The North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA) has published the results of its research into port levies and voluntary contributions for seafarers’ welfare in a report also providing best practice guidance.

The research, conducted by NAMMA’s Director of Programs, Michael Skaggs, emphasises the importance of active support from port authorities to ensure the future financial security of seafarers’ welfare providers, even though port authorities are neither the source nor object of funding. The survey found that the single greatest indicator of a seafarer centre’s financial success through port levies was a productive relationship with port authorities willing to help publicise the good work of the centres and relay to shipping the importance of the services provided by these centres.

The majority of seafarers’ centres with a port welfare voluntary contribution in place (only half of those contacted) were found to receive little assistance from port levies. The report recommends the encouragement of those in port authorities and shipping to get to know the seafarer centres that operate in their ports and terminals to build and strengthen relationships, and suggests that the collection and distribution of existing port levies are reviewed.

The full report can be downloaded here.