UGS Prez: The defense of the Greek seafaring tradition is a matter of highest priority

The president of the Union of Greek Shipowners, Melina Travlos, considers the defense of the seafaring of the Greeks in combination with the strengthening of the national registry to be of the highest priority for Greek shipping.

Ms. Travlos believes that Greece needs a strong national registry as the flag represents the largest shipping in the world in international fora and should not only maintain but also strengthen its dynamics.

In this direction, more steps need to be taken and the tendency to register new modern ships in the register needs to be strengthened. It is worth noting that according to data obtained by NEA newspaper from the Ministry of Shipping, during the first half of 2023, seven ocean-going ships raised the Greek flag, three of which are cargo ships, two tankers and three ships transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG Carriers). In the same period of 2022, eight ships raised the Greek flag, while in the first two months of 2020 and 2021, three ships per year.

However, in order for the Greek registry to be strengthened, it should be further modernized and become even more competitive.

“The UGS‘s proposals are well-known, documented and realistic. There is no more time to waste! And we are working in this direction!” emphasized Ms. Travlos speaking recently at the annual general meeting of UGS members.

Strengthening the registry is inextricably linked to the preservation of the Greek maritime tradition. “It is our responsibility to work together, the maritime community and the State, united, in this direction. Only with one voice will we preserve and promote our nation’s seafaring to reverse its declining course, at least quantitatively. A national action plan is needed and not individual, piecemeal initiatives, which create confusion and aggravation of the issue” Ms. Travlos stated.

The strength of Greek shipping and its competitive advantage are its people on our ships and in its companies, and its further development requires, according to the president of the EEE, a sufficiently trained and well-qualified human resource. However, the Greek navy, as Ms. Travlou does not follow corresponding rates of development with the jumps of Greek shipping and for this reason she argues that immediate interventions are needed, before the situation becomes irreversible.

It is worth noting that the fleet managed by Greek shipowners is increasing year by year. According to data from the Ministry of Shipping, seagoing ships managed by Greece broke the barrier of 5,000 ships in 2023 as from 4,630 on 1/1/2020, they increased to 4,713 the following year, to 4,941 on 1/1/2022 and in 5,116 on 1/1/2023.

It is our responsibility, therefore, to work together, the maritime community and the State, united, in the direction of preserving and promoting our nation’s seafaring, so as to reverse the declining course it records, at least quantitatively. A national action plan is needed according to Ms. Travlos and she calls on all involved “to speak to our children in their language. To understand the strategic advantage of our shipping, as a professional branch, to understand the prospects and quality characteristics of the maritime profession”

100 scholarships to young people from UGS

In this context, UGS is the first to give the stamp of its intentions regarding the attraction of young people in the shipping industry with a symbolic but also substantial initiative of its own. This year, it grants 100 scholarships to young men and women for studies in Greece and abroad, in post-doctoral level postgraduate programs, full one-year or two-year studies, through SYN-ENOSIS, the non-profit social contribution company of the Greek shipping industry.

“As the Union of Greek Shipowners and SYN-ENOSIS, education is at the heart of our actions. The Scholarship Program has been our priority for years. In the face of these young people to whom we award the scholarships of the postgraduate studies of their choice, we recognize the inspirers of their generation, we recognize our positive role models. They are our guides to a hopeful future as a society, as a country”, says Melina Travlou, President of the Union of Greek Shipowners and SYN-ENOSIS.