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.