CHIEF EXECUTIVE Officer of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, Rear Admiral Peter Brady, says Jamaica is to launch ship registration services to the international shipping industry in October.
He noted that international law required all vessels involved in international trade on the high seas to have a flag, and that Jamaica was entering this new venture to make money.
"We feel that we have a solid administration, we have technical people who are qualified and can represent the ship owners in a solid way."
Many of these persons, he added, have held high positions at sea, including captains, and many have graduated from the World Maritime University.
Director of Training and Safety at the Maritime Authority, Captain Robin Lee, confirmed that the Authority had competent personnel to carry out the core tasks of an international shipping registry, including inspection and certification of ships, and the examination and accreditation of a ship's mates, masters and engineers.
A number of developing countries such as the Bahamas, Liberia and Panama have reported success in operating ship registries. These countries, said Rear Admiral Brady, have simply provided the legal services where required and accommodated ships when they needed the flag to enter their respective countries.
Panama has the world's largest registry with more than 13,700 ships. The Bahamas Ship Registry has the world's fifth largest fleet, with nearly 1,700 vessels carrying its flag, including cruise liners, bulk carriers, general and refrigerated cargo vessels, roll-on/roll-off cargo, ferry ships, oil rigs, drilling ships, offshore oil-filled supply craft and several tankers.
Jamaica has ratified several international agreements called protocols that bind the country to provide standards of safety, pollution prevention and the preservation of life at sea.
With the country being a signatory to these agreements, Rear Admiral Brady said it placed the country in a good position to be "white listed" by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) later this year. The IMO is the United Nations' specialised agency responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing pollution from ships.
