The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has announced that for the 17th consecutive year, The Bahamas has been included on the Paris MoU port state inspection whitelist of flag state performance and has moved up six places, securing the number two spot. This accomplishment comes on the heel of The Bahamas flag having achieved a record low number of detentions worldwide.
The Bahamas’ Minister for Transport and Local Government, Honorable Renward Wells comments: “The BMA’s impressive track record of delivering a quality service, as demonstrated by this positive outcome, is remarkable and one that The Bahamas, our customers and industry partners should be extremely proud of.” Adding to this, the BMA’s Chair, Mrs J. Denise Lewis-Johnson says: “Port state inspection is one of the recognized industry indicators of quality performance and this achievement by The Bahamas, within Paris MOU ports, once again demonstrates the BMA’s commitment to the highest standards and is evidence of our ships adhering to these standards.”
The Paris MOU White List represents quality flags with a consistently low detention record for ships calling in European ports and The Bahamas’ record within this region aligns with the lowest ever number of annual detentions following port state inspections conducted globally in 2018.
The BMA’s Managing Director & CEO Captain Dwain Hutchinson comments: “This level of compliance is very much a collaborative approach and the BMA extends its congratulations and appreciation to all Bahamian shipowners, managers and their shipboard crew for ensuring that Bahamas flagged ships comply with the international convention requirements and avoid delays following port state inspection. Every ship flying The Bahamas flag will benefit from this superb record.”
The Bahamas is also considered a low risk and non-targeted flag within the Tokyo MoU and has also secured United States Coast Guard QualShip 21 status which recognizes and rewards ships, their owners and flag administrations for their commitment to safety and quality.
