HENRY

As we stage the 30th celebration of World Maritime Awareness Week, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on the superlative work it has been doing.

The IMO's original mandate concerned maritime safety, but the organisation assumed responsibility for pollution issues shortly after becoming functional in 1959.

Over the years, the IMO adopted a wide range of measures to prevent and control pollution caused by ships and to mitigate the effects of any damage that may occur as a result of maritime operations.

Fewer oil spills

The theme for this year's celebrations, 'IMO's Response to Current Environmental Challenges', reflects this focus. The secretary-general of the IMO, Efthimios Mitropoulos, reported that the average number of oil spills over 700 tonnes has shrunk from over 25 in the 1970s to just 3.7 in the current decade, in large part due to implementation of conventions such as the primary international convention on the prevention of pollution from ships.

The ministry, through the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), has been working with other government agencies to ensure that other pollution legislation incorporating the major IMO conventions are propagated here.

Environmental sustainability is very important to Jamaica's development, over 90 per cent of all our trade is conducted by sea and the tourism industry depends heavily on our marine ecosystem which supports our beautiful beaches and pollution-free waters.

Additionally, the fishing industry depends on a marine environment that can support the sustainable growth of our fish population. The need to protect Jamaica from the devastating consequences of ship source pollution is, therefore, very important.

I commend the Jamaican planning committee whose membership includes the MAJ, the Port Authority, the Caribbean Maritime Institute and the Shipping Association of Jamaica for their adaptation of the theme 'Jamaica's Maritime Industry Responding to Environmental Challenges', and wish for all, success in execution of activities for World Maritime Awareness Week.

L. Michael Henry CD. MP

Minister of Transport and Works