EARL DEVEAUX

Published On:Monday, February 15, 2010

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT -- The Bahamas is developing "a core of highly qualified" mariners to take a leading role in the maritime industry, in a bid to fill the gap created by a global shortage of seafarers.

Earl Deveaux, minister of the environment, said that to date some 300 persons have graduated from the Bahamas Maritime Cadet Corps, and another 50 are scheduled to graduate this year.

During the second annual Bahamas International Maritime Conference, Efthimios Mitropoulos, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), called for more recruitment of seafarers worldwide.

During his address, Mr Mitropoulos said the maritime industry was facing a shortage of seafarers, noting that naval officials would be short 40,000 seafarers by 2011, and 53,000 by 2013.

He stressed that the shipping industry will suffer if prompt action is not taken to bring in young "fresh blood" to the maritime profession.

Dr Deveaux said there were about 200 cadets presently enrolled in grades 10 through 12 in the cadet corps.

He added that the Government, through the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) and the Bahamas Seafarers Association, have been sponsoring both deck and engineer cadets.

"We are developing a core of highly qualified and experienced mariners who will be

able to take a leading role in the Bahamian and the international shipping industry," said the minister.

"We also want to encourage active engagement in finance, insurance and maritime law, as well as all the peripheral industries such as ship's chandlers, shipping agents, and the myriad of associated businesses."

Dr Deveaux said the Bahamas' interest in maritime matters was not a recent phenomenon, but part of the country's history and culture.

He said that maritime transport of goods and people has always been an essential

part of Bahamian life, and the protection of the marine environment was a high priority, as the Bahamas' geographical structure consists of one of the world's largest areas of coral reefs.

Dr Deveaux said shipping was probably the most environmentally-friendly mode of transport, despite constant complaints about the poor image of the shipping industry in the media.

"Over 90 pe rcent of trade in the world is carried by sea. The vast majority is carried safely, cleanly and economically in ships that are of excellent quality," he said.

The minister added tat in keeping with the commitment to enhancing environmental protection in the Caribbean region, the Bahamas is part of the Globallast Partnerships Project (GEF-UNDP-IMO) as a leading partnering country in the wider Caribbean, and recently organised the first National Task Force meeting and Ballast Water Management Seminar in Nassau.

Dr Deveaux said the Bahamas had also ratified the major maritime environmental conventions, in particular, MARPOL 73/78, the Anti-fouling Convention, the Bunkers Convention, and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Convention.