Day of the Seafarer

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) “Day of the Seafarer” – on June 25 – is the opportunity for renewed efforts to safeguard the human rights of seafarers throughout the world and ensure that they are offered proper legal protection and support. That is the message from Deirdre Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI), the organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the rights of seafarers and improving their legal protection under national and international laws.

“On this important date, players in the maritime world have to ask themselves the question: how much do they care about the workers who transport over 90 percent of the goods we all rely on, when crews are risking their lives in pirate-infested waters, when vessel abandonment is still happening and there is little or no progress towards a safety net for seafarers facing criminal charges,” said Ms Fitzpatrick. “Now is the time to provide the resources to highlight seafarers’ problems and to challenge the role and effectiveness of the law in protecting seafarers’ rights.”