Mission to Seafarers Australia | Community organisation

Mission to Seafarers Australia

Phone: +61 2 4961 5007

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25.01.2022 MTS Albany recently held a fun and engaging open day! "The day was a huge success" said Jane Stevens. "We had so much interest in the Mission... [and] the plight of Seafarers during this Covid pandemic, plus we were able to talk about what the Mission is doing to make life just a little bit better and let Seafarers know they are not forgotten." https://www.southernports.com.au//albany-port-open-day-gre... #SeafarersAreKeyWorkers #CrewChangeCrisis

23.01.2022 All at The Mission to Seafarers congratulate Apostleship of the Sea on their 100th anniversary. We applaud their great contribution to maritime welfare. We have enjoyed working together as friends and partners and look forward to many more years of shared service to seafarers and their families. Happy Birthday!

23.01.2022 Companies have a "responsibility" to ensure their shipping supply chains are not taking part in slavery, according to maritime lawyer Glenn Kolomeitz. Mr Kolomeitz said companies like BlueScope had a responsibility under Australia's modern slavery act to ensure their supply chains were slavery-free. "They aren't aren't a transport company but, yes they have obligations at law to exercise due diligence regarding slavery on ships in their supply chain," he said.... "At the coalface the companies have a corporate social responsibility to help remediate the conditions of the seafarers and return them to a better state than they are currently in." In its first statement on modern slavery, released last month, BlueScope CEO Mark Vassella said companies could not afford to be "complacent" about the risk of being directly linked to modern slavery. "We also do a lot on the ground, from our employees inspecting the ships arriving on our berths, checking on the welfare of the crew and providing care packages, as well as having a BlueScope representative on the Board of the Mission to Seafarers," the spokesman said. https://www.canberratimes.com.au//modern-day-slaves-trappe

21.01.2022 15,000 MTS calendars have just been shipped out to our centres around the country with help from our friends at Australia Post! With little communication available while at sea, our calendars provide important information so that seafarers know who to contact for support when they arrive in Australia. #australialovesseafarers

21.01.2022 NEW GUIDANCE TO FACILITATE FLIGHTS FOR SEAFARERS has been issued by the ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization. International Maritime Organization - IMO Member States are strongly encouraged to bring the contents of this Circular Letter to the attention of the competent authorities, at both national and local levels, as well as all other parties concerned, in particular airports. Designed to highlight the importance of seafarers, it requests States to grant rapid a...uthorisation for the entry, departure, and transit of aircraft, including seafarer changeover flights. Download the Circular Letter here: http://www.imo.org//Circular%20Letter%20No.4204-Add.32%20- Sydney Airport Melbourne Airport Brisbane Airport Perth Airport Adelaide Airport Gold Coast Airport Cairns Airport Canberra Airport Hobart Airport Darwin International Airport

20.01.2022 The MTS Newcastle team have been in touch with local port authorities, NSW Health and Australian Maritime Safety Authority - AMSA and are currently standing by ...to provide practical and pastoral support to the captain and crew of the #AncapaLight An officer who returned a positive COVID-19 test result is currently being treated in isolation at John Hunter Hospital. We ask that you offer your thoughts, prayers, and intentions for the officer, who undoubtedly is feeling quite alone in a foreign hospital; for the crew who have been working to keep Australia running during the pandemic and are now facing uncertainty; and for the local men and women of the port who are working to assess the situation and make important decisions at this time. Thank you to thousands of you in the community who have continued to support seafarers throughout everything this year.

19.01.2022 "Some may conveniently ignore the fact that seafarers, who keep the ships moving, are human beings who need to rest, see a doctor when they fall ill and see their loved ones at least occasionally." https://www.lowyinstitute.org//beggar-thy-neighbour-approa

19.01.2022 "A vaccination program for seafarers will start in the Netherlands in mid-June. All seafarers who work on seagoing vessels under the Dutch flag or under Dutch management are eligible for this COVID-19 vaccination program managed by the Royal Association of Dutch Shipowners (KVNR). Thanks to this program, seafarers can safely continue their work on board sea-going vessels worldwide." https://www.kvnr.nl//nederland-start-vaccinatieprogramma-v

18.01.2022 Seafarers can often experience mental health-related challenges while they are at sea. WeCare 'On Board Mental Health Champions' is a resource designed by The Mission to Seafarers to promote positive mental health among seafarers to help them feel in control. Find out more via the link below. #WorldMentalHealthDay https://www.missiontoseafarers.org//WeCare-On-Board-Mental

