Maritime Authority Of Jamaica News

German Ship Repair Jamaica Limited (GSRJ), a private joint venture of German, Turkish and Jamaican investors, has welcomed its first floating dock to Jamaica as part of plans to open a new shipyard later this year. The 215 meter-long Panamax-size dock was towed across the Atlantic by the deep-sea tug Titan from its previous home port in Bremerhaven, Germany. The dock arrived in Kingston on August 24 and is now moored at its new home port at the GSRJ Shipyard in Kingston Harbor…

Jamaica and Canada have signed a Reciprocal Recognition Agreement to enable seafarers from the two countries to work on ships sailing under the Jamaican or Canadian flags.The agreement was signed by Joanna Manger, Director General, Marine Safety & Security at Transport Canada, and Rear Admiral (retd) Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica.Brady commented: “This is a milestone for both our countries’ seafarers and indeed our respective maritime and transport administrations.

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. and Shell International Petroleum Company Limited announced the successful bunkering of the ZIM SAMMY OFER containership with liquefied natural gas (LNG), marking the first LNG bunkering operation in Jamaican waters. The vessel was bunkered at Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) on March 26, 2023. The ZIM SAMMY OFER is the first in a series of ten 15,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships which ZIM plans to deploy on their ZCP trade line.

Top oil shipping companies say they have tightened operational guidelines and deployed technology to prevent accidental breaches of sanctions, as the countries hit by ever tougher restrictions fight back with elaborate strategies to dodge them.Washington has ramped up shipping-related sanctions over the last two years to make it harder for countries, such as Iran and Venezuela, to export the oil that provides their main source of revenue.In response, Iran and Venezuela have developed sophisticated methods to bypass sanctions…

A global network of crew change hubs would help alleviate the humanitarian crisis seafarers face at present, according to the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ).They could offer a short-term solution to the barriers presented by global travel restrictions, ensuring vital crew changes could take place and facilitating trade and logistics to the benefit of the world economy, the Flag State advised.Rear Admiral (ret’d) Peter Brady, MAJ Director General, explained, “In the Caribbean for example…

In order to enable crew changes, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has listed seafarers among the class of “essential workers” under its Disaster Risk Management Act and has put in place measures to speed up the transit of registered seafarers through its borders.An estimated 600,000 seafarers are waiting for crew changes – 300,000 on vessels and 300,000 waiting to embark – according to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). Many of those on board have been working for up to four months past their contracted dates while those waiting to embark are typically not receiving wages…

The House of Representatives passed the Ballast Water Management Bill, which is aimed at protecting Jamaica’s marine environment, said Jamaica Information Service, a government agency. The legislation seeks to implement measures to prevent ships entering Jamaica’s waters from introducing foreign aquatic species and diseases into the country. The Minister of Transport and Mining, Robert Montague, said the Bill is in keeping with commitments under the Ballast Water Management Convention, of which Jamaica is a signatory. He explained that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention, adopted in 2004, “provides a global legal…

Jamaica has reestablished its position at the heart of international maritime rule-making following its election to the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Council. The nation was elected as a Category C Council member on December 1, and will serve until 2019. The Maritime Authority of Jamaica’s (MAJ) Director General, Rear Admiral Peter Brady previously chaired the former IMO’s Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW) sub-committee between 2003 and 2012, now called the Human Resource Training and Watchkeeping Sub Committee.

During the 20th century, tiny organisms carried in the ballast water of ships began to be recognized as alien invasive species. These aquatic species were hitching a ride across the oceans and some were embedding themselves in new areas, multiplying and becoming harmful invasive aquatic species. The impacts on native species, local ecosystems and sea-based economies have, in some cases, been devastating. The story of how global partnerships, governments, industry, academia and other stakeholders came together to tackle this problem is told in a new publication, The GloBallast Story, launched (6 June) during a side event at the UN Ocean Conference in New York.

Jamaica launched its bid to be elected to Category ‘C’ of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council last Thursday (2 February) - in a move to position Jamaica as a ‘viable maritime hub’. Addressing specially invited guests, Jamaica’s Minister of Transport and Mining The Honourable L. Michael Henry CD MP said: “I am very pleased to be associated with yet another event which is designed to showcase Jamaica in a positive light. We consider our bid to be elected to Category ‘C’ of the IMO as a strategic move in order to raise our maritime profile in this governing body. “Jamaica when viewed through the lens of the international…

Maritime Authority of Jamaica’s (MAJ) Director General Rear Admiral Peter Brady has been elected as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden. The appointment has been welcomed by Jamaica’s maritime community as recognition for the MAJ’s focus on training and the Admiral’s crucial role within the international shipping sector. served as a visiting lecturer between 2003 and 2004. He has been a serving member on the WMU Board of Governors since 2007. Admiral Peter Brady said: “This recognition is good for Jamaica’s reputation as a Maritime State and confirms its status as a member of Council of the IMO in Category C”.

