He has been offering his prayers and solidarity to those who work at sea and have been prevented from going ashore or have not been able to work.

In a video message last month Francis gave a special message to seafarers and people who fish for a living.

He said: "in these past months, your lives and your work have seen significant changes; you have had to make, and are continuing to make, many sacrifices.

"Long periods spent aboard ships without being able to disembark, separation from families, friends and native countries, fear of infection — all these things are a heavy burden to bear, now more than ever."

Francis's prayers and concerns are similar to those of Antonio Guterres, who is the secretary-general of the United Nations.

Last month he issued an appeal asking governments to classify seafarers as "essential workers". This way, those blocked on ships in port could go ashore and new crews could rotate in to keep the sea shipping industry going.

"The ongoing crisis is having a direct impact on the shipping industry, which transports more than 80 percent of traded goods — including vital medical supplies, food and other basic necessities — critical for the COVID-19 response and recovery," a U.N. statement says.

The COVID-related travel restrictions have affected hundreds of thousands of the world's two million seafarers. They have been "stranded at sea for months," Guterres says.

In late April, an International Labor Organization report said 90,000 seafarers were stuck on cruise ships. The ships have had no passengers because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions. Restrictions are so tight that in some ports not even seafarers in need of medical attention were allowed to go to onshore hospitals.

The report also noted that on other ships, shipping companies are forbidding crews from disembarking in case they bring the often-deadly virus on board when they return.

Expressing gratitude to seafarers and fishers for their work, Francis says they are not alone and are not forgotten.

"Your work at sea often keeps you apart from others, but you are close to me in my thoughts and prayers and in those of your chaplains and the volunteers of Stella Maris," the centers around the world run by the Apostleship of the Sea.

"Today I would like to offer you a message and a prayer of hope, comfort and consolation in the face of whatever hardships you have to endure," the pope said. "I would also offer a word of encouragement to all those who work with you in providing pastoral care for maritime personnel."

"May the Lord bless each of you, your work and your families," the pope said, "and may the Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea, protect you always."

Source

• Catholic News Service
• Image:ABC News

She looked after the needs of the detainees and served as their interpreter and mediator in court, said the secretary for communications and youth at Don Bosco Technical School at Gabutu, in Port Moresby, Fr Ambrose Pereira.

They have been detained in the prisons of Alotau, Giligili and Bomana for illegally fishing and harvesting beche-de-mer in Milne Bay.

Trinh communicates with their families back home and arranges for payment of their penalties and getting all the necessary documents and tickets for them to fly back home to Vietnam.

"Sr Trinh successfully processed the repatriation of 87 Vietnamese fishermen and about 18 more will soon follow and all will soon be able to re-join their families back home, thanks to the courage of this sister and the support given by her Salesian community," said Fr Ambrose.

Trinh is a Vietnamese Salesian Sister working in a girls' skills training institute in Sideia Island, diocese of Alotau in Milne Bay.

Another priest, Fr Rolando Santos said the case of the Vietnamese fishermen was disturbing.

"They (Vietnamese fishermen) are used by whoever employs them to fish illegally without a proper license or any guarantee of protection or security from their employers.

"It is a serious abuse on the rights and dignity of these young men to be sent out by their recruiters to fish in illegal waters without a proper licence and without any guarantee of protection or security."

"Once caught, they are almost totally forgotten and abandoned."

The Governor of Milne Bay, Titus Philemon has expressed his deep gratitude to Sr Trinh for the help that she has given the Vietnamese detainees.

Source

• thenational.com.pg
• Image: asianews.it

Away from family and friends for many months at a time, working long hours and navigating some of the world's most dangerous stretches of ocean, seafaring can be a tough, lonely and hazardous career.

Piracy, shipwreck, abandonment and separation from loved ones are just a few of the problems that seafarers and fishers cope with.

Fishers are involved in what is recognised as the most dangerous occupation in the world.

Seafarers transport 90 to 95% of the food and goods the world uses every day, and yet these 1.3 million hardworking men and women who face danger every day are often forgotten.

When aircraft crash we hear about it on the news; when ships sink, unless it's a cruise liner like the Costa Concordia, it's almost as if no one cares.

Shipwrecks and Piracy

Wikipedia lists 67 ships as ‘sunk, foundered, grounded or otherwise lost' in 2012. Twenty-five of those shipwrecks resulted in the loss of at least 943 lives, and probably many more.

Seafarers are constantly threatened by pirates. Between January and 23 May this year, there were 106 incidents reported of ships being attacked, including four hijackings and Somali pirates were holding 71 hostages and 5 vessels.

During 2012 297 ships were attacked by pirates, 174 were boarded, 28 were hijacked and 28 were fired upon. The number of people taken hostage onboard was 585 and a further 26 were kidnapped for ransom in Nigeria. Six crew members were killed and 32 were injured or assaulted. (Information from http://www.icc-ccs.org/)

Stella Maris — an official Ministry of the Church

Under the guidance and protection of Mary, Star of the Sea, the Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) cares for the fishers and seafarers that visit our ports.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, AoS ministers to those who work at sea and in our ports in Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga Moana and Napier. It is in the process opening or re-opening branches in other NZ ports. Continue reading

Sources

• Marist Messenger
• Image: Apostleship of the Sea GB