SCI Publishes Report from Piracy Roundtable

December 28, 2009

The Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) released a report from its December 8 Roundtable on caring for seafarers and the families of seafarers affected by piracy. The Roundtable brought together a variety of high-level maritime stakeholders to share their experience and views on these issues.
 
“This is the first of what we hope to be several discussions in which various experts and responsible parties in the field contribute,” said Douglas B. Stevenson, director of SCI's Center for Seafarers' Rights. “We all work as partners to address the effects of piracy on mariners.”

The report notes an “information gap” where currently no comprehensive knowledge collection exists on the needs of seafarers and their families. This gap spurred SCI, according to Stevenson, to undertake a clinical study and to prepare guidelines on caring for those impacted by piracy.
 
The Roundtable discussion gave various constituents from the maritime industry an opportunity to share experiences, voice concerns, and communicate needs toward SCI’s study—from changes in the conduct of everyday business to accessing seafarer study subjects. “The capability of SCI’s study to impact the lives of seafarers,” said Stevenson, “relies on the wealth of experience from people involved in the industry.”
 
The report highlights the positive outcomes of the December’s Roundtable discussions. “Participants provided invaluable contributions toward developing practical and workable recommendations.”
 
To read the full report, click here.