Interesting item gives insight on port plans, Port States in Caribbean, Belize

High Praises for Belize Maritime Policies

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Written by Shane D. Williams

Thursday, 26 January 2012 00:00

The Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Caribbean Region was signed in Barbados on February 9, 1996 by nine states. The membership has since increased to fourteen States. Belize joined in 2008.According to Gardiner, the main purpose of the Port State Control is to eradicate substandard vessels from the Caribbean Sea. Each member state is mandated to board and inspect at least 15% of foreign vessels that call upon its ports to ensure compliance with various major international maritime conventions. Those conventions cover safety of passengers and crew members, safety of environment from harm, labour and trade laws.  Nine regional committees have been formed across the globe to ensure that vessels trading in their area are not substandard. The executive body of the CMOU is the Caribbean Port State Control Committee or the CPSCC and it was the third regional committee to be formed. It is comprised of representatives of all of the Member States and is headed by a Chairman and a Vice Chairman. Belize’s representative on the committee is Major John Flowers, Commissioner of the Belize Ports Authority. Gardiner arrived in Belize on Sunday, January 22. He met with government representatives and key maritime officials; including officials from the Belize Ports Authority, Belize Coast Guard and the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE). He said that Belize has made significant strides in meeting international standards in the shipping industry and seems to be heading in the right direction. The next step is for greater collaboration between units. Gardiner was most impressed by IMMARBE, which he said is one of the world’s top thirty ship registration organizations. He said IMMARBE has even greater potential but it needs to work closer with units like the Ports Authority and Coast Guard in order to meet and set international standards. Gardiner said that more needs to be done in terms of educating the public on maritime issues. He said there are more ways in which the locals can benefit from the shipping industry. IMMARBE should invest in technical training to capitalize on local human resources because “many jobs are available in the shipping industry”. Gardiner left the country on Wednesday, January 25, but visited Big Creek and the Belize Port Authority’s new monitoring site near Belizean Beach before leaving. At the site near Belizean Beach, the Ports Authority monitors all vessels within Belize waters. The site is also home of a project for the construction of a new base for the Ports Authority. Gardiner said he really enjoyed the visit and he is glad to see that Belize is moving in the right direction.

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