The Port of Bridgetown copped the highly coveted Multi-Purpose Port of the Year Award 2018, emerging the big winner from among 12 competing Ports across the Caribbean and Latin America.
The announcement was made during the banquet and awards closing ceremony of the just concluded 2018 Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) 48th annual general meeting and conference, held in Panama City, October 8-10, 2018.
Chief Executive Officer of Barbados Port Inc. (BPI), Mr. David Jean-Marie said, “The award is a fitting testimony to the progress we have made in 2017 in enhancing our performance and productivity, the expansion of our transshipment business and the implementation of energy efficiency initiatives”.
Mr. Jean-Marie added that the Barbados Workers’ Union’s support in pushing for the certification of port workers and the maintenance of industrial peace, were also major contributing factors to the enhanced performance.
Noting, “We certainly couldn’t have done it without the workers and management team”, the CEO said, “This award will better position us relative to our competitors in the development of transshipment and cruise business”.
Winning in the Multi-Purpose Port category confirms outstanding performance in dependability and flexibility, port efficiency and productivity, port growth and development, security, health, environment and safety. Barbados’ biggest competitors this year were Kingston Wharves Limited, Jamaica; Port of Paramaribo, Suriname; Fort-de-France, Martinique and Grand Port Maritime de la Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe.
Each year, the CSA’s Port Awards Committee compares the performance of participating ports to determine who stands above the rest. The CSA assesses the improvement, performance and security of the ports and terminals and as such, any port in the Caribbean stands a chance of winning either the top prize, or any of the sectional prizes, once its management systems are up to standard and its corporate functionality is progressive. At the end of the process, the CSA announces those ports and terminals that have achieved high standards of operational performance.
The CSA’s Port Awards Competition aims to promote the development and increased efficiency of port operations. It has served as a driving force for regional ports and terminal operators, encouraging and stimulating the development of best practices through the recognition of the outstanding performance of ports in key areas.
The new Board of Directors of Barbados Port Inc. (BPI) has been announced.
Senator Lisa Cummins, International Trade Specialist and Executive Director of The UWI Consulting Company is the Chairman and Dennis Cadogan, Deputy Chairman of Equity Insurance is the Deputy Chairman.
The other directors appointed to serve on the Board are: Capt. George Fergusson, retired Captain of Barbados Port Inc., Lisa Gale (Lisa Gale Consulting International Trade and Business Consultant), Iain Thomson (Maco Magazine), Ricardo McConney (Nation Publishing Co. Ltd.), Janice Brown (Attorney-at-Law, Fig Tree Family Office Ltd.), Reynold Grant (Retiree), Esworth Reid (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and The Blue Economy), Sir Roy Trotman (Barbados Workers’ Union) and David Jean-Marie (Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer BPI).
The BPI, the hub of Barbados’ trade and logistics infrastructure, will be key to delivering on the goal of advancing new sectors and industries in the Blue Economy, including maritime trade.
The appointments were effective July 1, 2018.
Last year Deono James shared with us his intentions and aspirations. Since then Deono has accomplished much in his quest to become a professional in the body fitness arena.
Making this dream a reality takes vision and effort. To this end, Deono in working towards professional accreditation, is very appreciative of the support he has received from Barbados Port Inc. where he is employed, as well as the help offered by others. He has been focused on eating right and training right, adjusting his diet and training regimen based on insight gained at the competitions he participated in recently.
October 21, 2017 saw Deono taking third place out of nine competitors in the Men’s Physique segment of the Ben Weider Legacy Cup held in Toronto, Canada. The competitors hailed from Bermuda, Curacao, Canada and the United States. Deono was a member of the contingent selected to represent Barbados at the 45th Caribbean and Central American (CAC) games scheduled to be held in Mexico City. Unfortunately, a series of major earthquakes occurred in Mexico City around the time for that competition and it was cancelled. April 20th – 22nd this year found Deono in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the Arnold Classic, where he advanced to the semi-finals and was among the top 15 in the Men’s Physique. This competition for him, drove home that he needed to do more work.
Deono explained that while each show had different judging criteria, the South American shows in particular look for more leanness, muscle definition and dryness. As such, he believes he needed to train more, adjust his diet a bit and put more effort into his cardio routines. For him, the Arnold Classic was a much more significant competition, not only in terms of the number of competitors but also concerning its international standing. The Arnold Classic is ranked just below Mr. Olympia, the number one show for body builders.
And it seems his efforts have paid handsomely. Right here in Barbados on Saturday May 12, 2018, Deono took first place in the tall class for the Men’s Physique in the Mr. and Mrs. Bridgetown show.
There is a marked improvement in his physique, in his confidence and in his posing, and he boasts a sense of maturity, given his experiences in the last year. Deono continues to press forward, training regularly at BPI’s gym, Portside Fitness Center and working with the coaches assigned to him.
