PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad –Trinidad and Tobago Wednesday said that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region accounts for approximately 10 per cent of global loaded goods, yet with that volume of traffic the region is grossly underrepresented with respect to personnel employed in the maritime sector.
Energy and Energy Industries Minister, Stuart Young, addressing Maritime Webinar Link-upEnergy and Energy Industries Minister, Stuart Young, addressing the virtual launch of the Maritime Link-up Webiner, noted that the international shipping industry is responsible for carriage of 90 per cent of global trade and without shipping, intercontinental trade would not be possible.
“This global trade is enabled by a global fleet of over 74,000 merchant ships manned by seafarers of virtually every nationality. The worldwide population of seafarers serving on internationally trading merchant ships is estimated at approximately 1,890,000 seafarers.”
But he said this region is grossly underrepresented with respect to personnel employed in the maritime sector.
“With projected expansions in seaborne trade, the merchant fleet is projected to exceed 79,000 ships by 2025, which will in turn require increased manpower. It is estimated that there will be a need for an additional 89,510 officers by 2026 to operate the world merchant fleet.
“Therefore, the industry must significantly increase training and recruitment levels if it is to avoid a serious shortage in the total supply of officers by 2025. This is an opportunity for us in the region and we must not miss out.”
Young said increased collaboration between the industry and training institutions is required to address the manpower shortage, and to provide trained personnel with the skillsets required by the industry.
The American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) in collaboration with the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities (CANTA) and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), hosted the Maritime Link-up Webinar 2021 under the theme “Your Education, Your Future: Connecting Caribbean Youth with Job Opportunities in the Blue Economy”.
Young told the event that the skillsets are continuously evolving with the introduction of revolutionary technology such as sensor technology, robotic automation, cloud based internet systems, the movement to megaships and environmentally friendly fuels.
“Technology has become an important tool in driving efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing waste. However, with the usage of internet based technology the occurrence of digital attacks to networks, systems and programs have elevated the importance of cyber security,” he said.
He said that for the Caribbean in particular, due to its archipelagic nature, the maritime industry is critical in facilitating the import and export of goods within the region and further afield.
“It is therefore only logical that our people should be suitably trained and employed throughout the maritime industry, whether on seafaring vessels or in shore-based operations.
“For Trinidad and Tobago maritime services play a critical role in supporting our offshore energy sector. As the development of the hydrocarbon industries of countries such as Guyana and Suriname picks up, it is expected that the demand for a range of maritime services will follow suit.
“Construction of the nation’s first heavy-lift berth is already underway in Guyana, and similar infrastructure works are being planned for Suriname. These investments and developments in infrastructure need to be accompanied by commensurate development of our CARICOM region’s human resources,” Young added.
He said the global shortage in seafarers provides an opportunity for UTT, the Caribbean Maritime University of Jamaica (CMU) and the LJM Maritime Academy of Bahamas (LJMMA) to expand and to adapt their programs to meet the growing and technology driven needs of the maritime industry.
“However, Training Institutions cannot carry the responsibility alone for ensuring that our countries are appropriately represented in the manning of maritime operations. Stakeholders comprising governments, regional shipping operations and port authorities must leverage their influence and/or authority on ship,” he said.
Young said that the Trinidad and Tobago government has identified the maritime sector as a key sector for development with a focus on port operations, ship repair and dry docking, and marine services including off shore bulk transshipment, bunkering, and maritime logistics.
“The transshipment business accounts for 40 per cent of the country’s Ports activities which average port throughput of 600,000 TEUs, with the energy sector accounting for the highest volumes of imports and exports,” he said.
“From a wider Caribbean perspective, the astute management of marine environment provides not only opportunity for economic growth but alignment with the global move to green and carbon neutral economies.
“As small island states, relative to our land mass, we have vast ocean resources at our disposal presenting a huge opportunity for boosting our economic growth and a responsibility to sustainably manage, protect and preserve our ocean now, for the present and future generations. We must continue to pursue an integrated approach to the building of the blue economy,” Young said.
