SEA SUNDAY AND THE WELFARE OF SEAFARERS

That this House, in recalling Britain's proud maritime heritage, notes that today 90 per cent. of world trade travels by sea, 95 per cent. of the United Kingdom's imports and exports travel by sea, and 146,000 merchant ships arrive in British ports every year, contributing to the nearly £40 billion annual turnover of the British maritime sector; acknowledges that the inherent problems for many thousands of merchant seafarers of dangerous conditions, low pay, poor morale, sickness, and separation from family are sometimes exacerbated by exploitative employers sailing under flags of convenience; congratulates the national charity the Apostleship of the Sea on its work for the welfare and rights of all seafarers who visit British shores through a network of 26 port chaplains and over 120 volunteers in 55 ports; extends its best wishes for the organisation's future development; hopes that the Apostleship of the Sea and their ecumenical partners the Mission to Seafarers and the British and International Sailors' Society, which provide so generously for the welfare of seafarers, benefit from the greater awareness of their mission stimulated by the presentations, prayers and collections associated with Sea Sunday on 8th July; welcomes the recent involvement of Mr Speaker in opening the Tilbury Seafarers' Centre; and urges all businesses which import and export goods by sea to be responsible corporate citizens and encourage their shipping providers to adopt an acceptable minimum level of care for their seafaring employees as advised by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.