Having spent several decades at the helm and circumnavigated the globe more times than I can count, I can say with confidence: the world has changed beyond recognition. We have satellite communication at any point in the ocean, electronic charts that plot our course with meter-level accuracy, and engines managed by computers. But there is one thing that seems to be stuck in the age of steam engines – our portfolio of paper documents. The system for seafarer certification and credentialing is desperately outdated, and I see concrete steps on how we can, and must, fix it.

In my view, here is how we can build a 21st-century system for the people who work in the world's most globalized profession.

1. Create a Unified Digital Seafarer Profile (The Seafarer's Digital Identity)

Imagine a secure digital application on your smartphone or tablet. This isn't just a collection of scans, but your official, verified profile, which I would call the "Digital Service Record Book." This profile should contain everything:

1. Core Diplomas and Certificates of Competency: Your main license, its endorsements, GMDSS, ARPA certificates, etc.
2. All STCW Certificates: From Basic Safety Training to advanced courses on ship handling, medical care, and hazardous materials transport.
3. Medical Certificates and Vaccination History: No more lost yellow fever booklets. A doctor in any port in the world could see up-to-date information.
4. Sea Service Records: Automatically updated and verified by the shipowner and captain. No more disputes over sea days or fraudulent service records.

This profile must be owned and controlled by the seafarer themselves. We would grant temporary and limited access to the necessary information to a crewing agency, a shipowner, or a Port State Control officer.

2. Implement Blockchain Technology for Verification and Trust

The biggest problem with paper documents is that they are easy to forge, and verifying their authenticity is slow and difficult. Blockchain solves this problem at its root.

Let me explain it simply: every certificate issued to you (by a maritime academy, a training center, or a medical commission) is recorded in an indestructible digital ledger. It’s like an entry in a ship's logbook that cannot be erased or altered retroactively.

What would this achieve?

1. Instant Verification: A Port State Control (PSC) officer in Singapore scans a QR code from your digital profile and instantly confirms that your certificate, issued in Ukraine or the Philippines, is authentic. Port inspections would take minutes, not hours.
2. Elimination of Fraud: Forging documents would become virtually impossible. This would dramatically increase safety at sea, as you wouldn't have someone with a fake license on the bridge or in the engine room.
3. Trust: Shipowners and crewing agencies would be 100% confident in the qualifications of the seafarers they hire.

3. Modernize and Embrace Continuous Learning

The STCW Convention is the foundation, but the world is changing faster than it can be updated. We are already operating ships on LNG; soon there will be vessels running on methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen. Automation and digitalization on board are growing.

What needs to change:

1. Micro-credentials: Instead of waiting five years to complete cumbersome refresher courses, we should be able to earn "digital badges" or certificates for mastering specific new skills: working with a new type of fuel system, advanced cybersecurity, managing unmanned systems. These badges should be immediately added to our digital profile.
2. E-learning and Simulators: The theoretical parts of many courses can and should be completed online, at our own pace, even while on a voyage. This would save our time and money spent ashore. Practical skills, meanwhile, should be honed on modern, realistic simulators.

4. Ensure Global Recognition Under the Aegis of the IMO

All of this will only work if the system becomes global. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) must take the lead and develop a universal standard for this digital seafarer profile.

The goal is simple: one seafarer – one digital profile – worldwide recognition.

This would eliminate the humiliating and lengthy process of obtaining endorsements from every flag state you work under. Your digital profile, compliant with the IMO standard, should be automatically accepted by any maritime administration in the world.

We seafarers are not bureaucrats. Our job is to navigate ships safely, transport cargo, and return home. A system that forces us to carry kilos of paper and prove our qualifications at every turn is demeaning and inefficient.

Transitioning to a unified, secure digital profile is not just about convenience. It is a matter of safety, of recognizing our professionalism, and of stepping into the future that, for us on board, has already arrived. We deserve a credentialing system that is as modern as the ships we command.