International maritime
Conference for
the Bahamas
The eyes of the international
maritime community will be focused on Freeport, Grand Bahama when it
hosts the three-day Bahamas International Maritime Conference and Trade
Show beginning November 19.
The event is slated for the
Westin at Our Lucaya Resort, and the theme is ‘Opportunities in Trade
and Maritime Services’.
“It is intended to serve
as a platform for showcasing the multiple facets of the Bahamas’
maritime industry, particularly as it relates to transshipment, trade,
ship ownership, registry services, ship repair and other things,”
stated the Ministry of the Environment.
The conference will be opened
by Prime Minister Hubert A Ingraham and International Maritime Organisation
secretary general Efthimios E Mitropoulos will deliver the keynote address.
“The Bahamas is highly respected
in the international maritime community for having attained and maintained
the world’s third largest ship registry,” stated the Ministry of
the Environment.
“However, in order for the
Bahamas to maintain its position of prominence in the region and in
the world, policy makers and program planners must stay abreast of the
ever-changing demands and developments in the international maritime
industry.”
The conference and trade show,
stated the Ministry, aims to promote the Bahamas as a hub of international
trade; highlight the benefits and advantages of the Bahamas International
Ship Registry; draw attention to the latest developments and opportunities
in the maritime industry in the Bahamas; and, explore issues related
to local and international investment trends and opportunities for the
maritime industry.
Freeport, a free trade zone,
is home to the Freeport Container Port, Grand Bahama Shipyard, Freeport
Harbour, Bahamas Oil Refining Company, and South Riding Point Holdings.
Among other presenters, Barry
Malcolm, Managing Director, Scotia Bank, will speak on ‘Entrepreneurial
and expansion opportunities within the maritime industry of the Bahamas’;
Robert Somerville, Chairman and CEO, American Bureau of Standards, will
speak on ‘Clean air, cleaner oceans, cleaner beaches - What the shipping
industry is doing to reduce its footprint’; and Anthony Price, president,
Algoship Designers Limited, will speak on ‘Opportunities for training
within the Bahamas maritime sector’.
“We want to stimulate interest in the many world class maritime services offered by the Bahamas,” stated the Ministry of the Environment.