While Panama commemorates Seafarer's Week, which coincides with Fisherman's Day, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) presents a report reflecting its support for seafarers: with the issuance of 2,319 national waters seafarer licenses and more than 3,600 people trained in maritime safety during the first half of 2026.
The results correspond to the National Licensing Tours that the institution carries out in coastal and island communities of the country to bring its services closer to those who make the sea their main source of livelihood.
Driven by the Directorate General of Seafarers (DGGM), this initiative has made it possible to decentralize maritime services, facilitating access to the documentation required to carry out activities in national waters and promoting safer and more orderly navigation.
Before obtaining their documentation, participants receive training in sea survival, first aid, fire prevention and fighting, maritime safety, nautical nomenclature and proper use of safety equipment, in addition to being evaluated to certify their skills.
The national tour will continue during the second half of 2026 with a tour of communities in Chiriquí, Coclé, Herrera, Los Santos, Veraguas, Bocas del Toro, Guna Yala, Darién, Panamá, Panamá Oeste and Colón, with the purpose of continuing to bring the services of the AMP closer to fishermen, operators of small vessels and workers in the maritime sector.
In Panama, the commemoration of Fisherman's Day, established by Law 13 of May 5, 2016, and celebrated alongside the festivities of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patron saint of seafarers, recognizes the contribution of those who make the sea their livelihood and play a fundamental role in the national economy, the supply of goods to communities, and the development of the maritime sector. In this context, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) reaffirms its commitment to continue strengthening the capabilities of seafarers through training programs, certification, and licensing that contribute to increasingly safe and professional navigation.
With these actions, the Panama Maritime Authority strengthens navigational safety, promotes the formalization of the domestic service, and brings the State closer to coastal communities, boosting the sustainable development of the national maritime sector.
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