Government of Canada navigation bar

Symbol of the Government of Canada

Primary site navigation bar

Day of the Seafarer, June 25 2011

2011 Day of the Seafarer

Saturday, June 25 is Day of the Seafarer, when the 169 member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) celebrate the unique contribution made by the world's 1.5 million seafarers.

Some 90 per cent of world trade is carried on the high seas in vessels staffed by seafarers, who risk injury and even death by storm, sinking and piracy. Canada, as the first official member state of the IMO, is proud to support recognition of the seafarer on this special day.

"We owe a great debt to seafarers," says Donald Roussel, Director General of Transport Canada Marine Safety. "They take chances every day to bring goods and people safely to and from ports around the globe."

Today's seafarer comes from one of more than a hundred different nations, two-thirds of them developing countries.

"For most people, most of the time, ships are simply 'out of sight and out of mind,' and the same, as a consequence, can be said of seafarers that operate the world's fleet," said Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the IMO. "This is despite the fact that the global economy depends utterly on their presence."

For this year's Day of the Seafarer, the IMO invites everyone to show their support through social networks like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. Blogger and other social media toolkits are available on the IMO website at http://www.imo.org/About/Events/Pages/Day-of-the-Seafarer.aspx with the goal of having as many people across the planet offer a personal thank you to seafarers.

 
Date modified:
2011-06-20