Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (RD)

Mangalore, Jun 22: The Chaplaincy Mission to Seafarers, London (CMSL) will influence the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to find solutions to piracy menace, which the seafarers across the world face.

Addressing an interaction programme organized by the KCCI, director of CMSL Fr Canon Huw Mosford said the issues related to seafarers will be brought to the notice of IMO, which consult CMSL regularly.  We have no right to vote in IMO, but we can influence the organization.  We will speak for the seafarers on their problems, especially on piracy.  The mission of CMSL is to treat seafarers as human beings.  CMSL will go to seafarers to address their problems,’ said Fr Canon.

CMSL which has 234 centres across the globe will take the total number of centres to 238 by this year end.  About 92.5 percent of the world trade is still conducted by sea.  If there are no seafarers, then half of the world will starve and freeze.  Still most of the seafarers are considered as terrorists and are not given due respect, Canon observed.

Piracy is a major threat to the seafarers and that a total of 722 cases of people being sold hostages have been recorded in Somalia so far.  The average ransom demanded by the pirates is anything between 3.5 to 5 million US dollars.

In the interactive session, master mariner Amar E P Mascarenhas mooted the idea of equipping ships with armed guards and mercenaries to counter the piracy.  However, the current rules prevent ships from having arm guards and mercenaries.  Hence, the IMO should take initiatives to make necessary amendments to rules so that ships can take their own security measurers.

Meanwhile, other seafarers complained that they neither get due neither respect nor enjoy freedom like any other citizens when they reach ports in US and other developed countries.