MARAD’s Director of Maritime Safety Captain Stephen Thomas has stated that Trinidad and Tobago is well within its rights to dispose of any ships that pose a risk to navigation or impede commerce activity.
“Any vessel that poses a threat to navigational safety has to be removed,” he said in reference to the 17 vessels that were abandoned in T&T waters since November. Thomas said MARAD has been unable to make contact with Bejorie Limited, which owns the vessels.
MARAD officials had told Stabroek News previously that Bejorie was a locally registered company. However, there was no evidence of this at the Deeds and Commercial Registry’s office. When Thomas spoke to this newspaper last week, he said the company was Trinidadian, but the vessels flew under the Guyanese flag making them Guyanese ships.
Since November of last year MARAD has received no response from Bejorie, Thomas said.