IMO is gearing up for the fifth edition of its annual Day of the Seafarer campaign (25th June) to celebrate the unsung heroes of shipping across the globe.

This year’s theme, A Career At Sea, aims to help address the predicted shortage of seafarers in the future by promoting and highlighting the positive benefits of choosing a career at sea.

In particular, the campaign will focus on encouraging young people to consider seafaring and other maritime professions when making choices concerning their careers or their further education.

The campaign will show that seafaring is a viable, attractive and exciting career option. IMO invites all aspiring and current seafarers, organizations, ship-owners, Governments, port-authorities and general supporters, across the world, to share their stories about life at sea and to be ambassadors for their own industry.

Day of the seafarer, during 21st-25th June 2010 STCW conference was organized by IMO in Manila, representatives from 41 contracting states and members from ICS, ISF, IFSMA, ITF etc. parties proposed to establish Day of the seafarers, it was adopted on 25th June 2010. This conference mainly amended the stanards of certification, documentattion and visas of seafarers, qualification, health requirements of seafarers, working and rest hours onboard, added electronic and electrical engineer competence certificate, senior able seamen, senior mechenic competence certificate etc.