Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

With more than 80% of global trade carried by sea, seafarers play a critical role in keeping our supply chains flowing. These “Heroes of the Sea” work behind the scenes, often in harsh, exacting conditions. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognise that these are trying times for all seafarers.

In Singapore, we have always valued seafarers’ contributions to the industry. We have partnered various organisations to serve seafarers’ needs, including the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) and welfare missions such as The Mission to Seafarers Singapore.

Amidst these challenging times, MPA has developed “safe corridor” procedures to facilitate safe and coordinated crew change. Since March 2020, we have facilitated over 43,000 sign-ons and sign-offs in our port. MPA has also worked with industry partners and international organisations to create the S$1.68 million Singapore Shipping Tripartite Alliance Resilience Fund (SG-STAR Fund). As a global fund, the SG-STAR Fund will support safe crew change procedures and infrastructure in seafaring nations.

I warmly welcome the Heroes at Sea initiative. I hope that more like-minded partners will step forward to help our global seafarer community tide over this difficult period. Together, we will overcome!

Mary Liew, General Secretary, Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union

“Heroes at sea” is a wonderful initiative to encourage and give support to seafarers all around the world.

Our seafarers are key essential workers  who keep the global supply chain moving especially during these challenging time. They transport food and other necessities across oceans in spite of the pandemic to ensure that countries have vital supplies.

The Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union is here for our seafarers, we work closely with our Tripartite partners to enable crew change in this unprecedented times of COVID-19.

We hope that many around the world will unite and participate in this to show our solidarity for our unsung heroes. 

Michael Phoon, Executive Director, Singapore Shipping Association

The shipping industry is vital for world economy and seafarers play a key role to keep the global supply chain in motion. Over the past months, hundreds of thousands of these seafarers have either been on ships for an extraordinarily prolonged periods or unable to start their employment due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

SSA recognises and empathises with the many seafarers who are facing unusual hardships in these extraordinary times. We are heartened that organisations such as the Mission to the Seafarers are offering help and solace to them when needed. As a show of solidarity to these ‘Heroes at Sea’, SSA contributed $25,000 to the Mission to the Seafarers to support seafarers during these challenging times and the consequential suspension of crew change which may affect their well-being and livelihood.

To facilitate crew change in Singapore, SSA also spearheaded and co-developed the Singapore Crew Change Guidebook with maritime stakeholders such as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) as well as industry players. This guidebook was hailed as exemplary and shared by the IMO with its member states.

As a further step to help enable safe crew change procedures and enhance infrastructure in seafaring nations, SSA also collaborated with MPA, SMOU, SOS, and international maritime stakeholders such as the International Transport Workers’ Federation and the International Maritime Employers’ Council to create the S$1.68 million Singapore Shipping Tripartite Alliance Resilience Fund (SG-STAR Fund). The International Chamber of Shipping is also lending support with their technical expertise in shipping in this global initiative.

On behalf of all at SSA, I congratulate all parties behind this ‘Heroes at Sea’ initiative. I certainly hope that more within and out of the maritime community can show their appreciation and support to seafarers during and beyond the global pandemic.

Capt. Mohd Salleh B. Ahmad Sarwan, Director of Singapore Maritime Academy, Singapore Polytechnic

The year 2020 been an exceptionally challenging one for each and every one of us. COVID-19 has not just changed the way we lead our everyday lives but has also impacted businesses worldwide, including the global maritime sector.

The Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA) at Singapore Polytechnic stands together with the rest of the maritime community to pay tribute to our seafarers for their resilience and contributions in the midst of the pandemic. During such challenging times, they continue to play critical roles that provide vital services that keep world trade flowing. With strict travel restrictions in place, many of them have been away from home for months and are unsure when they can return to their families. We sincerely thank them for their invaluable contributions and sacrifices.

The SMA has been training and building a community of talented seafarers for the last 63 years, and we care deeply about the well-being of our global maritime talents. The pandemic might have changed the way we conduct business and interact socially, but we remain undaunted in supporting their career development and progression. To ensure that they can continue to pursue their professional aspirations, we have taken the innovative approach of delivering our maritime education and training experience virtually, giving us the opportunity to reach out to our students and learners who are back in their home countries or sailing in different parts of the world.

On behalf of the staff and students at SMA, I applaud the ‘Heroes at Sea’ initiative for raising greater awareness on the significant responsibilities that our seafarers shoulder in facilitating the flow of global trade. It is a befitting and timely project to acknowledge and honour their contributions in keeping the world’s economy moving.

