There is ﾓabsolutely no evidenceﾔ of The Bahamas Maritime Authority being delinquent or lax in its standards, as some international media reports are indicating, said the Minister of Transport and Aviation, the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, at a Press conference November 25.
The Minister was addressing the sinking of The Prestige, a Bahamas-registered ship that sank in waters off the coast of Spain after being denied a place of refuge. The single-hulled oil tanker, confronted by ﾓtreacherousﾔ weather conditions, discharged some 5,000 to 8,000 tons of oil, causing extensive pollution to Galicia on the coast of Spain.
As a result of the incident, Minister Hanna-Martin said, The Bahamas has been accused of being nothing more than ﾓa flag of convenience with a poor safety record and basically an entity that will register almost any ship once the price is right.ﾔ
She said, ﾓThe Bahamas registry is not simply a flag of convenience. The Bahamas, which is the third largest flag state, enjoys in the shipping industry a good safety track record. In fact, I would go so far as to say
that we have a first-class reputation in the industry, which is evidenced by the many quality vessels on our register numbering some 1,400 ships, including a majority of premier cruise ships.ﾔ
The Bahamas, she added, has one of the best track records in port state control inspections in the world, particularly in Europe.
Criticism came mainly because the Prestige was a single-hulled vessel, which was being phased out. But, said the Minister, according to international agreements, the single hull is permissible until 2015.
ﾓThere was nothing wrong or inappropriate about that vessel being a single-hulled vessel,ﾔ she said. ﾔThe reason why they phased it so over such a long time is because there are so many vessels involved, and it gives companies time to phase them out.ﾔ
Questions were also raised about the fitness of The Prestige. However, said the Minister, in May, 2001, while on dry dock in the Republic of China, the Prestige underwent a certification renewal survey, which was a major survey involving dry-docking and hull thickness measurements and observance of the conditions of the bulkheads and tanks to ensure the structural integrity of the vessel.
ﾓThe evidence is that all these surveys were completed satisfactorily, and there are no outstanding statutory deficiencies or class recommendations and that the vessel was in sound condition,ﾔ said Minister Hanna-Martin.
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) carried out the surveys on behalf of The Bahamas, said
ﾠﾠ
ﾠthe Minister, and her ministry has a report that indicates May, 2002, as the date of the last survey.
ﾓI am satisfied that immediately after this event, The Bahamas Maritime Authority moved quickly by dispatching senior inspectors to Spain to conduct an investigation,ﾔ Minister Hanna-Martin said, ﾓand, additionally, made contact with other relevant agencies, including the Marine Rescue Centre in Madrid, the Secretary Council of the International Marine Organization (IMO), the American Bureau of Shipping and the Maritime Transport Directorate of the European Commission.ﾔ
The Bahamas Maritime Authority was able to interview crew members of the sunken ship, but was hampered in its investigation as investigators were not allowed to question the captain, who is still in custody in Spain. They will not be able to question him as long as he is in custody, said Minister Hanna-Martin. The captain, who was granted $3 million bail, she added, acted ﾓadmirably under the circumstances.ﾔ
Mr. Glenwood Bain, nautical inspector with The Bahamas Maritime Authority, explaining a single-hulled tanker, such as the Prestige, said the cargo is normally carried in a tank in bulk. The structure of the ship or the shipﾴs own frame itself formed the tank carrying the cargo, which was in this case fuel oil.
The forward section of the ship would make up the sections or the tanks that the cargo was contained in and carried, he said
ﾓThe ship broke in two pieces,ﾔ said Mr. Bain. ﾓEach of those pieces would house a few tanks about four or five for each half. It broke from the ballast tank that was possibly empty at the time, because, obviously, the boat listed and took in seawater so the tank had to be empty. Due to the stress from the condition of the sea, it eventually snapped.ﾔ
Both sides of the ship, he continued, would sink, and should remain intact due to the coldness of the water on the seabed at two miles deep (about 10,000 feet). The cold water temperature at that depth would solidify the fuel, said Mr. Bain, and it would be very difficult for it to contaminate the sea at the end of the day.
Bahamas Information Services
