Sea Careers

Overview of the International Shipping

Around 90% of world trade is carried by the international shipping industry.
Without shipping the import and export of goods on the scale necessary for the modern world would not be possible.
Sea borne trade continues to expand, bringing benefits for consumers across the world through competitive freight costs. Thanks to the growing efficiency of shipping as a mode of transport and increased economic liberalisation, the prospects for the industry's further growth continue to be strong. There are around
50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, transporting every kind of cargo. The world fleet is registered in over 150 nations, and manned by over a million seafarers of virtually every nationality.

Safety and Regulation

Shipping is the safest and most environmentally benign form of commercial transport. Perhaps uniquely amongst industries involving physical risk, commitment to safety has long pervaded virtually all deep sea shipping operations. Shipping was amongst the very first industries to adopt widely implemented international safety standards.
Because of its inherently international nature, the safety of shipping is regulated by various United Nations agencies, in particular the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which has developed a comprehensive framework of global maritime safety regulations.

Environmental Performance

Shipping is the least environmentally damaging form of commercial transport and, compared with land based industry, is a comparatively minor contributor to marine pollution from human activities.
There has been a substantial reduction in marine pollution over the last 15 years, especially with regard to the amount of oil spilled into the sea, despite a massive increase in world sea borne trade

Shipping Industry in India

The Indian shipping industry consists of about 616 ships, with a total capacity of 6.62 million tons Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT). Of these, about 258 ships are engaged in overseas trade and the rest ply inland routes. After a period of decline, both tonnage and fleet size have grown recently, with the addition of 56 ships — tugs, survey vessels, towing vessels as well as pilot vessels — belonging to ports and maritime boards. These were added between April 2002 and March 2003. At present, India ranks 17th amongst maritime nations in terms of GRT.

Why Sea or Marine careers?

Merchant ships’ officers belong to a select, international profession, involving people from across the globe. They are highly skilled professionals, responsible for moving passengers and cargo safely around the world.
There are different opportunities and the work involved is always varied. In addition to navigation or engineering skills using the latest information technology, considerable leadership and managerial skills are essential to ensure the safety and well being of the community of people living and working together at sea.
Following progression to more senior grades – and in many cases eventually shore based management - wide-ranging commercial skills are also acquired. Moving the majority of the world's goods and raw materials is big business!

Why work @sea?