WISTA Forum Highlights Personal Cost of Piracy

Marinelink.com August 19, 2013

Chirag Bahri, India and South Asia regional representative for the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program

A Chief Engineer who was held by Somali pirates for eight months will be the main speaker at a session on piracy at the WISTA UK Forum, running as part of London International Shipping Week, 9-13 September 2013.

Chirag Bahri, now the India and South Asia regional representative for the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program, who will give a unique insight into his experience of surviving captivity by Somali pirates.

Mr Bahri had worked on bulk carriers and oil and chemical tankers since he went to sea in 2004. Then, in 2010, his ship was hijacked by Somali pirates and the crew was held for eight months. Since his release in January 2011, Mr Bahri has focussed on providing guidance for seafarers and their families as well as promoting the human side of the issue of piracy.

The panellists at the session ‘How safe are our seafarers and ships in West Africa?’ also include representatives from The Royal Navy and The Mission to Seafarers.

In the evening session, senior maritime figures will debate ‘This House Thinks that Green Shipping is Hot Air’ as they highlight the huge impact which environmental demands and regulations on maritime emissions will have not only on shipping lines but also on the wider maritime industry and, indeed, on everyone who buys or uses goods sourced from overseas. The debate will be moderated by Jim Davis, Chairman IMIF and a WISTA-UK Ambassador.

WISTA (Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association) is an international organisation for women in management positions involved in maritime transportation business and related trades worldwide. So it is not surprising that it will also host a session on ‘Women in Top Jobs’ and speakers will include senior women in both maritime and wider international roles.

The opening session aims to help conference delegates make the most out of networking opportunities, with specific reference to the value of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) techniques.

All the sessions, open to everyone, WISTA and non-WISTA, women and men, will be held in Portcullis House, Westminster on Wednesday 11 September 2013. WISTA UK members can attend for free, with non-members paying £150 for the full day or £50 for the evening debate and networking.

Session 1 (11am -12.30pm) The Art of Networking
Lunch
Session 2 (13.20 – 15.00pm) Women in Top Jobs
Session 3 (15.15 – 17.30pm) How safe are our seafarers and ships in West Africa?
Session 4 (18.00 – 20.00pm) Grand Debate: This House thinks that Green Shipping is Hot Air