Classified as an amateur still, his pursuit for professional status continues. The future demands travelling farther afield since Barbados falls under the International Federation of Body Building and Fitness (IFBB) and its competitions are held in Europe, Africa and as far as Australia. Deono’s next major competition will be the Barbados National Competition scheduled for June 30, 2018 and once again, he hopes to be selected to be a member of the Barbados team for the CAC games. We wish him well.
Being staged within weeks of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference (CSEC) got underway at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina this morning with a strong focus on disaster resilience and world trade. In his opening address, David Jean-Marie, President of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA), noted that Day 3 of the Conference, being staged from May 14-16, is dedicated to a disaster awareness workshop for the over 200 participants to learn from past experiences and help prepare for the future.
The CSA president thanked members of the association for their support for the region’s recovery efforts after the disastrous hurricanes of 2017. Approximately US$100,000 has been donated by members to several important causes. The conference’s Disaster Awareness Workshop will include panelists from the Organization of American States and the US Coast Guard.
Turning to world trade, the CSA president told participants that the impacts of tariffs and the threat of “trade wars” will be discussed in their meetings, along with Maersk and IBM’s game-changing commercialization of block-chain technology.
Jean-Marie also revealed that a workshop exploring the important issue of gender equality is planned for the CSA’s Annual General Meeting in Panama this year. He said that this issue will be discussed within the context of Caribbean cultures, and in close collaboration with the Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean, with the aim of developing policies to govern the actions and behaviors of all industry participants. The CSA president stated, “We will be pro-active in ending sexual harassment and in promoting and nurturing a culture of gender equality in our maritime industry.”
The president also called on governments in the Caribbean to ratify maritime conventions such as MARPOL, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, and the SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) which is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.
A highlight of the opening ceremony was the presentation of a citation to Cephas “Oxley” Quammie, a stalwart of Caribbean shipping, who gave over 40 years of sterling service to the development of regional shipping. Participants at the opening ceremony also paused for a moment of silence in tribute to the life of the late Hon. Noel Hylton who was instrumental in the formation of the CSA.
Caribbean-US Ports Collaboration
Participants in CSEC 2018 were welcomed to Fort Lauderdale by Dale Holness, Commissioner, Broward County, Florida who revealed that Port Everglades is the leading container port in Florida and tenth largest in the United States with its proximity to the Caribbean being the key component to this success.
The Broward County Commissioner stated that nearly a quarter of the containerized cargo that moves through Port Everglades is destined for or from the Caribbean and that this port does more cargo business with the Caribbean than any other seaport on the eastern Atlantic.
About the CSA Conference
The Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference is the first of two conferences hosted by the CSA annually. The CSA is the voice of the Caribbean shipping Industry and was established in 1971 to facilitate the development of an efficient, viable Caribbean Shipping Industry. Conferences hosted by the CSA provide a forum in which matters relevant to the growth and development of Caribbean shipping are discussed.
The impact of new technologies, critical developments in world trade and innovative methods of cooperation are major items of discussion by shipping industry professionals of the Caribbean Shipping Executives Conference (CSEC) now underway at the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina in Florida, USA. The conference is being presented by the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) from May 14-16, 2018 to provide a valuable forum for participants to gather useful and current information on various aspects of shipping.
The Maersk/IBM Blockchain Initiative was the first topic under discussion by the more than 200 participants in the Conference. Gordon Foote, Business Development Executive, IBM, predicted that “what the internet did for communication, Blockchain will do for trusted transactions”. He said that the Blockchain Initiative provides a more transparent, secure way to conduct business through networks of trusted data. Shipping industry executives are welcoming this new technology which intends to assist shippers, ports, customs offices, banks and other stakeholders in global supply chains to track freight more efficiently and replace costly, time-consuming paperwork with tamper-resistant digital records.
Conference participants also received useful information on Ports and The International Trade Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean from Ricardo Sanchez, Principal Economist, Ports & Infrastructure, UN – ECLAC. Sanchez noted that the positive growth projected for the Caribbean by the IMF is a major indicator of the potential for growth in regional shipping as “consuming power leads to shipping demand”.
Sanchez pointed out that, since the first major maritime alliance of 1995, there has been a continuous process of mergers, acquisitions and alliances by shipping lines accompanied by accelerated growth in vessel size. He said that these developments are placing great pressure on infrastructure as ports seek to win market share. In this regard, he cautioned against over-investment in port infrastructure as only the primary hubs were experiencing significant growth. He re-iterated that “cargo follows consumption, not infrastructure”.
The topic entitled, Raising Standards in the Shipping Agency World, was of particular interest to shipping agents attending the conference as Albert Hoek, Executive Director, Multiport Ship Agency Network spoke on his organization’s role in promoting cooperation between its member ship agents. He revealed that the benefits offered to member agents of the Multiport Network included sharing business intelligence and introductions to potential shipping companies.
