The Tribune

MINISTER of Transport and Local Government Frankie Campbell welcomed delegates for an oil spill workshop on Sunday, May 21.

The event was held at SuperClubs Breezes on West Bay Street and was sponsored by the government of Malaysia.

The event was entitled “Sub-regional Level III Workshop on Oil Spill Preparedness and The International Maritime Organization’s Guidance on the Implementation of an Incident Management System.”

Mr Campbell said that the maritime industry is “critical” to the global economy, as over 90 per cent of goods are transported by sea. In the case of The Bahamas, Mr Campbell said that the maritime industry is “particularly critical”, especially given that the country is an archipelago, and the islands of The Bahamas are sustained by the weekly arrival of ships transporting goods and people. 

“It is certainly the case that both the aviation and maritime sectors are essential engine drivers of our economy,” he said. “In the maritime sector, the Bahamian brand is supported by a successful ship registry, active cruise ports, a lucrative fishing industry, steady yacht calls, busy container ports and many industrial operations.

He said that this workshop would assist both The Bahamas and regional partners in developing policies and procedures, which protect and preserve the marine environment.

“This workshop constitutes a follow up to the recent regional workshop in December 2016, at which time each participating country’s national oil spill plan was assessed,” said Mr Campbell.