Seafarers are a topic that very little has ever been written about and discussed. We are now going to discuss some interesting facts about these untold heroes and the job that they are doing. There are about 466,000 seafarers in the world.

This is an estimated figure it can even be more. The tops countries who have the maximum seafarers are North America and Western Europe. Even Japan has a good number of seafarers. However, with the changes in requirements and roles more and more seafarers are recruited from far-east and eastern European countries. Even South East Asian countries and India also has a good number of sea farers being hired every year. For many years sea farers form India and Philippines have been serving other countries. The scene is changing gradually and steadily as even these countries are getting into shipping lines. There are about hundred and fifty nations that are into shipping worldwide that makes it that about one million seafarers from every nation is into shipping. The statistics say that there are about fifty thousand merchant ships that are trading all across the world. IMO has come up with many policies that can make the life of mariners better and reduce their challenges to some extent.

About ninety per cent of world trade is done by sea and this is so as it is less expensive mode of transport. Bulky goods like cars, furniture, and even heavy machinery. The shipping lines are also used to transport safely the most hazardous chemicals and petrol. This line is safest and can be considered very efficient for highly inflammable goods. IMO is working on making shipping lines safer both for the cargo as well as for the environment. Basically the shipping lines play a very vital role in the world economy and help the countries to maintain a healthy international trade. In 2008 about eight thousand million tonnes of cargo was transported by sea of the total volume of thirty two thousand billion tonne miles.

Greece has the maximum total deadweight tonnage controlled by parent companies as per survey done in January 2011. Panama has the largest shipping flag in the world as per a survey done in June 2011. Maersk shipping line has the maximum containers in the world that are operating across the world. The ships are expensive to build. In today’s time to build a sophisticated vessel you need to spend about two hundred million dollars. The ships earn about trillion dollars as freight charges a year. This is also a reason why the people working in the shipping lines earn a good living and their wages are more than many other jobs.

Some feel that marine transport create environmental pollution. However, it is definitely not true the pollution that is created by ships is relatively much lesser compared to what human population and oil spills have been doing for years.

These are some very interesting facts about shipping lines and the trade that they are doing. The contribution is unparalleled and must be appreciated. The life blood of international trade must be given the due that it deserves.

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