The Flag March 2018

MARCH 2018 • ISSUE 35
the ag Newsletter of the BAHAMAS MARITIME AUTHORITY
In this issue:
uBahamas re-elected uQualship 21 uIMO update uIndustry uBSA uEvents to IMO Council Achievement views Calendar
BAHAMAS
RE-ELECTED TO
IMO COUNCIL
During the occasion of the 30th Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), The Bahamas secured re-election to the IMO Council for the 2018 – 2019 biennium.
IMO is The United Nation’s specialised agency for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships. The IMO Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization.
The Bahamas’ re-election represents a signi cant achievement not only for the nation but regionally for the Caribbean and globally for small island developing states for whom The Bahamas will strive to ensure equal representation during the international meetings. Council
u THE BAHAMAS DELEGATION AT IMO ASSEMBLY
membership enables The Bahamas to be at the forefront of decision making on issues that will impact all industry stakeholders including our shipowners. The importance of this role, as a regulator, is immeasurable.
The process to garner the support and con dence of the voting IMO member states was a Bahamian inter-agency collaborative effort undertaken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahamas High Commission in London, Ministry of Transport & Local Government and the Bahamas Maritime Authority.
PORT STATE INSPECTION ACHIEVEMENT: QUALSHIP 21
The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) is proud of the global performance of its eet as measured by The Bahamas ag retaining a low risk status within the Paris and Tokyo port state control MOUs and achieving United States Coast Guard (USCG) Qualship 21 certi cation for 2017/2018.
Qualship 21 certi cation is a testament to the BMA’s continuous work and collaboration with our ship owners, whose efforts and commitment to ensuring their ships meet the high quality standards required by the USCG, for foreign agged ships trading to US ports.
Achieving a low risk port
state and Qualship 21 status for Bahamas agged ships is evidence that the Registry’s ship owners, manager and the onboard seafarers maintain and operate the ships to the required international standards which results in the ships avoiding lengthy port state inspections with the inherent unnecessary delays and cost.
for 2 years for all eligible vessels and the full list of Qualship 21 vessels is published on the USCG
Qualship 21 programme is the
USCG’s initiative to eliminating
substandard shipping byWebsite.Thereisanadditional identifying high quality Flag bene tfortankervesselsastheir
BSA COURTESY CALL ON PRIME MINISTER
u PETERGOULANDRIS,JOHNADAMS,COMMODOREDAVYROLLE, MINISTER FRANKIE CAMPBELL, PRIME MINISTER HUBERT MINNIS, J. DENISE LEWIS-JOHNSON, DOMENICO ROGNONI, CAPTAIN DWAIN HUTCHINSON
Administrations and their eet. In accordance with USCG policies, all vessels are examined at the same interval, however Flag Administrations and their eet with higher safety standards are recognised for their commitment to safety and are consequently, awarded Qualship 21 certi cation by the USCG. The Qualship 21 Certi cate is valid
scope of annual COC examination is reduced by the USCG. For freight vessels, they will have two years of limitedportstatecontroloversight.
The BMA, as a responsible and quality Flag State, remains fully committed to ensuring that its ships are maintained to the highest possible standards and comply with international Conventions and Codes at all times.