World Maritime Day (WMD)

On this day - the 25th of June - we recognise the importance of seafarers, both here in Jamaica and around the globe. Seafaring is a challenging but rewarding career and the world owes our
seafarers a great deal of thanks and respect – today and every day. Without seafarers there would be no shipping and without shipping world trade would be unable to function.
As an island State, Jamaica is all too aware of the importance of ships in bringing us food, goods, energy supplies and to transport passengers safely.

Jamaica, and the rest of the world, celebrated Day of the Seafarer on June 25, an annual recognition of the significant contribution seafarers make to the global community.

The Day of the Seafarer was held under the theme ‘Your Voyage, Then and Now’, with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica encouraging seafarers to share their stories online. Here are some of the day’s highlights:

The Shipping industry contributes over 90 per cent of the world economy with food, fuel, raw material and manufactured goods all delivered by sea. It also provides employment for thousands of people yearly.
The Ministry of Transport and Mining salutes all our seafarers, who continue to provide essential services even under unprecedented and difficult conditions. The pandemic highlighted the professionalism and sacrifice of our seafarers, who served the country by ensuring that global supply and trade continued.

The Shipping industry contributes over 90 per cent of the world economy with food, fuel, raw material and manufactured goods all delivered by sea. It also provides employment for thousands of people yearly.
The Ministry of Transport and Mining salutes all our seafarers, who continue to provide essential services even under unprecedented and difficult conditions. The pandemic highlighted the professionalism and sacrifice of our seafarers, who served the country by ensuring that global supply and trade continued.

Seafarers make a “significant contribution” to the global community while a career at sea offers the possibility of “a remarkable journey”, according to Rear Admiral (ret’d) Peter Brady, the Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, who has experienced his own successful nautical life voyage.