The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Nassau’s main commercial shipping port yesterday disclosed that five vessels were forced by the deteriorating harbour breakwater to wait out at sea during the three months to end-December 2024.

Dion Bethell, BISX-listed Arawak Port Development Company’s president and chief financial officer, in response to Tribune Business that the weakening harbour defences continue to impact “operational efficiency” during bad weather because cargo ships are unable to dock at its facilities due to the high waves.

“Regarding the breakwater repairs, there have been no further developments on its repair and remediation. We continue to experience operational disruptions during certain times of the year due to adverse weather conditions,” Mr Bethell confirmed.

“During the second quarter of 2025, we had up to five vessels waiting out at sea due to unfavourable weather conditions and the lack of adequate breakwater protection in the channel. This remains a concern as we work to maintain operational efficiency despite these challenges.

The breakwaters, which function as Nassau harbour safeguards have been in place since Majority Rule some 56 years ago but are “no longer able to absorb the energy from the ocean” especially at high tide or during rough weather.

This impacts “the channel” cargo vessels use to access Nassau’s major commercial shipping port, and complicates the work of APD staff, service providers and ship’s crew in unloading and working on the boat. The “roll”, or pitch, of cargo vessels in such circumstances can be between “six to ten feet up and down”, which is unforgiving on APD’s cranes and other equipment and results in significant wear and tear.

While vessels can still safely enter and exit the Arawak Cay-based port, APD has previously said it “won’t compromise” on safety. Mike Maura, APD’s chairman, wrote in the company’s most recent annual report: “As a matter of urgency, we must pay special attention to mitigating factors that have begun to impinge on the quality of port operations from the maritime side.

“Our port partners must seriously address the now continuous degradation of Nassau Harbour’s western breakwater, which poses a clear danger to all port users onshore and offshore, especially the giant cargo carriers and the equally massive cruise ships that carry millions of dollars in cargo and thousands of passengers.”

And Mr Bethell, writing in the same report, added: “Last year, the continued disintegration of the breakwater located just to the west of Paradise Island simulated increasing concern. There were incidents of cargo ships impeded in unloading at Nassau Container Port owing to the powerful sea surges and high winds that prevailed some months ago.

“As climate change accelerates, it is bringing stronger hurricanes and sea surges to our archipelago and neighbouring regions. In the past, services might typically have been disrupted twice a year by high seas. However, this phenomenon has escalated to the point where, over summer 2023, cargo operations at Nassau Container Port were impacted on eight to ten days.

“As I have informed our primary constituents and the press several times, if salutary action is not taken, breakwater disintegration will continue to pose a serious threat to life and business at the port and its environs. It bears repeating that the negative effects will reverberate throughout The Bahamas’ import-driven economy,” Mr Bethell continued.

“I will again remind decision-makers that 90 percent of international shipping cargo passes through APD’s Arawak Cay facilities.... I reiterate that the current and daily state of the 56-year-old barrier negatively impacts ship and port operations and personnel, including APD staff, ships crews and stevedores loading and unloading docked vessels.

“Inclement sea conditions increase danger as the resultant ‘roll’ or ‘pitch’ of cargo vessels being worked can be between six to ten feet up and down. Such occurrences take a significant toll on APD’s cranes and other equipment.”

Mr Bethell yesterday said the Nassau Container Port operator has “not been able to determine any direct fall-out” yet from Donald Trump’s imposition of US tariffs on Chinese imports “as the majority of global cargo from China and the wider Asian region comes directly to The Bahamas”.

He added: “If Chinese goods are first imported into the US before being shipped to The Bahamas, then there is a possibility that increased tariff rates could impact the final price of those goods or commodities. However, as a port operator, we do not track the cost of imported goods, as we do not receive or have visibility into the underlying invoices for imports passing through our facility. 

“From an operational and pricing standpoint, APD has not increased its landing, stevedoring, security, terminal handling, gate or reefer monitoring fees since inception. However, ocean carriers have increased their ocean freight rates and fuel surcharge rates on several occasions. These carrier-imposed costs are external factors that impact overall shipping expenses but are not controlled by APD.”