Nominations are called for the IMO Bravery at Sea awards, reports ITF Seafarers.
The IMO Bravery at Sea awards
Officially called the ‘IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea’, the important Award and its associated letters and certificates are given to seafarers who are recognised for performing acts of extraordinary bravery during the nominating period, risking their own lives when attempting to save the lives of others or as part of efforts to protect the marine environment.
While seafarers can only nominate for the single top award, it’s not just one seafarer who gets recognised. Many of the runners-up for the top award are also recognised for their bravery and merit with official letters and certificates from the IMO.
The IMO explains that there are three ‘categories of honour’ that seafarers can be recognised in:
- the ‘Award’ itself, for the nominee judged to have performed the most outstanding act of bravery
- certificates of commendation for nominees who have committed acts of extraordinary bravery
- letters of commendation for nominees who are judged to deserve some special recognition for meritorious actions
Who is eligible?
Seafarers who: at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment
For acts of bravery which took place during the nominating period: 1 February 2021 – 30 January 2022
The last date to submit is 28 February 2022 to the ITF.
Who can nominate a seafarer?
Technically, nominations for the awards may only be made to the IMO by UN member states (governments) and intergovernmental bodies that are recognised by the IMO (something called ‘consultative status’).
As the global voice for seafarers, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (the ITF) has consultative status at the IMO, and the ITF can therefore nominate seafarers to be recognised in the awards.
Click here to know the process of nomination and selection.
Who won last year?
The Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea 2021 (the top award) was given to a search and rescue officer from Vietnam, Mr. Tran Van Khoi, who heroically saved the lives of four people from a sinking cargo ship. The seafarer battled extreme weather and stormy seas to complete this daring mission.
A Certificate of Commendation was also awarded to another seafarer, Capitan Ritesh Madhusdan Bhamaria. He is a marine pilot who was working onboard the Godam for Torres Pilots, a piloting company operating in Northern Australia. Captain Bhamaria bravely saved the lives of two fishers in perilous shark-infested waters, upholding seafarers’ long-standing professional and humanitarian commitment to saving lives at sea whenever safely possible.
Why should one nominate a brave seafarer for the 2022 awards?
Nominations for IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea have now opened, and the ITF is encouraging seafarers and their families to start submitting the brave seafarers in their lives to the ITF for the award, certificates and letters available from the IMO.
It is important that seafarers are nominated for the award, especially this year given all that’s happened to seafarers through the pandemic and crew change crisis, said Branko Berlan – the ITF’s Accredited Representative to the IMO.
“Seafarers’ have faced many complex challenges over the past 18 months. People need to nominate a seafarer for the 2022 award if they know of, or have heard of, a seafarer who has encountered risky situations and, in the face of those situations, shown exceptional bravery,” he said.
“The world’s seafarers have been keeping the world moving under very difficult conditions through the present pandemic and its associated crew change crisis. Through it all, seafarers have continued to demonstrate considerable bravery. Bravery is everywhere in this profession: let us recognise it!,” said Berlan.
Submit your brave seafarer to be nominated for the IMO Bravery at Sea Awards
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Source: ITF Seafarers
