THE CARIBBEAN Shipping Association (CSA) has renewed its call for a
regional statistical database of the shipping industry for planning long
and short-term development.
Speaking at the 12th meeting of the Association of Caribbean States' special committee on transport, Stephen Bell, general manager of the CSA, noted that, "The needs and concerns of the regional shipping industry in the development of a regional statistical database of the shipping industry must be taken into account in any plan to establish such a facility. In this regard, the CSA is willing to assist and support the ACS with information and insight and we invite you to access our knowledge and review our experiences."
MUCH HAS CHANGED
Bell said that the CSA's interest and concern that the Caribbean should have access to shipping statistical data dates back more than 15 years noting that, "Much has changed in the last 15 years since the CSA has been advocating a regional maritime database. What has not changed, however, is an urgent need for data by private business and government for planning long and short-term development. Indeed, this need, which I've here described as 'urgent', has since become 'crucial', in the context of today's more demanding, less forgiving world."
In his presentation to the Association of Caribbean States' (ACS) special committee that met in Port-of-Spain last month, the CSA general manager also expressed his organisation's interest in working closely with the ACS in the area of port security. He stated that the CSA had initiated attempts to help to deal with the financial challenges faced by members in meeting the deadline for implementing the ISPS Code.
STRONGER COLLABORATION
Bell also noted that both the CSA and the ACS shared a common interest in sustainable tourism development and called for stronger collaboration in protecting the Caribbean Sea.
The Association of Caribbean States was established by a convention signed in 1994 with the aim of promoting consultation, cooperation and concerted action among all the countries
of the Caribbean.
The Shipping Association of Jamaica is a founding member of the Caribbean Shipping Association which was established in 1971 to facilitate the development of an efficient, viable Caribbean shipping industry.
