THIS week is International Seafarers Awareness Week, alongside 2018 Day of the Seafarer, and we have been looking at the complex issues surrounding seafarer mental health and wellbeing.

For those working at sea, mental health issues can be compounded by the pressures of being separated from family and feelings of isolation.

We talked to the Mission to Seafarers, which has been tracking crew welfare through its Seafarer Happiness Index, a survey of 10,000 active crew on issues such as mental and physical health, diet, rest, workload, connectivity, training, and access to shore leave.

The UK Chamber of Shipping has raised crew mental health awareness with shipowners. It wants companies to foster a working culture that supports and improves the mental wellbeing of seafarers. UK Chamber communications director Jonathan Roberts told us why.

Jaques Saadé – an industry legend

This week marked the passing of Jaques Saadé, one of the great shipowners of his generation. 

Saadé left Lebanon 40 years ago to escape the civil war, settling his family in the safety of France. From there, he founded his first shipping company, which was to grow into one of the world’s most powerful shipping empires, CMA CGM.

Lloyd’s List’s editor at large Janet Porter knew Saadé well, and remembers him as a survivor and a fighter, who has passed his formidable knowledge on to the next generation of the family-run business.

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