Great Podcasts for those in Seafarers’ Welfare 2022

BBC NEWS, CHRIS AVERSANO, IAN URBINA, MARITIME, MISSION TO SEAFARERS, PODCASTS, SEAFARERS, SHIPPING

by Dr. Jason Zuidema, NAMMA/ICMA

In July 2020, I put out a first list of podcasts that were insightful and encouraging for those in seafarers’ welfare. That list still has top picks like the Shipping Podcast, The Last Voyage of the Pung Su, and As the Crow Flies among other great podcasts.

Since then, many new podcast series and episodes have dropped that merit your time. Whether you want to learn more about the trends and challenges in the maritime industry or hear from the people who get the work done, here is a wonderful list to encourage you to get involved in supporting the work of seafarers’ welfare.

The Outlaw Ocean (coming soon!)

The high seas are beyond the reach of international law – and beyond the beat of most reporters. But Pulitzer-Prize-winner and former New York Times journalist, Ian Urbina, has sailed into uncharted territories. Urbina sets out on a years-long quest to investigate murder at sea, modern slave labour, environmental crimes and quixotic adventurers. Part travelog, part true-crime thriller, this 7-part series takes listeners to places where the laws of the land no longer exist. The Outlaw Ocean is brought to you by CBC Podcasts and the LA Times and produced by The Outlaw Ocean Project.

The Global Safety Podcast – episode – “The Future of Safety at Sea

Professor Danielle George explores the world’s most hazardous workplace – the ocean. By 2030 the oceans will provide direct employment for 40 million jobs. But those who work at sea have some of the most dangerous professions on the planet. With the help of a panel of experts, Danielle explores what’s needed to keep people who risk their lives at sea every day, safer.

The Mariners’ Mirror Podcast

The world’s No.1 podcast dedicated to all of maritime and naval history. With one foot in the present and one in the past we bring you the most exciting and interesting current maritime projects worldwide: including excavations of shipwrecks, the restoration of historic ships, sailing classic yachts and tall ships, unprecedented behind the scenes access to exhibitions, museums and archives worldwide, primary sources and accounts that bring the maritime past alive as never before. Presented by Dr Sam Willis.

The Last Dinosaur

Chris Aversano has been in the maritime industry for nearly 30 years in positions both onshore and at sea. In this podcast Chris talks about the maritime industry in the digital age.  The shipping industry has been the slowest to embrace the digital revolution thus making it the last dinosaur.  But change is happening, and this podcast will explore that shift. Chris talks talk to the innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and thought leaders that are moving the maritime industry forward digitally. 

99% Invisible – Episode 441 – “Abandoned Ships

If you look around you right now, about 90% of what you’re looking at came to you onboard a cargo ship—your television, your sofa, most of the stuff in your kitchen. But as the number of these cargo ships has increased, so has a problem: workers stuck on ships that have been completely abandoned by the owners, leaving them stranded out at sea without basic supplies like food. In some cases, seafarers (that’s the industry term for cargo ship workers) have been stuck on these abandoned vessels without enough supplies for months, or even years. 

The Conversation Hour – Episode – “Meet the Seafarers”

In this edition of the Conversation Hour Richelle Hunt and co-host Amber Irving-Guthrie delve into the life of seafarers. They are the unsung and unknown front line  workers, moving essential cargo,  keeping all countries wealth and health afloat. But is this crucial industry in decline in Australia? And what needs to happen to revive it? The Conversation Hour hears the stories from the sea.

BBC News Daily – episode – “Russian and Ukrainian seafarers: working together during a war”

Thousands of Russian and Ukrainian sailors crew cargo ships that carry goods around the world, so how are they coping living in such close quarters while their countries are at war? We hear from those anxiously watching events back home, and we get an update on the hundreds of ships stranded in the Black Sea, unable to sail in case they are caught in the crossfire. Vivienne Nunis speaks to Guy Platten of the International Chamber of Shipping and chaplains belonging to the seafarers’ charity Stella Maris.

Stories of our times – episode – “Seafarers abandoned in the Gulf

What does it feel like to be abandoned out at sea? We go on board an oil tanker to tell the extraordinary story of those stranded on the MT Iba. The guest presenter on this podcast is Louise Callaghan, Middle East correspondent for The Sunday Times and the host isDavid Aaronovitch.


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