Shipping Registry seeks powers to ticket non-compliant boaters
The Director of the Virgin Island Shipping Registry John Samuel said his agency is currently pushing for changes in the legislation to allow for officers to carry out functions such as actively issuing tickets for vessels not compliant with regulations.
Speaking at a press conference last Friday, Samuel said there is a need for an improvement in the current legislation to give the Shipping Registry more enforcement powers so it can actively enforce maritime safety on locals waters; as is the case with other enforcement agencies such as the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, Customs, Ports Authority, Dockmasters and Marine Inspectors.
“We put that proposal to the government and to the Cabinet. Cabinet has approved that, so we are in the process of approving the legislation now so we can have an active enforcement process going forward,” Samuel said.
“The legislation currently does not allow that. So, it is a working process, and we will get to a stage where the level of compliance across the field would be high and there would be enforcement mechanism so that we can maintain our standards,” the Director of the Shipping Registry said.
Samuel also made it clear that Shipping Registry is responsible for maritime safety and since he was admitted into office in 2020, he and his team have worked diligently to ensure that vessels comply with the current regulations for operating in the territory.
“Part of the reasons that the fleets are having to comply is because we are now doing our job,” Samuel said.
He added when he came to office, discussions commenced with the various representative groups in the marine industry in the Virgin Islands. He said as the territory was in COVID-19 lockdown and vessels were not in operation, his team at Shipping Registry thought it would be ideal to start the process of compliance.
“We had a meeting in March 2020 with the representative groups of the industry. At Shipping Registry, we said that all your boats are not moving since everyone is locked down. My staff is here, they don’t have much work to do so let us begin now to bring the fleets up to compliance,” Samuel added.
He noted his agency gave industry players ample time to comply with regulations as soon as he was made aware of the situation regarding compliance when he assumed his role.
Samuel said even after the new legislation came into effect in October of last year, the various charter companies in the territory were given time before the crackdown began earlier this month.
“Even after the new legislation came in, we did not start enforcements. Enforcement requires that one; vessels are inspected in accordance with the regulations. Owners are issued deficiencies so they know what they need to replace on the vessels, what they need to place on the vessels. Owners go away, and they try to comply. Once the vessel is properly equipped, they receive a certificate,” Samuel explained.
“So, that process began, and I began doing my job the day I joined Shipping Registry. I cannot speak to what happened before I was at Shipping Registry. But I can speak to what happened when I got there, what we did and how we are moving forward,” the Director added.
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It already have too much people with too much power around here….Might make bad matters worst
The only ones going to get tickets are the white boaters. All the go fast boats driving around distributing square grouper and talcum powder will never be stopped or checked. This is the way of the Belonger.
Little do you know, MANY white boaters bring in square grouper as well and are never looked at because they smile, wave and look like the typical tourist. If you think locals aren’t harassed and stopped on the water in their boats you are in dreamland.
Wrong.
Belonger smuggler and fish folk bring in the drugs and guns. Witnessed it firsthand. And cops, customs and immigration are all on the take.
It is pretty clear that Fahie’s government is trying to drive the current charter boat business into the ground. What his motivation is you may speculate.
But it is reminiscent of Zimbabwe and the government led campaign to drive out white farmers. Cutting off their nose to spite their face.
In the end it is the ordinary citizen who suffers from such actions. The likes of Mugabe and Fahie prosper whatever happens.
More harassment? Nah!!
Vip done through you aside for Alvera and you here looking power under them.
He see all the money grab from customs and wants in on it too …. boaters going to be broke and tourists going to leave
pulling out good luck BVI don’t need you
Vessels in BVI waters are already over regulated by this government so they have 2 choices: comply or leave. Guess which will happen now if VISR issues tickets?
pulling out so tired of his s***.
There is nothing wrong with this initiave as long as it will be applied accross the board to foreign owned and locallyowned boats alike.
I have a boat in the BVI and plan on leaving soon. Really sad what your Global Tyrant Government has done to your country is such a short time. Total money grab his a cr**k so are the rest of them. You can ground the vessel but fines really when you haven’t even come close to recovering from Erma then Covid. Haven’t heard many accidents or deaths on any charters to do with SAFTY????
Bye! If you aren’t caring about safety or avoiding accidents and all you care about is fines, we don’t need your sorry a** boat……
Captain sleeping in forward peak need to stop¡¡¡if u do not need a captain sail the boat your dam self the captain is the most importante thing on the boat they need there rest
If the boat is compliant, they have nothing to be scared of. If they are not, get them. Good for you.
The BVI has a way of trying to drown something in bureaucracy. This is just another example of that. The requirements and paperwork for both Shipping Registry and BVI Customs are over the top.
We all know it’s ONLY ABOUT THE MONEY, so why can’t you just take the money and give us a receipt?
Thank God this man is not running for election. Giving him power is like running h**l on earth. Never my vote for he.
Isn’t enforcement the job of the marine police??
Most vessels in the Caribbean are compliant with their local island laws. The equipment problem is when these vessels visit the BVI and don’t have all the ‘extra’ safety equipment that the MCA Yellow and Blue Codes require for vessels under 24 meters like propane gas detectors, high water bilge alarms and smoke detectors. The paperwork problem is that no other Caribbean islands require the VISR small commercial vessel license, the temporary import permit and the cruising permit. It takes weeks if not months to get these papers license and permits from VISR and Customs so vessels just don’t visit the BVI anymore because of all these problems.
yet another BVI bureaucracy with powers to stop and search, and to fine and prosecute. All with the retinue of fast boats, SUVs, lawyers etc. This is government by imbeciles, and will bankrupt us.
Only got so many tits, pretty soon it gonna run dry then we all go hungry. Heavy handed thirsty government get their share, leaving the working man mouth parched, shame.
Can we hurry get rid of these waste of time VIP relics please!
Pick and chose who to frig with. If you want you could find fault with anything. Like your rear light is out! Ticket your a**.
Pitty they dont go after scooters doing just about everything ilegal. No worry about safety of riad users. Its like the federalies in Mexico. How about tracking how the go fasts are paid for?
Man must work hard and get paid big bucks just for gad let alone one engine. Lol
Just ugh. That is it. In 4 years this VIP Government has done more to drive the BVI backward than any other Government and some of them have done really bad.
This Government and future ones need to understand they will never be able to cream the same amount of money off the top as the O’Neal Governments did. There is no longer the free cash in the economy that there was 15 years ago and all they are doing is killing the country in tax and bureaucracy to make it back which will lose business.
What is really laughable here, you rent any efficiency room with a stove and the gas bottle is in the room connected with a rubber hose. No propane detector to be seen