For the past a great many years individuals from far and wide have been sending products through ocean ways. From the garments individuals wear to the nourishment they consume, practically everything today is brought to them through boats. The transportation business, likewise termed as the undetectable business by a lot of people, is critical to the presence of the worldwide economy, yet not very many individuals have any thought what happens at the high oceans. It is an industry which is hidden and captivating in the meantime.
Anyway as essential as the business is to the world and its kin, just as vital is the work of the bold seafarers who perform one of the hardest employments on the planet by running those gigantic ships through the roughest oceans and most hazardous regions. In the event that it hadn't been for them, the worldwide exchange would reach a stand still, individuals would be without their essential necessities and a few countries would discover it greatly hard to try and survive.
Seafarers are one of those disregarded experts, who have frequently been ignored by worldwide associations as well as by their own particular nations. In the event that you endeavor to go past their brilliant regalia and extravagant travel plans, you will have the capacity to see the intense way of life they live and the hardships they continue adrift to verify the world and its kin keep on getting a charge out of their life on shore.
Said beneath are the absolute most essential reasons (among million others), for which, every last seafarer needs to be thanked from the best profundity our hearts.
1. Seafarers Run the Global Economy
90% of the world's nourishment, fuel, crude material and produced merchandise are conveyed via ocean. About all things sold worldwide are transported through boats, which need talented seafarers to work, keep up and repair. What would happen to the world if the boats and seafarers didn't work? Obviously, the statement would stop and the individuals would be without their fundamental necessities. It is a result of these gifted and valiant individuals called seafarers that organizations as far and wide as possible keep on thriing and individuals have the capacity purchase the things they fancy from their most loved stores. In spite of the fact that seafarers work in a shut club, which is not obvious to untouchables, their work is basic. It is high time they get the appreciation and criticalness that they merit from us.
2. Seafarers Sacrifice Their Social Life
One of the greatest troubles seafarers confront in their life (not out of decision) is staying far from their friends and family while they complete their obligations adrift. Missing birthdays, family occasions or sibling's wedding is the value they pay to guarantee that the freight achieves individuals on time. There are numerous seafarers who have missed each and every birthday festival of their children. Some haven't possessed the capacity to go to funerals of their friends and family. It is an intense decision they make to acquire an employment for their families, yet the ache of going far from the family doesn't stop them from performing their obligations. Somebody needs to do the employment and seafarers are sufficiently extreme to acknowledge this sharp reality. While individuals ashore commend and standardize at each conceivable open door, seafarers keep on toilling endlessly adrift to guarantee that those festivals don't stop, even at the expense of their own bliss.
3. Seafarers Fight The Toughest Seas and Roughest Weather
Taking freight from one port to other frequently includes confronting appalling storms and huge waves. An ocean isn't as neighborly as it appears when viewed from shore. Regardless of all the most recent innovative headway, a seafarer adrift is helpless before nature. At the same time what may come, the payload must be dispatched to the booked area and that too on the perfect time. A few boats sink every year due to storms and unpleasant climate, yet that doesn't alarm a seafarer – They are conceived for such conditions. He is manufacture intense and has the heart to go ahead with this fill in as the boat rolls and pitches over colossal waves. In the event that you think working in such conditions is simple or fun, then you are profoundly mixed up. Not everybody can do it, and those dealing with area can never comprehend the hardships one needs to face in such environment. So while individuals ashore work in their to a great degree cushy business locales with ultra sumptuous pleasantries, individuals adrift work through most debilitated and unfriendliest conditions to guarantee that organizations as far and wide as possible don't stop and those ashore keep on appreciating their solaces.
4. Seafarers Risk Their Lives Through Piracy and War Zones
As indicated by a report, more than 100,000 seafarers at any one time either go or are wanting to experience the perilous robbery influenced territories. Up to this point, a few boats have been highjacked and numerous seafarers have been taken as prisoners by privateers. They are tormented, misused, and kept in hopeless conditions as detainees. Indeed today, occasions of robbery have not halted. Boats keep on getting highjacked and seafarers are even now being taken as prisoners. At the same time notwithstanding all the dangers and alarm, seafarers keep on doing their obligations through these unsafe ranges. The "Robbery Zones" covers a standout amongst the most imperative ocean exchanging courses for nourishment, crude materials, and fabricated great. About 50% of the world's seaborne oil supply passes through these privateer swarmed ranges. Simply envision what would happen to the world economy if seafarers decline to work in these ranges? You know the answer.
Besides, if need be, seafarers even cruise through battle areas and help naval forces to convey freight and supplies where they are obliged the most. Can they say no? Yes! Yet they never say as much, they never will.
5. Seafarers Face Extreme Health Hazards
Working on ships is not easy. Visit a ship and you will know. Seafarers are prone to several specific diseases and illnesses because of the nature of the work and continuous travel to new places. Apart from physical hazards such as diseases and injuries caused due to accidents, seafarers also fall prey to psychological problems such as homesickness, loneliness and fatigue, a part and parcel of their life at sea. Moreover, if something happens onboard there are in most cases no possibilities to turn to an expert and get extra medical help. Seafarers have to manage everything themselves when at sea. But no matter how many risks they have to face working on board ships, they continue with their jobs and face the health hazards quite bravely by acquiring knowledge and training themselves for the worst medical emergencies. What would you do if you break your bones while working and do not have to a doctor or hospital to attend you immediately? Well, seafarers perform some of the most dangerous jobs without a doctor around. Do they need any greater reason to be thanked?
