DIRECTOR of Maritime Safety, Captain Stephen Thomas and Chief Port Security Officer, Major Dwain Nurse of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) represented Guyana at the first sub-regional seminar on Maritime Surveillance, Monitoring and Communications Systems for Maritime Security in Antigua held from July 28 to 31, 2014.

A press release said that other participants were drawn from countries around the Caribbean such as The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Suriname, and Antigua and Barbuda.

The seminar was sponsored by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in collaboration with the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS), the release stated.

MARAD said that some of the subject areas covered in the seminar included Security Measures for Port Facilities, Ship Tracking and Monitoring, Security Measures Onboard Ships, and Security Measures for smaller (Non-Safety Convention) ships.

Meanwhile, the seminar was opened by acting Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Steadroy ‘Cutie’ Benjamin. Some guest speakers included Tracy Peverett, Head of the Maritime Security Section of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), and Captain Michael Brown (Retired) of the United States Coast Guard, MARAD said.

Meanwhile, Captain Thomas and Major Nurse have already begun to share their knowledge with their colleagues and MARAD in its continued effort to promote maritime safety and security will continue to work closely with the IMO, regional states, and the shipping industry, the release added.