A LONG serving seafarer Alois Wamoi has called on the government to recommend awards to seamen who have served as crew on board commercial ships.
Mr Wamoi said most times national awards are based on political recommendations.
“It is time the government looks at those that have truly worked hard as seafarers. The daily tasks of a seafarer as a crew on a ship is risky and demanding. We serve for days, weeks and months on calm and rough seas yet contribute greatly to the economic development of PNG by distributing cargo and commercial goods from one port to another,” he said.
He said in his 40 years as a seafarer he is always alert.
Mr Wamoi boasts about swearing in disagreement to the Captain’s Orders by steering it away from an accidental tide while stopping a fire on board to save another.
“I put out a fire on Kwila One, one of Bob Sinclair’s (Lae Builders) Ships and saved the “Western Star” from colliding with the Hiri Chief on 292.5 miles from the mouth of Fly River,” the 63-year-old seafarer said.
Mr Wamoi from Koronet Island Manus province is a fisherman turned seafarer who worked on board ships like Takatsumaru, Star-Kist hired ships, Rabaul Coastal Shipping, Coral Chief, Fly Hope and Western Star and many others for 40 plus years.
Wamoi started as a seafarer on his own boat as a fisherman in his early teen days and in 1976 joined the crew on commercial fishing and cargo ships. He retired in 2015.
