Seafarers’ charity, Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), has joined forces with the Santa Marta Group to tackle the issue of slavery at sea.
The organizations are arranging a series of workshops aimed at educating and informing AoS chaplains, volunteers, port officials and police about slavery at sea and what can be done to protect and support seafarers and fishermen.
The first workshop took place in Tilbury Docks earlier this year, followed by Santos, Brazil in May. More workshops will be rolled-out at ports globally.
Speaking at an event on board HQS Wellington in London last week, President of the Santa Marta Group, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said there were cases of seafarers and fishermen being imprisoned on their ships, not paid their wages, and held in a modern-day form of press-ganging and slavery.
Cardinal Nichols, who is also the head of the Catholic Church in England & Wales, paid tribute to the work of AoS .
As Sea Sunday approaches (July 8, 2018), the Cardinal urged continued support for AoS and its ministry.