Oleg Chcheka, President, Far Eastern State Technical Fisheries University

The shipping sector transports over 80 % of world trade and plays a crucial role in the global economy. A direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic for this sector is the fact that seafarers, the driving force of the sector, have faced significant difficulties in implementing the necessary crew changes. Among other reasons, this is due to restrictions on movement, embarkation and disembarkation at ports; quarantine measures; reduction in the number of flights; and restrictions on the issuance of visas and passports. Only thanks to those seafarers who continued to work after their contracts ended, ports could remain open for business, cargo operations were carried out on time and goods continued to circulate unhindered. The entire world is deeply indebted to seafarers for keeping supply chains operational during the pandemic. In this regard, “Heroes at sea” is a great effort and initiative to encourage, support and demonstrate our solidarity for all the seafarers around the world in this challenging time!

Capt. Albert Teo, Ambassador, National Olympic Committee, Republic of Angola to South East Asia

With COVID-19 pandemic, today we salute all seafarers with the respect and dignity you deserve so that you can continue to provide the vital services to keep our trade and world trade moving.

We thank you all for your contributions and urge you to continue to keep doing what you do best. Your sacrifices and services cannot go unnoticed anymore.

I warmly welcome the Heroes at Sea initiative. I hope that more like-minded partners will step forward to help our global seafarer community tide over this difficult period. Together, we will overcome!

Martin Taylor, Chief Executive, OneOcean

OneOcean is delighted to be involved in this amazing initiative and offer our support to seafarers around the world who have been severely impacted by this year’s Covid-19 crisis. 2020 has been a difficult year for many of us, but as the silent heroes in our industry, seafarers have had to make huge personal sacrifices to keep world trade moving, way beyond their normal obligations. The maritime industry owes them a huge debt of gratitude.

As the world’s leading maritime voyage solutions company, providing safe navigation is at the heart of what we do, and we take our responsibilities very seriously where the welfare of our customers and their crew are at stake. The money raised from this virtual event will make sure that seafarers who find themselves away from home for longer periods than normal, will have better access to emotional and financial support and the reassurance that they haven’t been forgotten.

OneOcean is privileged to offer our support to Heroes at Sea as a Gold-level corporate sponsor and encourage our staff throughout the world to join their colleagues in the global maritime community for this virtual fundraising event to help raise vital funds for this fantastic cause.

The SNI is initiating a welfare program that will reach out to seafarers in distress in the waters of Singapore providing them with necessary essentials and helping them reach out to their loved ones.

The SNI shall also set up a dedicated mentoring scheme that aspiring seafarers could avail for getting career guidance from experienced persons within the industry.

The Mission to Seafarers Singapore lights a candle in these challenging times. They have stepped up their support for seafarers, operating a chat line to address seafarers immediate worries and concerns with no shore leave, extended contracts on board due to national lockdowns and travel restrictions and more tedious processes in joining ship and signing off (when it is made possible). There is a lack of fund-raising opportunities and yet higher costs as the drop-in centres are opened outside normal hours when required by the MPA (Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore) for the transfer of seafarers. There are increased services for visiting ships and providing blessings for those lost at sea/death and higher operating expenses for virtual attendances and enhanced support to seafarers around the world for emotional distress and providing a listening ear. The work continues and the funds from the Tribute to our Heroes at Sea is much appreciated and needed.

We celebrate our Heroes at Sea!

Inspire. Nurture.

These two words underlie our commitment to the Heroes at Sea project launched by the Singapore Nautical Institute and the World Maritime Heritage Society of Singapore, supported by the World Maritime Consultancy & Services Pte Ltd.

In this collective tribute to the many seafarers who toil tirelessly aboard ships that circumnavigate the globe, we celebrate the heroes at sea who are separated from their families for months on end and who face an uncertain future at sea and on land. We stand together with them in these challenging and extraordinary times.

The World Maritime Heritage Society of Singapore would like to honour our mariners who inspire us with their dedication and perseverance. To show our support, we will use the funds collected from the Heroes at Sea fund drive to buy Christmas gifts for crew on ships docked at the port of Singapore. Hopefully, this will bring some Christmas cheer to our seafarers in transit.

Our Society will also produce an e-book on the work of the seafaring community to educate young readers on the significant contributions made by mariners who traverse the globe, bringing important essential items and other cargo to ports around the world, braving all kinds of weather conditions. Hopefully, their stories will inspire the young in Singapore to consider a life at sea – a life of adventure, some hard work and many memorable moments.

Through our participation in the Heroes at Sea project, we hope to inspire and nurture both seafarers and the young people of Singapore as we face the challenges ahead together, as a community of global citizens.