Seaways Focus - September 2025

Opportunity and enthusiasm at sea

by Captain John Lloyd FNI, Chief Executive of The Nautical Institute

With London International Shipping Week just around the corner, we are looking forward to welcoming visitors to the city and engaging
across a wide variety of subject areas. I am pleased to be speaking at three different venues covering topics from ‘Reimagining Seafaring: Elevating Maritime Careers’ to decarbonisation and of course future skills.

I think the topic of ‘Elevating Maritime Careers’ is so important. With so much adverse press spotlighting problems in shipping and swathes of negativity on social media, I sense we might be presenting an overly pessimistic view of the most important sector on the planet. Just look at the enthusiasm shown by those qualifying with their first certificate of competency. They are rightly proud of their
achievement, looking forward to undertaking responsible and fulfilling roles on board ship and opening the door to a wealth of
opportunity and career development.

Let’s not undermine that sense of optimism and achievement by forgetting the good things about the industry, even as we continue to make improvements and address the important areas that need it. It’s entirely fitting that as we celebrate World Maritime Day later in the month, we will be reflecting on the IMO’s theme: Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity!

Feeding back, sharing knowledge

Receiving feedback from our members is always important to us, particularly during times of changes such as the revisions to STCW. Our ‘Sea-going correspondence group’ is set up specifically to seek input from those still serving at sea, which can be particularly useful when we need live feedback on developing issues at the IMO and other forums. On page 33 of this issue, Captain Chris O’Flaherty explains more about how the group works and how you can get involved.

Your voice matters and your views count – but we can only make them heard if we hear them ourselves! Please support Chris if you possibly can. It makes our contributions at the IMO stronger and more relevant than ever.

As well as meeting people, London International Shipping Week will provide us the ideal opportunity to launch an amazing publication on Bridge Resource Management Volume 1: The Human Element. As the name suggests, this is the first in a series and will examine key issues surrounding situational awareness, cultural awareness and communications and so much more. Volume 2: Voyage planning will be released early next year, with a focus on the more technical aspects of BRM, as our portfolio of books and publications continues to grow to meet the real operational needs of our community.
Find out more at the link at the end of this article.

In closing this month, I wish to thank those of you who send letters to the editor. This correspondence helps us understand matters that readers find important and can add value with their own insights. Last month, both the enclosed space section of MARS and the letters section examined key issues of enclosed space entry safety. There is more work to be done, and you can help the work of InterManager by sharing your insights through this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/enclosed_space

Your input can help make our ships a safer place.