6. Seafarers Follow Toughest Regulations and Laws
With the increasing number of stringent regulations related to ships around the world, seafarers are facing grave difficulties not only to ensure their own safety but also to abide by the rules and regulations of environmental and ship protection. Moreover, each country the ship visits has its own law and regulations which they can freely use to criminalise a seafarer. Most of the times this is done with the intention to raise revenue or settle political issues. In the past years, several seafarers have been made scapegoats by countries desperately wanting to prove a point to other nations. Under such acts, seafarers have been prisoned for years, tortured and treated in the most deplorable manner. Can you consider living each day of your life dealing with different (and sometimes insane) laws without any kind of substantial reassurance to help you out incase things go wrong? If you are on land, you can immediately call your lawyer or at least know the right person to talk to, but seafarers don’t have that luxury. They work through toughest legal obligations at their own risk while delivering the world cargo.
7. Seafarers Work Round the Clock With Monotonous Routines
Sailing the high seas with all those exotic locations and glamorous uniforms sounds romantic to many people. But most do not know about the hard work seafarers put every day and night to run those ships and their machinery. Ships of every seafarer, who has been sailing for a few years must have reached the best places in the world such as New york, Hong Kong, Tokyo etc., but for majority of seafarers, all these beautiful places either look like the ship’s engine room or upper deck. Gone are the days when seafarers had the luxury of prolonged stays at ports. Today a ship is loaded and unloaded in max 24 hours leaving no time for shore leaves. Moreover, port means additional work, which sometimes involve continuously working for 18 hours at a stretch. With increasing threats from terrorists, most countries now do not even allow shore leave to seafarers, leaving them with no option but to stay on board. Would you like if someone made you work for several days and then restricted you from stepping out of the office premises? Of course not. But seafarers work happily under such circumstances and deadlines, not because there is no other option, but because they know the importance of their work and delivering of the cargo on time.
8. Seafarers Work The Most Without the Basic Rights
A majority of seafarers sail without proper insurance or pension policies – few of the basics rights every working professional on this earth must get. Many shipping companies do not have a proper pension scheme in their contract, even if seafarers want to contribute. Moreover, seafarers from several countries (especially Asian) do not even have the provision of decent medical care or insurance system either at sea or on leave. Considering the fact that a person working on land at any level has all such basic rights, it is surprising to see how seafarers continue to work in such adverse situations even without the basic rights that they deserve. There have been cases in the past wherein seafarers had to literally beg in order to receive compensation for expenses and medical treatment for injuries they endured on board. Though the seafarers know they deserve all these rights and a lot more, but are still devoid of them, the work on board ship do not stop. They continue to carry out their duties with the same intensity as ever.
Image Credits : Capt. Sudhir Dixit
9. Seafarers Are At High Risk Of Criminalisation and Abandonment While Performing Their Duties
According to ITF, seafarers are among the most exploited and abused group of workers in the world. They face exploitation, abuse and corruption on a large scale. Many seafarers have been criminalized, abandoned and not paid by their shipping companies, especially in tough financial times. Several of them find themselves abandoned in a port with no money, no supplies and no way to get home. In certain types of maritime accidents, especially those involving pollution, seafarers are highly vulnerable because of unfair trails and weight of expectations from local people and government. In the past, seafarers have been wrongly accused and sentenced punishments without a proper trial or help from their own government or shipping company. The number of such incidents are on the rise because of the increase in stringent laws around the world. In spite of such grave injustice and ill-treatment, seafarers perform their duties on ships plying in countries with some of the most inhumane laws. Isn’t it unfair to watch them go through such situations while all they were doing was carrying out their duties? No matter how small a mistake, seafarers always have to pay a heavy price.
10. Seafarers Live With Least Accommodation And Communication Facilities
While people on land have the luxury to call their loved ones as and when they want, seafarers often have to wait until they reach land to find a decent communication facility (Also,there is no guarantee that every port will have such facilities). Even today most of the seafarers are devoid of a decent mode of communication. That’s not all, there are many who live in poor quality cabins with filthy couch and mould. Moreover many complain of bad quality and insufficient quantity of food. For those on long voyages, rotting fruits and stale meats is a common sight. Though the regulations to monitor the quality of food and living conditions have improved, there are often times when seafarers do not even have a decent meal. As harsh as it may sound, seafarers not only have to deal with such conditions but also continue to carry out their duties onboard ships. Of all the things, at least decent accommodation and food is most deserved by all seafarers, considering the life of loneliness and hardships they live on ships.
Seafarers are often seen as happy-go-lucky people, who are always flashing a broad smile both on and off board ship. But there is a lot more to them. They are probably, one of the very few people in the world, who understand the true value of family and work. With the types of difficulties they face at sea, seafarers know very well how to make the most of the free time and enjoy to the fullest. Even though they are aware of the importance of their work, they do not allow it to go to their head. They continue with their duties even if the world, governments and companies continue to ignore them; for they know their time, both on ship and on land, is limited and making the most of that is the only option them have.
We at Marine Insight, request the people of the world to give a special “THANK YOU” to all the seafarers for the tremendous work they do.
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