David Jean-Marie, president of CSA, describes this 17th staging of the CSEC as “a resounding success. The topics and presentations are of great relevance to regional shipping interests and participants are expressing their appreciation for the usefulness of the information being shared”.
About
The Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference is the first of two conferences hosted by the CSA annually. The CSA is the voice of the Caribbean shipping industry and was established in 1971 to facilitate the development of an efficient, viable Caribbean Shipping Industry. Conferences hosted by the CSA provide a forum in which matters relevant to the growth and development of Caribbean shipping are discussed.
Barbados Port Inc. (BPI) continued its program of environmental sustainability and stakeholder support with the donation of freighting pallets to the Rural Development Commission on Friday.
The donation is in keeping with BPI’s mission to have an accessible port with a strategic corporate social responsibility focus. The pallets will be used in the Barbados Sustainability Recovery Program, which focuses on reducing the food bill at rural homes and sustainable, healthy lifestyles.
Public relations officer at the Rural Development Commission, Wendy Burke said she was thankful to BPI for understanding the scope and importance of the project, and coming to the assistance of the Commission.
“We are going to offer the individuals in our project a cost-effective method of planting. These pallets are for persons who do not have land space to plant; individuals can build the pallet structure, pour soil into it and grow various herbs and vegetables.” Also, Burke noted that the project is expected to contribute to the national good by reducing the food import bill.
Captain Karl Branch, Divisional Manager, Corporate Development, and Strategy, handed over the pallets on behalf of BPI and expressed his delight that they were to serve a worthwhile, environmentally-friendly purpose.
“These pallets are largely a bi-product of our container unstuffing operation, and as such the inspection, selection and sorting of suitable and clean pallets are the result of the collective effort of the port’s Terminal Operations family.”
He further added, “The Commission’s objective to develop the sustainability of the Barbadian family is an added incentive for us. The Port family regards the effort associated with this activity as our civic duty to support the Commission’s innovative national cause.”
It is planned that repurposing of pallets will become a routine exercise as part of the BPI’s sustainability initiatives.
In the true spirit of love, the Barbados Port Inc. (BPI) on Wednesday, February 14, donated $10,000 worth of fans, blood pressure monitors, and refrigerators to the patients of the Geriatric Hospital on Beckles Road.
The annual initiative is an important part of BPI’s community outreach programme. Now in its fifth year, through this sponsorship the BPI has forged close ties with the Hospital to stay abreast of its most pressing needs, and assist in providing quality healthcare for the seniors residing there.
Speaking at the presentation, CEO of the BPI David Jean-Marie made a call for more companies to be socially responsive. “We make contributions like this every year because we understand the importance of engaging in social outreach programmes – being able to honour those who have served us and our country well over the years. Indeed the love shared here today must be demonstrated by more members of our society, and I therefore encourage companies to get on board with initiatives such as this, as part of their corporate social responsibility.”
Hospital Manager Joanell Oxley-Worrell thanked Jean-Marie and other BPI representatives in attendance for their generous donations and continuous support. “The Geriatric Hospital is very appreciative of this contribution, as these items received today will certainly assist our caregivers in the delivery of care to the elderly.”
BPI has previously donated gifts, toiletries, and purpose-built chairs along with other essential contributions to the Hospital, as part of the ongoing relationship.
The arrival of Costa Pacifica, one cruise liner in Costa’s fleet of 12, was marked on Dec. 19 by an inaugural ceremony and plaque exchange between the ship’s captain Roberto Bosio and Assistant Manager, Port Security Services, Lieutenant Commander Fernella Cordle.
This inaugural ceremony marked the 12th ceremony and plaque exchange held this season. These inaugural ceremonies are held to officially acknowledge the vessel’s first arrival at Port of Bridgetown.
They represent a gesture of goodwill between the ship’s officials and officials from the Port of Bridgetown. Addressing guests at the ceremony, which was held on deck eight on the bridge, Bosio said, “Today, we are truly excited to be in Barbados. It is a pleasure to be here experiencing the sunshine. On board, we have a multicultural diverse group of people — different nationalities, religions and cultures. Everyone works together to ensure the guests experience the best we have to offer.”
Cordle welcomed the captain and his team to the island and said, “On behalf of the government and people of Barbados, we want to welcome you to the Port of Bridgetown. We have had a long relationship with you, and we intend to continue to foster a better friendship going forward in the years to come.”
With Costa Pacifica, guests can enjoy their experience at sea aboard the 14-deck ship. The cruise features exciting shows and several dining options. The 2,580 passengers and 1,036 crew aboard the luxury cruise liner can experience an impressive art exhibition, discos, a casino, shopping centers, a theatre, restaurants, bars, an outdoor track and multipurpose sports pitch.
The ship is on a 15-day cruise from the Port of Malaga, Spain. Costa Pacifica’s other ports of call include Guadeloupe; Scarborough, Tobago; Willemstad, Curacao; Fort-de-France, Martinique; Port of Oranjestad, Aruba; and Castries, St. Lucia.
