The shipping industry is again preparing to celebrate Maritime Awareness Week. This year, the activities will take place from September 23-29 under the theme, 'The Maritime Industry Responding to Environmental Challenges'.

Maritime Awareness Week is an annual event on the calendar of the shipping industry. During this time activities highlight the work within the industry, aiming to create public awareness and to strengthen relationships within the shipping industry.

As is customary, the activities will begin with a church service and the week's activities will include a lunchtime seminar hosted by the Shipping Association of Jamaica. New highlights this year include an exhibition in the reading room of the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Library, on Tom Redcam Avenue, and an essay and poster competition involving summer school students of the library and the Institute of Jamaica.

During the week, the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) will stage an 'Open Day and Exhibition' beginning on Monday, September 23 on the grounds of the CMI, Palisadoes Park. Graduation takes place at the Jamaica Conference Centre on Thursday, September 27.

Full schedule to come

The full schedule of activities for Maritime Awareness Week will be made public in early August.

Jamaica's 'Maritime Awareness Week' was developed around World Maritime Day that is celebrated annually by the international shipping community and falls on the Thursday during the last week of September.

World Maritime Day is celebrated under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a United Nations body which has oversight for international maritime affairs. The IMO, of which Jamaica is a member, sets the general theme of World Maritime Day and member states may modify it to suit their local situation.