Sri Lankan seafarers - the opportune moment

Continued from last week...

by Prof. Capt. Nalaka Jayakody

This is where the East comes to the spotlight. A staggering 30 pct of the world seafarers today are supplied by Philippines followed by other Eastern countries. Approximately $6 billion in remittances is sent by sea-based Filipino workers annually. Thus it is obvious how financially potential the maritime field is!

Despite being a small country, it tries to improve living standards only by seafaring and shipping. In comparison, Sri Lanka so far has about 16,000 active seafarers (3,700 officers and 12,300 ratings) and at any given time only around 5,000 of them are sailing on board.

Well equipped

Sri Lanka today has many specialized institutions in Maritime Education and Training (MET) and it's enough to train and produce qualified and disciplined seafarers to the world. In fact we have a surplus because we have 16,000 of them but only around 5,000 are on-board at any given time.

It's the government's duty and responsibility to understand the potential of this profession and find more ships to accommodate the surplus and continuously strive to produce more seafarers.

Government officials need to visit major ship-owning countries such as Greece, Japan, Germany, Singapore, and Norway, to discuss and enter into agreements and MoUs because Sri Lanka is fully recognized and accredited by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency which acts as the global authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping, and also European Maritime Safety Agency (ESMA), an agency providing technical assistance and support to the European Commission and Member States in the development and implementation of EU legislation on maritime safety, pollution by ships and maritime security.

But unfortunately not much marketing and promotion is being done at international level.

Due to this, countries such as Philippines, India, China, Bangladesh, Maldives and Pakistan have an advantage. It is not too late for Sri Lanka to get its act together.

My vision is to see Sri Lanka being recognized as a qualified crew supplying country.

Major role

The government should have a national plan and policy framework with a long-term focus, and it should not be changed when the government or officials change.

The decision-makers should be equipped with subject knowledge and not be a complete stranger to the field.

In some instances, the decision-maker is qualified and experienced in the subject but the subordinates are not.

Then there are also instance where decision-makers and subordinates possess subject knowledge and are ambitious but government agencies and authorities lack powers. For the industry to flourish, every government agency has to work with each other and have a long-term vision.

Sri Lanka seeks the advice of foreign experts despite having much better local experts.

This is because they think they aren't qualified or able which is not the case. We not only always benchmark other countries but are also very slow in the process.

We don't have to benchmark and wait for things to happen because the country possesses many people who are qualified, experienced and have the willpower.

It's extra challenging to be a seafarer and rise up the ladder. Many seafarers produced by Sri Lanka work overseas in countries such as Australia and Europe because Sri Lanka has neither recognized this lucrative profession nor do they make use of their expertise.

A captain of a ship, for example is the highest rank in the profession where he or she is responsible for millions of dollars worth of cargo and it is not an easy job.Sri Lanka can do better with the available resources, but it all lies in the will to do so.

Then and now

In the past, Sri Lanka never had a training institution to produce qualified seafarers and many of them had to go countries such as the UK, India, Singapore or Australia.

Today, we have recognized programs and we must take measures to invite and entertain foreign students from Asia. Sri Lanka is well placed to be a first-class, neutral and affordable destination for maritime education and training.It is time to open its doors to the world. The authorities need to focus more on this sector, remove certain restrictions, promote the profession locally and internationally and take steps to work with other countries to enhance and increase placements and job opportunities.

The maritime hub is not just a port; it's wide and includes supply, and service.

But, if there are no seafarers, there are no ships. What's the point of having a port if no ship is docking? Similarly, what's the point of having ships if there are no seafarers? Sri Lanka has to leverage this opportunity and promote the seafaring profession which has enormous demand in the four corners of the world.

Even if the government does have a plan, I believe the leadership should possess the right subject knowledge to implement it.

I always believe in public-private partnerships. There has to be long-term planning with industry-friendly policies which shouldn't change in the short or mid-term. This is a gold mine for the country in terms of economic and social benefits.

Prof. (Capt.) Nalaka Lakmal Jayakody is a professional and an academic in Sri Lanka. Joining the maritime sector in 1984 as an officer cadet soon after leaving school, he quickly rose to the rank of a ship captain.

Prof Jayakody holds a Master of Science (MSc) Degree in MET, World Maritime University, Malmo - Sweden and Doctor of Science Degree (DSc) in Maritime Affairs, Dalian Maritime University, China where he is a visiting professor.