I’m not sure if everyone saw this in the Maritime Monday but I thought that it warranted a seperate post. Please sign this petition which calls for greater protection of Merchant Mariners from piracy:
Not to quote Meatloaf or anything, but you took the words right out of my mouth.
And here’s a quick read of the petition, which is sponsored by The Seaman’s Church Institute. Direct Link to sign petition HERE
[I]We call upon the community of nations and industry to extend their anti-piracy efforts by joining the International Christian Maritime Association and the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey in giving increased attention to the effects of piracy on merchant mariners. [/I]
[I] Working together, governments, international organizations, maritime industry and non-governmental organizations should:[/I]
[I] 1. Undertake a comprehensive study on the effects of piracy on its victims;[/I]
[I] 2. Develop international guidelines on caring for victims of piracy;[/I]
[I] 3. Establish a resource and assistance center for piracy victims and shipowners.[/I]
[I] We depend upon merchant mariners for their contributions to our development and prosperity. We owe them the assurance that we will do everything we can to protect them from piracy—before, during, and long after an attack.[/I]
[I] Signed,[/I]
[I] Douglas B. Stevenson[/I]
[I] Deborah G. Blanchard[/I]
Sorry, saw it on my way out the door to take a final and wanted to do it while I remembered.
I heard today from a very good source that the Chief Steward from the Maersk Alabama is suing Maersk Lines for failing to provide the crew with proper protection. The scuttlebutt is that he’s only asking for $75,000, and is looking more towards making a point than hitting the lottery. If this is true, I say good for him.