Imo Raises Alarm Over Seafaring

The International Maritime  Organization (IMO) has raised alarm over the future of seafaring profession following declining interest by young people to join the profession.IMO Regional Co-ordinator for West and Central Africa Mr. Michael Luguje told Shipping Position Weekly recently that the organization has issued a special circular to member states in which it gave a detailed, clear and gloomy picture of the situation.According to him, the circular also advised member states to urgently begin the training of seafarers so as to meet the demand which is currently more than the supply.
Already, the organization has  put some interventions in place to assist member countries to attract and train young people as more maritime academies are currently being funded by IMO, he disclosed.Luguje disclosed that IMO in 2008 sent about 40 African students to Poland for training, adding that the organization is very concern about the likely crisis the situation may cause if urgent  steps  are not taken to arrest.
According to him, the Organization recently went into partnership with the Government of China to provide some technical exposure to Principals and the deputies of African maritime academies who went on a two week training tour to the Maritime University ofShangai.Luguje noted that the implication of the present situation will be such that there will be so many vessels around and no crewmen to man them and this will subsequently increase the cost of freight.
”The IMO issued a special circular to all member countriesencouraging them, giving them the picture of what the situation looks like in terms of the supply and demand for seafarers and then urging them at country levels to take steps to try and encourage and attract as many as possible to train asseafarers so that we can fill that demand”