Photo: BIS/Eric Rose

Acting Minister of Transport and Aviation the Hon. Hope Strachan (front row, centre) poses, on August 27, 2013, with stakeholders and facilitators at the opening of the National Workshop on the Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement (CME) aspects of Port State Control for the Ballast Water Management Convention, at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Base. 

The workshop, held August 27-29, was facilitated by RAC/ REMPEITC-Caribe, an organisation sponsored by the International Maritime Organisation and the United Nations.  The objectives of the workshop were to disseminate information to participants on the Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement aspects of Port State Control in the Ballast Water Management Convention and to build national capacity for the flag State.

Taking part in the workshop were representatives of various organisations, including the Port Department; The Bahamas Maritime Authority; the Ministry of Transport and Aviation; the Ministry of the Environment and Housing; the BEST Commission; the Department of Environment Health Services; the Department of Fisheries; the Royal Bahamas Defence Force; the Mail Boat Association; the College of The Bahamas; the Bahamas National Trust; The Nature Conservancy Group and other non-governmental groups.

According to the Ministry, invasive species are commonly transported in ships’ ballast water and cost the regions billions of dollars. Because of this, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the United Nations established the Ballast Water Management Convention. To assist in the implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention, the IMO further established the GloBallast Partnership. The Bahamas is one of the Lead Countries in the Region under the GloBallast Regional/Global Programme, which is aimed at assisting countries in  implementing the Ballast Water Management Convention.  (BIS Photo / Eric Rose)