The main themes in March 2011 were the labour market for officers and the human cost of piracy. This page summarises the posts.
Officer shortage eases, worries remain
On 18 March the blog reposted a story about the BIMCO/ISF 2010 Manpower Study. A sharp downturn in shipping markets in 2009 had eased the shortage of officers, but the study warned against complacency, because retention and the recruitment of cadets remained a problem. The survey put the supply of officers at 624,000. In the same story, BIMCO introduced a new service to help members with crew-related operational questions.
Why it matters: a recession can shrink demand for crew for a while without fixing the long-term pipeline. Shipping companies need to bring in and keep young officers, which is why cadet programmes get so much attention. See the cadets programme.
Hostage rescue fails
A BBC report, reposted to promote awareness, said an attempt to free a Danish family taken hostage by Somali pirates had failed. The family, which included three children, and two other adults were seized on 24 February. Soldiers from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland tried a rescue and were ambushed on the way.
Save Our Seafarers
On 1 March the blog welcomed a new advertising campaign proposed and financed by shipowners and unions. It was to run in mainstream media and urge governments to act, cooperate and find a solution. The aim was to raise public awareness of the effect of piracy on the industry and on the people who work in it.
Promotion
A short note celebrated a cadet who completed his STCW 95 certificate and the required sea time and started work as a fourth engineer. His senior officers had spoken highly of his cadetship, the post said.
How the items connect
The workforce study and the piracy stories point to the same issue from two directions. The industry needs to attract and keep young officers, yet the hazards of certain routes make sea careers less appealing. Awareness campaigns such as Save Our Seafarers were intended to widen public understanding of those risks and to press governments to act. The training and development page describes how an agency can support career progress, and the cadet pathway shows where new officers come from.