17.01.2022 Great advice from Anglo-Eastern who are a Member of the International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network - ISWAN #worldmentalhealthweek

17.01.2022 Seafarers have been vaccinated in Seattle! Fantastic to see!

16.01.2022 Last week, chaplain John Attenborough of The Mission to Seafarers in Southampton boarded the Nave Andromeda to offer post-trauma care after the crew was violent...ly threatened by seven Nigerian stowaways recklessly attempting to hijack the ship. The incident highlights the dangers faced by crews in all parts of the world and the importance of the work of the Mission to Seafarers. Our chaplains and volunteers provide loving-service and care as we strive to uphold the dignity of the men and women who persevere at sea for the sake of our way of life. Responding to the Captain's distress call, the Royal Marines Special Boat Service retook control of the situation, sending sixteen operators to storm the vessel by night using helicopters and rigid inflatable boats. The captain was requested to turn off the ship's lights, allowing helicopters to employ obscurant tactics - using blinding lights to disorient the stowaways. Helicopter-based snipers supported and watched over the operation. Prior to the incident, Spanish and French authorities had refused to allow the vessel to berth, presumably leaving the stowaways in an increasing state of desperation. The stowaways were arrested "on suspicion of seizing or exercising control of a ship by use of threats or force". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfD0bpp2AJI

13.01.2022 Mission to Seafarers 2020 Maritime Art Awards and Exhibition

12.01.2022 Congratulations to John Kewa of Mission to Seafarers Port Kembla who was announced today as Wollongong's Citizen of the Year! #ThankYouIllawarra #AustraliaLovesSeafarers https://www.illawarramercury.com.au//loving-the-unlovable/

12.01.2022 Those cables don't grease themselves!

11.01.2022 A well-written opinion piece in yesterday's Newcastle Herald. --- The strict protocols that swung into place when the bulk carrier #AnacapaLight arrived in Newc...astle on Thursday carrying a crew member with a suspected case of coronavirus can be viewed as the sort of vigilance demanded by the circumstances. After all, many of the crew had recently boarded in India, which with 6.8 million known COVID cases is rapidly closing in on the United States, which tops the global tally with 7.6 million infections. Even so, the Anacapa Light should be seen as a rare exception. One of the main weapons against the spread of coronavirus - shutting borders and minimising travel of any sort where necessary - has put most seafarers well away from the virus, while leaving them literally "all at sea". In this era of globalised trade, most ships' crews come from poorer nations. By themselves, they have little political clout, but the inhumanity of their isolation has become so obvious that even business lobby groups have joined with the International Labour Organization, the International Transport Workers' Federation and other union-aligned bodies in calling for immediate action. Unfortunately, however, these groups say the calls are falling on deaf ears. Even before coronavirus, an estimated 90 per cent of the world's international trade was done by sea. With air travel severely limited, more and more cargo is being pushed onto ships. In pursuit of profit, freight rates by sea and air are rising, in some cases dramatically. By international convention, the maximum time that any seafarer should remain on board is 11 months. Instead, there are an estimated 400,000 seafarers who have been on their ships for as long as 17 months, with another 400,000 waiting to replace them, and mostly going without pay as they do. Perhaps surprisingly, there is little sign so far of price rises for our imported goods, despite a situation that the International Chamber of Shipping is describing as an impending "logjam". While no country can say it has not been warned, it may well take a tragedy - a shipping collision or a reef grounding with a major oil spill, for example - before anything happens. As a region that gains much of its wealth from coal exports, it is in our interest to see those seafarers who want to leave their waterborne prisons safely repatriated. https://www.newcastleherald.com.au//the-plight-of-covid-t/

11.01.2022 Wonderful news for the seafarers on board the #AnacapaLight and for the Newcastle port community.

10.01.2022 Australia is again leading the world in upholding the rights of seafarers to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion. Enough is enough. Thank you Australian Maritime Safety Authority - AMSA!... "From 28 February 2021, the interim COVID arrangements which have permitted seafarers to serve longer than 11 months onboard ships will end. There has now been sufficient time for ship operators to adjust to the COVID-19 world and develop new plans for seafarer repatriation and crew changes. Under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 the maximum period that a seafarer can serve aboard a vessel without leave is 11 months. Seafarers have shouldered a heavy burden during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining global trade and keeping our economies moving by delivering the vital supplies. However, it has come at a personal cost to the seafarers who have spent longer on board ships, unable to take shore leave due to mandatory quarantine and separated from their friends and families." Mission to Seafarers Apostleship of the Sea #AustraliaLovesSeafarers #crewchangecrisis #seafarersarekeyworkers https://www.amsa.gov.au//seafarers-return-pre-covid-19-max

10.01.2022 Introducing an EASY and CONVENIENT way to purchase Christmas care packs for Seafarers ONLINE this Christmas! Just head to our website and click on the Christm...as packs image on our home page! http://mtsnewcastle.org.au/ Options start at $25. Choose to buy for individual seafarers, or buy enough for a whole crew! Send a Christmas message with your donation at checkout, and we will hand-write a Christmas card on your behalf.

