The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) on Wednesday commissioned a new Maritime Safety Centre at New Amsterdam, in Region Six as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safety against the backdrop of increasing maritime traffic, which is credited to the oil sector and expanding fisheries.
A Department of Public Information (DPI) report said more than 200 vessels were recorded entering local waters this year and quoted Director of Maritime Safety Captain John Flores as saying that there is almost double the amount of traffic that was seen a year ago. “So, generally across the country we have, almost double the amount of traffic we had one year ago,” Flores was reported as saying.
He said with the new centre, owners and operators of vessels would now be able to access services in their district.
Meanwhile, Director of Ports and Harbours Louise Williams, who noted that over the years MARAD had commissioned other maritime safety centres in Regions 1, 2, 7, said that works are in the pipeline for the construction of a similar facility in Region 10 in the first quarter of 2020.
“Persons in the fishing sector need to understand and practice safety on the waterways; it is important to have each vessel inspected properly, license and certified. Certification is also necessary for the captains for these vessels. It is also important that those in the sector also adhere to the importance of complying with stipulation regulations,” Williams noted.
The DPI report also noted that MARAD is also distributing life jackets in riverain areas and running sensitisation campaigns with the fishing co-operatives to boost safety and compliance.
