About 500 seafarers in the maritime industry last week Friday participated in the celebrations of the global Day of the Seafarer held in Accra, with a call on the youth to venture into the seafarers profession.
Themed: "Your voyage - then and now, share your journey" was organised by the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), with participants from both local and international countries to celebrate the day.
The Global Day of the Seafarer is an official United Nations international observance day organised annually by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to increase awareness of the world's 1.9 million seafarers.
The IMO designated June 25 as International Day of the Seafarer by a resolution adopted at a diplomatic conference in Manila, in the year 2010.
The Directors of Maritime Services of the GMA, Mr Kwabena Boakye-Boampong, said reports from the industry indicated that the global demand for seafarers was estimated at 1.5 million, with the industry requiring approximately 790,000 officers.
He added that according to reports, there was a positive trend in gender balance, with an estimated 24,000 women serving as seafarers.
Mr Boakye- Boampong said the world's largest suppliers of seafarers were the Philippines, Indonesia, China, India and the Russian Federation, stressing "seafarers are a fundamental national and global logistic".
He said as part of efforts to increase seafarer engagement, Ghana recently signed an agreement with countries such as the UK, France and Brunei Darussalam, bringing to 36 the number of agreement Ghana has with countries of high fleet.
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Mr Boakye-Boampong explained that following the agreement, seafarers holding Ghanaian certificates of competency in other countries could be employed to work in these countries.
"The significance of these agreements to the Ghanaian seafarer is that they will be allowed to work on ships of these countries and earn foreign exchange for themselves and the country.
The Authority has drafted standardised Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA) to be used by Ghanaian registered vessels (merchant and fishing vessels alike)," he said.
He indicated that the theme for this year's celebration was apt because it provided the Authority the opportunity to share in the experiences of seafarers as they sail around the world delivering the necessities of daily lives to our ports.