06.01.2022 Businesses, from multinational firms to global brands, have a responsibility to respect the human rights of seafarers as workers along their supply chain, said Sturla Henriksen, a UN Global Compact special adviser for sea issues. There is a vast gap between business aspiration and business action on human rights. This tool seeks to address that. https://www.bloomberg.com//world-s-biggest-brands-adopt-ch

04.01.2022 Tugboats guide freighters and cargo ships safely to dock and today in #Newcastle, one skipper was given a fond yet unique farewell. #9News | Nightly at 6.00pm

03.01.2022 "... Our second mental health initiative is promoting pastoral care from The Mission to Seafarers. The Mission, in a partnership with The Good Business Project, is now offering pastoral care for people of the Docklands business community. Richard Wilson has experience in providing support to business and business people, having worked for more than 30 years in business and government, and more recently as a priest in the Anglican Church. He is a trained and experienced pastoral care provider." Check the link for contact details.

01.01.2022 May God bless you and your family this week! Our reflections are also available to download from SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mtsnewcastle Please consi...der donating: https://donorbox.org/mtsnewcastle Mission to Seafarers - Caring for seafarers around the world https://www.mtsnewcastle.org.au To speak privately with one of our chaplains now or confidentially alert us about an issue onboard, please contact us: CHAT WITH A CHAPLAIN (24/7 online service): https://bit.ly/2wUd70j EMAIL: https://mtsnewcastle.org.au/contact/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MTSNewcastle TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/MTSNewcastle INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/mtsnewcastle LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mtsnewcastle For assistance in your language, contact SeafarerHelp WEB: https://www.seafarerhelp.org/en/ DIRECT DIAL: +44 20 7323 2737 EMAIL: [email protected] End screen icons by https://icons8.com #seafarer #reflection #prayer #psalm #MissiontoSeafarers #MTSNewcastle #StellaMaris #COVID19 #seamansclub #HumansatSea #lifeonboard See more

01.01.2022 There is still plenty of time to donate items for Christmas packs to your local Mission!

01.01.2022 Wayne Turner, the New Zealand captain of the container ship CAPITAINE TASMAN has described the way crew are being treated during Covid-19 as inhumane and like being in prison. Turner said as a New Zealander he had been Covid tested and isolated for the past two months. He was not able to leave the ship nor visit his Mount Maunganui home, family or friends and they could not visit him even though "Home is basically 2-3 kilometres away." "You've got people that are basically in... prison. They can't depart the vessel, they can't go for a walk, get fresh air, they can't get off the vessel. "It needs to be managed so that people can have those basic human rights, provided that [they] take appropriate action, they need to be able to get off the vessel, stretch their legs, [get] fresh air, change of scene. "Just the normal stuff you need for psychological wellbeing, it is worse than being in prison," he said. "It's pretty inhumane to have been on board from March without having been able to step off the vessel at any stage." He said the most crew could do was walk around the deck while at sea and weather allowing, which was frustrating for them. Turner is concerned about the mental health of his crew and the many others at sea. "The kind of people that are going to survive this kind of role are well used to that, but not to this degree and I suppose that is the part that is unfair and unreasonable that we are used to being away from our families for months, but you do have the social aspects of being onboard which is walks ashore and time ashore in various ports and all of that, but not having that, it is not good for you." #WorldMentalHealthWeek #crewchangecrisis #seafarersarekeyworkers https://www.rnz.co.nz//covid-19-rules-for-ship-crew-it-s-w

01.01.2022 It was the sheer will and determination of one woman, Amy Proctor, who in her mid-20s, decided to form a committee of like-minded women and began setting up rooms to function as a clubhouse for these seafarers... She always took the services, preached the sermon and played the hymns herself, besides carrying on all the rest of the work. She received thousands of letters of appreciation from sailors and parents. She began this work at her own desire, and because she saw cle...arly the need of the mother hand to the wandering sons of the seaunder her great love and courage the work grew Even now, 89 years after her death, her presence is still very much felt. Mission to Seafarers Brisbane https://anglicanfocus.org.au//the-woman-who-spearheaded-m/