The January 2023 welcome message from the AMWS Chairman,
Mr David Parmeter
Mr David Parmeter
Hello everyone and welcome to the first AMWS e-newsletter for 2023.
Every since AMWS started life as the Sydney Sailors Home in the 1860s, we have been concerned about the welfare of seafarers everywhere. One of the goals of AMWS is to speak out on issues affecting their welfare.
In this edition we bring attention to the experience of life at sea for mariners, and show a cross-section of experiences.
It should be emphasised that many companies and individuals in the shipping industry are committed to doing the right thing for their crews. In this edition there are links to videos on social media that show what serving on a well run and maintained vessel is like. This is how the industry should be.
Unfortunately that is not always the case. There is the well publicised incident of a vessel abandoned in Portland last September because the owner was unable to pay bunker bills. The crew were stuck on board and only recently have some of them been repatriated. This issue of abandoned seafarers is a serious problem for the global industry.
There is also a report from the main stream media of the deeply disturbing case of a livestock carrier that sank in a typhoon, with the loss of 41 lives. This reminds us the sea is a dangerous place and safety must be the paramount consideration at all times. Everyone involved in the industry must work to ensure events like this never happen.
I hope you all find this edition of the newsletter interesting and informative.
Every since AMWS started life as the Sydney Sailors Home in the 1860s, we have been concerned about the welfare of seafarers everywhere. One of the goals of AMWS is to speak out on issues affecting their welfare.
In this edition we bring attention to the experience of life at sea for mariners, and show a cross-section of experiences.
It should be emphasised that many companies and individuals in the shipping industry are committed to doing the right thing for their crews. In this edition there are links to videos on social media that show what serving on a well run and maintained vessel is like. This is how the industry should be.
Unfortunately that is not always the case. There is the well publicised incident of a vessel abandoned in Portland last September because the owner was unable to pay bunker bills. The crew were stuck on board and only recently have some of them been repatriated. This issue of abandoned seafarers is a serious problem for the global industry.
There is also a report from the main stream media of the deeply disturbing case of a livestock carrier that sank in a typhoon, with the loss of 41 lives. This reminds us the sea is a dangerous place and safety must be the paramount consideration at all times. Everyone involved in the industry must work to ensure events like this never happen.
I hope you all find this edition of the newsletter interesting and informative.