The International Transport Workers’ Union has encouraged seafarers’ families to submit the brave seafarers they know in their lives for the 2022 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.
Seafarers whose brave act is submitted to the ITF or through seafarers’ unions can be nominated for the top award from the IMO, and even runners-up can receive official commendation letters and certificates.
Officially called the ‘IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea’, the important award and its associated letters and certificates are given to seafarers who are recognised for performing acts of extraordinary bravery during the nominating period, risking their own lives when attempting to save the lives of others or as part of efforts to protect the marine environment.
While seafarers can only nominate for the single top award, it’s not just one seafarer who gets recognised. Many of the runners-up for the top award are also recognised for their bravery and merit with official letters and certificates from the IMO.
The IMO explained that there are three ‘categories of honour’ that seafarers can be recognised in: the ‘Award’ itself, for the nominee judged to have performed the most outstanding act of bravery
Seafarers who are at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment are eligible.
Nominations from the ITF to the IMO will close by 1 April 2022, so you need to submit your brave seafarer to the ITF or ITF-affiliated seafaring union by 28 February to avoid disappointment.
Speaking on the development, Branko Berlan the ITF’s Accredited Representative to the IMO, said it is important that seafarers are nominated for the award, especially this year given all that’s happened to seafarers through the pandemic and crew change crisis.
“Seafarers’ have faced many complex challenges over the past 18 months. People need to nominate a seafarer for the 2022 award if they know of, or have heard of, a seafarer who has encountered risky situations and, in the face of those situations, shown exceptional bravery,” he said.
“The world’s seafarers have been keeping the world moving under very difficult conditions through the present pandemic and its associated crew change crisis. Through it all, seafarers have continued to demonstrate considerable bravery. Bravery is everywhere in this profession: let us recognise it!,” said Berlan.
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