Ships will sound their horns at ports across Canada at 12 noon (local time) on June 25 to recognize the 1.5 million seafarers around the world who have kept trade moving throughout the Covid pandemic.
Canada’s marine industry associations, including the Shipping Federation of Canada, the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Chamber of Shipping, the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, SODES and the International Ship-Owners Alliance of Canada have engaged their members to participate in this world-wide initiative.
This global initiative will also help draw attention to the need for governments around the world to prioritize seafarers for vaccines when calling ports in their countries - which is a growing humanitarian issues that must be addressed on an urgent basis.
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The 2021 edition of Day of the Seafarer provides a perfect opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary work that seafarers around the world have done to keep trade moving under incredibly challenging conditions. Their work has helped ensure the delivery of essential goods and services to those who need them most, both here in Canada and across the globe.
Despite these efforts, many seafarers are now facing significant health risks due to their inability to access Covid-19 vaccines. Given that this is a growing humanitarian issue, we call on Canada to play a leadership role in prioritizing seafarers calling Canadian ports for vaccinations, and to do so on an urgent basis. The seafarers who have delivered Canada’s trade throughout the pandemic need our help– let’s act now to ensure their access to the vaccines that will keep them safe.
Michael Broad
President
Shipping Federation of Canada