Rear Admiral Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, was deeply honoured to receive the prestigious IMO Themed Award for World Maritime Day 2015 "Maritime education and training", sponsored by the China Classification Society, at last night’s 27th Seatrade Awards Ceremony. The Admiral’s award was in recognition of his dedicated work in the sphere of maritime training. Rear Admiral Brady chaired the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) STW Sub Committee for almost 10 years and was Chairman of the Committee of the Whole at the Diplomatic Conference in Manila which amended the STCW Convention and STCW Code.

Jamaica’s readiness for Mass Rescue Operations (MRO) in its maritime space will be boosted July 22-24, 2014 with the assistance of a subject matter expert from the U.S. Coast Guard, who will conduct a comprehensive training workshop for representatives with the relevant ministries, departments and agencies within the Government of Jamaica. The island is a key destination for cruise ships and a major air transportation hub. Therefore the country’s ability and readiness to respond to an incident which would entail a mass response within our shared maritime domain…

Women have a significant role to play in the development of the maritime sector in the Caribbean, region but in order to survive and thrive they need access to professional training and education systems backed by internationally recognized and enforced employment standards. This was the message two leading Caribbean shipping industry executives delivered to the “Maritime Women: Global Leadership 2nd International Conference” held by the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden this week, March 31-April 1.

Jamaica is embarking on a country-wide survey of all the commercial and domestic vessels in its waters to ensure it has accurate data on its maritime community. The Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), as Jamaica’s marine administration, has among its roles, obligations to provide for maritime safety and protection of the marine environment from potential damage caused by maritime activities which are on the increase in Jamaica’s waters. To more effectively carry out this mandate, during the months of December 2013 to May 2014, the MAJ will embark on a project to conduct island-wide surveys of all vessels domiciled in Jamaican waters in an effort to maintain an accurate account of the numbers and types of vessels using its waters for both commercial and personal purposes.

In a fiercely contested election during the 28th IMO Assembly, Jamaica was successful in securing a seat in the most sought-after Category ‘C’ of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the 2014-2015 biennium. The Jamaican delegation was led by The Hon. Dr. Morais Guy, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, and attended by Admiral Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), and senior officers of the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) and the MAJ.

As the world celebrates the Day of the Seafarer today (June 25), the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) urges seafarers to pay attention to the provisions of the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006. With just a few weeks to go before the International Labor Organization’s Bill of Rights for seafarers comes into effect, Jamaica is encouraging seafarers to take its provisions seriously, pointing out that their diligence is also critical to the successful implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the convention. Rear Admiral Peter Brady, Director General of the MAJ said, “Jamaica recognizes the tremendous contribution seafarers make to the world economy and commerce.

Jamaica is backing a pledge by the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to half the number of lives lost at sea by 2015. Mr. Koji Sekimizu has made reducing maritime casualties a key aim of his term of office. IMO figures put the number of lives lost at sea in 2012 at approximately 1,000, including 500 in international shipping. Rear Admiral Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, said, “We fully endorse the Secretary General’s aims and will do all we can to assist him to achieve his target.

Rear Admiral (ret'd) Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica and former chairman of the International Maritime Organization’s Standards of Training and Watchkeeping  sub-committee, was guest of honor at the 50th anniversary National Maritime celebrations in Mumbai, India. Admiral Brady joined the Honorable Union Minister of Shipping Shri G. K. Vasan and Indian Shipping Secretary Shri P. Delivering the keynote speech, he outlined the recent Manila amendments to the STCW Convention and spoke of India's important contribution towards the effort.

MARPOL and VIMSAS topped discussions when senior Caribbean maritime administrators met in Montego Bay, Jamaica this week (February 19 and 20). The Regional Senior Marine Administrators Workshop was hosted by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica during a milestone visit to the country by Mr Koji Sekimizu, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Representatives from 20 countries met to consider a list of programs to be submitted to the IMO for support under its International Technical Cooperation Program (ITCP).

IMO Secretary General, Koji Sekimizu, heads a team to inform a high-level ministerial symposium of critical maritime developments. The four-day visit, hosted by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), will culminate in a High Level Symposium (HLS) of the Ministers of Transport in the Caribbean, drawing delegates from a variety of the region’s States and overseas territories, as well as Jamaica. The HLS is intended to inform the responsible Ministers in the region on critical developments that will affect their countries’ reputations as responsible maritime states.

Seafarers need to take an active role in helping the international community to win the battle against substandard shipping. That’s the message from the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) on the international Day of the Seafarer today (June 25). As the maritime industry celebrates the contribution of seafarers to the world economy and commerce, the MAJ is urging seafarers to assess the quality of the employers for whom they choose to work and become more involved in ensuring that their own welfare issues are adequately addressed.

The Caribbean region, including Jamaica and other small island developing states, lacks the resources to combat a major oil spill, delegates to a regional convention on oil spill prevention and response have been warned. Opening the convention to discuss oil spill prevention, preparedness and response in the Gulf of Mexico, keynote speaker Christopher Cargill, Chairman of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, said that Jamaica and other islands in the region do not have access to vast amounts of resources to combat major oil spills of the magnitude of the BP Deepwater Horizon incident…