Seaways Focus - July 2025
Engaging with the issues
by Captain John Lloyd FNI, Chief Executive of The Nautical Institute
During June I had the opportunity to attend the IMO and be part of the discussions surrounding the issues of the criminalisation of seafarers. We heard first-hand the experiences of seafarers kept in captivity without fair trial, sometimes for periods of more than four years, before being released, usually on the payment of a significant fine.
It was an opportunity to consider what else can be done. With the support of others, the maritime community might be able to engage with the concept of an independent tribunal to consider cases where the crew could not realistically have known about contraband, falsified documents, the contents of containers, or other aspects of a seemingly normal voyage.
It is a useful reminder to recall the advice from the IMO and the ILO (International Labour Organisation), published in their Guidelines on Fair Treatment of Seafarers detained in connection with alleged crimes.
IALA
There are many special days each year in the calendar, but one less-widely recognised is of particular importance to many of our members. Celebrated on 1-2 July, World Marine Aids to Navigation Day adopts the theme this year of ‘The role of physical Aids to Navigation in a digital future’. The International Organisation for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA) is marking the occasion with a two day event in London. This is the first event IALA has held since becoming an intergovernmental organisation, which provides greater status and more opportunity for international cooperation and collaboration.
"We look forward to discussions on the key issues that affect our members and all navigators as they adapt to a changing and challenging world"
The Nautical Institute will be represented throughout the event. We look forward to wide-ranging discussions and making the opportunity to contribute to the discussions and key issues that affect our members and all navigators as they adapt to a changing and challenging world. We have for a long time advocated for consistency of data access and provision to enhance safe navigation and we look forward to learning about further progress in these areas.
London International Shipping Week
Looking a little further ahead, The Nautical Institute will be very active during London International Shipping Week (15-19 September) as we co-host an event with WISTA (UK). Our panel will explore the latest thinking on future skills for the maritime sector. Already we have an outstanding panel of speakers and I look forward to sharing further details with you in due course.
In the same week, we will also be hosting a separate event showcasing the work of The Nautical Institute in which we will share with our stakeholders the amazing work of our members and colleagues over the past two years in particular. With some amazing project outputs and high-class publications, we have much to share and celebrate.
I hope many of you will be able to come to London for this signature event and to engage with colleagues from around the world.