Background

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) contracted with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to conduct a follow-up to the 2001 Mariner Survey. The focus of the follow-up survey was to provide MARAD with:

• general information on mariners qualified for deep sea service;
• qualifications held by Mariners by license/documentation;
• current status of meeting Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) 95 qualifications;
• recency of sailing experience; and
• willingness to sail in an emergency.

The information provided by the survey will allow MARAD to:

• clarify the issues regarding the existence of mariner shortages,
• assess mobilization readiness,
• tailor training and recruitment programs to specific shortage areas, and
• justify resource needs.

The 2002 Mariner Survey was developed with the additional goal of providing validation of some findings from the earlier study and offering a more detailed look at the difficulty of locating mariners.