionalism and resilience of the seafarers were at the core of sustaining vital supply chains and transportation.