ECSA joins the International Chamber of Shipping in calling all member companies, shipowners, managers, port operators and any relevant national stakeholder to encourage ships captains to sound their horns when in port at 12h00 local time on 1 May 2020.

The move is to celebrate and recognise the contributions and sacrifices that all workers, including all maritime workers both on-board and onshore, have been making amidst the current COVID-19 crisis. At this difficult time for the world, shipping wants to ensure that the contributions made by all maritime workers such as seafarers are not forgotten.

Therefore, ECSA joins the ICS in their call to encourage as many ships as possible across Europe, who are in a port or harbour, to sound their horns (as is safe to do so) at 12h00 local time on 1 May 2020. We kindly ask our member companies, shipowners, managers, port operators and any relevant stakeholder to encourage ships captains to action this gesture.

685,000 maritime workers in European shipping, with some 555,000 of them at sea, are working hard to ensure that food, fuel and supplies continue to flow for millions of European citizens.

ECSA invites all EU policymakers as well as member states to recognise this contribution by providing a quote or a public statement of support.

Please tag all videos, images as well as words of support with the hashtags #HeroesAtSeaShoutout and #EveryShipmentCounts.