Editorial (19)
The image of shipping is not good in the eyes of the general public, who rarely hear of any good news stories. Instead, they are informed of ships in difficulties in stormy weather, of freak waves, of groundings and of the subsequent pollution and its effect on the environment.
They may be told about acts of piracy that are taking place in various parts of the world, and occasionally, they may hear of a shipmaster being thrown into jail for some alleged misdemeanour on the high seas.
Those who are conversant with the various maritime 'blogs' on the internet will have read messages berating the state of shipping, and specifically life at sea today. There will be comments about over- regulation, too much paperwork and the increasing number of inspections; about reduced manning and the problems of fatigue; and some shipowners who do not care for the seafarers, and who do not reinvest their profits in the human element.
None of these are positive images of the shipping industry, although some of the less complimentary comments are perhaps based on perceptions rather than fact. Yes, there are unscrupulous employers, there are ships that should not be at sea, and there are seafarers who are badly treated. Yes, we need to guard against over-regulation, we need to overcome the problem of too much paperwork and we need to rationalise the inspection regime. We should not forget the plight of the crews who have been subjected to piracy, nor should we shirk from our responsibilities to ensure fair treat- ment for the master and his crew in the event of an accident.
We do not hear so much of the fact that this is a high-tech industry, in which one can have responsibility at an early age, where for those who want it, the prospects of a career for life are good, and where there are opportunities for career development, both afloat and ashore.
Because, no matter how much automation is introduced into a ship, there will always be a need for people to keep that ship going. There is also a need for pilots, ship managers, surveyors, college lecturers, regulators, accident investigators, expert witnesses - to name but a few - all of whom should ideally come from seafaring backgrounds.
The modern seafarer, however, has certain expectations of the employer, many of which have been discussed in previous issues of Alert! - and are explored further in this bulletin - to provide a safe and secure working environment,decent working and living conditions, fair terms of employment, health protection, medical care, family support and contact with home.
The modern seafarer needs to be able to 'keep in touch with the world' through the internet, emails or even the mobile/satellite telephone. He also expects leadership and direction from his superiors and, a full commitment to training - not just the bare minimum - and support for continuous professional development.
As stakeholders in this industry, we should all work towards promoting the positive side of shipping - it is not all 'doom and gloom'. We need to fulfill the expectations and aspirations of the new generation of seafarers, such that they will have the motivation to do the job well and a commitment to a full career in the industry, both afloat and ashore.