Ceremony honors professionals who dedicate their lives to maintaining maritime commerce
By Agência Marinha de Notícias – Rio de Janeiro, RJ
On Thursday, September 29, the world celebrated the 44th anniversary of the creation of World Maritime Day, an initiative of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) endorsed by its 175 Member States, including Brazil. The date aims to praise the maritime activity as indispensable for the maintenance of the economy and global trade.
In recent years, the IMO has established several regulatory changes in order to minimize the pollution generated by maritime transport, a crucial activity for the world economy, because it moves about 90% of the cargo traded by all countries, but which is currently responsible for about 3% of global emissions of greenhouse gases.
Given the importance of the issue in question, the IMO Council endorsed for this year the theme “New technologies for a more sustainable shipping”, which was proposed to guide the celebrations of the date.
The theme encourages reflection on the need to support an energy transition of the maritime sector towards an ecologically committed future, contributing to face the most pressing oceanic and environmental challenges: climate change, marine litter and the preservation of marine biodiversity.
The Director of Ports and Coasts of the Brazilian Navy, Vice-Admiral Sergio Renato Berna Salgueirinho, explains that “the Brazilian Maritime Authority has the role of coordinating and analyzing the issues related to the IMO, formulating the positions to be adopted by Brazil on these issues and proposing measures to be implemented, arising from the commitments made by the country, constantly reviewing its regulatory documents to achieve these goals.
Commemoration of World Maritime Day in Brazil
The date is also an opportunity to honor professionals who dedicate their lives to maintaining maritime commerce and make a difference in the relevant sea-based profession. This year, the ceremony held at the Centro de Instrução Almirante Graça Aranha (CIAGA), located in the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), decorated seafarers and military organizations.
“We take this opportunity to honor all the seamen of our Brazilian Merchant Marine, whether they are Officers or Subalterns, Nautical or Engineers. On this day, we pay tribute to an extremely rigorous and demanding profession. They make an extraordinary contribution to cargo movement, allowing the country to prosper and the economy to move forward,” said the Director of Ports and Coasts.
To honor the Seafarers in the highest category of deck officers, the Directorate of Ports and Coasts (DPC) awarded, during the ceremony, the Long Course Captain Emanuel Brasil Dias Guerreiro, current Commander of the NM “Vicente Pinzon”, from Aliança Company, with the Commodore Badge. “I feel very honored, it’s been 47 years of my life dedicated to the sea and to the transportation of goods all over the world”, he emphasized.
In the opportunity, 45 Merchant Navy members received the “Maritime Merit” medal. The Director-General of Navigation, Fleet Admiral Wladmilson Borges de Aguiar, presented the medals and highlighted the importance of the day: “A strong country must also have a strong Merchant Marine and a strong Navy in order to constitute a solid Maritime Power for our nation. The Merchant Marine sustains foreign trade with about 95% of our exports and this is fundamental for the development of the country. I always say that the future of Brazil is at sea.
Almirante Ibsen de Gusmão Câmara Award
During the ceremony, the “Almirante Ibsen de Gusmão Câmara” Award was given, for the first time, to the Brazilian Navy’s land-based Military Organizations with excellence in environmental management. The award is given only to those that obtain a value equal to or greater than 90% in the technical criteria of Environmental Compliance Performance (DCA).
The Natal Naval Base achieved a final DCA score of 92.8% and was the recipient of the award, standing out for measures that reduce environmental impact.
“There were some important actions implemented that have been coming for some years. I highlight the revitalization of the sewage system of the entire upper part of the naval complex and also a more rigorous control of the management of waste from the entire complex,” said Sea and War Captain André Medeiros, Commander of the Natal Naval Base.
The DPC Quality Award was also given to the Port Captaincy of São Paulo. The award is for the Captaincy, Police Station and Agency that obtained the best performance index in the services provided to the maritime community.
“The Captaincy conducted throughout the year 2021 a thorough mapping of processes, a knowledge management of excellence that enabled several actions for the safety of waterway traffic and for the public service,” detailed the Captain of the Ports of São Paulo, Captain of Sea and War Robledo de Lemos Costa.
Blue Illumination
Different Military Organizations of the Brazilian Navy were illuminated in blue yesterday (29) in honor of World Maritime Day. The action also aimed to reinforce the importance of maritime industries in international trade and to promote navigation safety and awareness in favor of sustainable development.
Source: Agência Marinha de Notícias *** Translated by the DEFCONPress FYI Team ***