The Mission to Seafarers’ annual Seafarers Award Singapore gala returned on 6 October after a two-year absence and, despite a plethora of maritime events that evening, the prestigious event drew a guest list that read like a who’s who of international shipping.
They were there to honour the commitment and contributions to seafarer well-being made by crew, shore staff and shipping companies around the globe.
“The recognition of individuals and groups who show special effort and dedication to the welfare of seafarers, both at sea and ashore, is particularly rewarding. It highlights that the more work the industry does in collectively raising awareness and concern for seafarer welfare, the more productive and safer the industry will be for all,” said Captain Robert Walker, chairman of The Mission to Seafarers (Singapore).
The award for the seafarer deemed to have made the most significant contribution to crew welfare went to Hafnia’s Captain Rohit Minocha.
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM)’s Captain Oleksandr Litvinov took home the award for the shoreside person who made a significant contribution to seafarers’ welfare.
The Cadet Award, given to the cadet or trainee who made a significant contribution to seafarers’ welfare at sea or ashore, went to Van Alfred Villanueva of Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP)/Columbia Shipmanagement.
And recognising the master and crew who coordinated a successful rescue operation to save lives at sea, the Rescue Award went to Captain Sergiy Tatarenko and the crew of the BSM-managed feeder container ship Chittagong for saving 18 crew members in the South China Sea in September 2021.
The Reverend Canon Andrew Wright, secretary general of The Mission to Seafarers, heartily congratulated all the winners from what he described as “another very strong field this year”.
“The last two years have given rise to many incredible seafarer welfare projects, providing vitally important services. In addition, many individuals have achieved extraordinary things in going the extra mile for seafarer well-being. It was great to see this reflected in the awards in such diverse ways,” he added.
Japan adventure
Wright said the disruptive and challenging times stemming from the pandemic remained, with seafarers and their families often acutely impacted.
“The lack of shore leave, for example, has continued to severely impact many seafarers as well as The Mission to Seafarers’ traditional services,” he said.
During the evening, the mission launched its inaugural Adventure Race Japan, which will take place in May 2023. Teams of three, depending on fitness levels, will run or trek the Izu Peninsula.
The mission is hoping to gather 250 participants for the two-day event, Norstar Shipping (Asia) managing director Tom Bonehill, one of the volunteer committee members, told TradeWinds.
