World Maritime Day 2021

World Maritime Day is observed every year on the last Thursday of every September. This year it will be observed on September 30, 2021.

The purpose of the day is to appreciate the importance of the maritime industry and to emphasize the need to ensure maritime security and safety, shipping and the protection of the marine environment.

The theme for this year’s World Maritime Day is “Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future”.

The World Maritime Theme for 2021, “Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future” seeks to increase the visibility of seafarers by drawing attention to the invaluable role they play now and will continue to play in the future.

The focus on seafarers comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has placed extraordinary demands on seafarers, with hundreds of thousands of men and women stranded on ships for months beyond their original contracts, unable to be repatriated due to national travel restrictions. A similar number of seafarers are unable to join ships and earn a living. This crew change crisis, which has been ongoing for nearly a year, is a humanitarian emergency that threatens the safety of shipping. The 2021 theme aims to draw attention to seafarers, their role in supplying supplies, and the challenges they face. Such a flexible wording as “the core of shipping’s future” allows us to pay attention to the widest range of issues: labor protection of merchant marine workers, safety at sea, environmental protection, legal issues, and even the prospects of the seafarer profession itself against the backdrop of growing automation and informatization of cargo transportation.

The day is dedicated to the development of safe, efficient and sustainable shipping. When it comes to environmental negative impact, we usually think of large-scale disasters associated with oil spills, but in fact, ships affect the environment for more than that.

Since 1958 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has focused on environmental issues. 90% of all international trade is with sea vessels. It is both the most cost effective and the most environmentally friendly method. The contribution of the merchant fleet to the formation of greenhouse gases is less than that of automobiles, and the undisputed leadership belongs, of course, to the energy sector and industry.

The main instrument for ensuring the sustainability of cargo transportation is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). This document is constantly updated, and is aimed not only at preventing leaks of oil, fuel and other harmful chemicals. Also, the convention controls the disposal of household waste and garbage on ships, and the reduction of air pollution.

The convention clearly describes the safety requirements for the transport of dangerous goods, including oil. These are technical requirements for the design of ships, and instructions for the development of transport routes, and standards for safety and training of seafarers. Since the 1980s, total maritime trade has grown by 135%, while the frequency of accidents and oil spills has dropped from about 25 per year to just 3.

The theme for World Maritime Day 2021 is also linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular the Decent Work Goals, Innovation and Industry, and Gender Equality. Moreover, the 2021 theme can be seen as a continuation of the 2020 theme, namely «Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet», as seafarers are also in the spotlight. Sustainable shipping will not only minimize ocean pollution, but also contribute to the fight against climate change. Shipping creates jobs not only for seafarers themselves, but also for workers of shipyards, ports, and design organizations. All this will allow us to get one step closer to a better future, in which humanity will flourish not just with the planet, but as its harmonious part.

In 2021, the official events of the International Maritime Organization are scheduled for September 30, however, each country can choose any date, for example, the EU celebrated Maritime Day in May 2021.

Going forward, the IMO building, including the Seafarer Memorial, will be bathed in blue light on each World Maritime Day as a symbolic initiative to unite the maritime community and raise awareness of the vital contribution of shipping to the world.

Based on materials ecoinfo.bas-net.by