Day of the Seafarer 2021 – A Message from WISTA International President

June 25, 2021

Message on the Day of the Seafarer from WISTA International President Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou:

 

“The Day of the Seafarer is a day for celebration. A day that the world celebrates the women and men that work on the global fleet and ensure that global trade keeps flowing.

However, under the current conditions we don’t feel like celebrating as we continuously hear of the hardships so many of them face through no choice or fault of their own.

The pandemic response and their plight have not come out of the blue. After all, we have had a Day of the Seafarer for many years for a reason.

I know we should avoid platitudes and simple statements, but with days like these, celebrated every year on the same date, we have a point where we can remind the world of the contribution and sacrifice of seafarers.

And especially for those making decisions that impact seafarers’ lives – seafarers depend on us to look after their interests while they serve tirelessly.

We need seafarers in our industry, both now and in the future. If we take away their respect for the industry they will leave, and no others will follow. We cannot afford to alienate seafarers, any of them. We need them more and more.

So WISTA International celebrates today and we offer our thanks for the critical role you, our seafarers, play.”