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Wed May 24, 2006
Piracy could cramp Jamaica’s big economic plans
A string of attacks on ships in Caribbean waters could torpedo Jamaica's plans to create one of the major trans-shipment points in the hemisphere.
That is according to reports in the international media which quote the world's leading maritime institution.
The report says several attacks on ships by pirates in the Caribbean in the first quarter of 2006 might prompt the International Maritime Bureau to list Jamaica as a hot spot for piracy.
According to the report, head of the piracy reporting centre at the Maritime Bureau, Noel Chong, says it is monitoring the situation and will list Jamaica if the attacks continue.
In the period January to March 2006, three attacks in Jamaican waters were reported to the Maritime Bureau.
If Jamaica is designated a hot spot, ship owners may consider adding a premium on freight rates and bulk carriers plying the Caribbean routes.
This would make it less attractive for ships to come to Jamaica's ports and would affect plans to create a major trans-shipment centre.
Recently officials of the Port Authority announced a partnership with the Israeli shipping firm, Zim, to create a logistics centre to deal with containers shipped from across the world to the Americas.
The centre is being designed to be one of the largest in the hemisphere and should involve the stripping, repackaging and redistribution of containers being shipped by Zim.
Speaking at the launch, officials said the logistics centre should transform Jamaica into an international trade centre.
But Wednesday officials in the shipping industry noted that if Jamaica is declared a hot spot this could cramp these plans.
At present the Maritime Bureau has designated the coasts of Somalia and Nigeria as hot spots.
For the first quarter of this year the Bureau received reports of 61 attacks by pirates around the world up from 56 over the corresponding period last year.
Most pirates go for cash and valuables aboard the vessel but in Asia pirates are known to take over small tankers and ships and sell the oil or other goods.
To prevent piracy, governments step up patrols in hot spots.
Efforts to get a comment from Transport Minister Robert Pickersgill have so far been unsuccessful as he is reportedly ill and out of office.
The Port Authority of Jamaica requested a copy of the source information which was provided but so far it has not commented on the report.
Piracy could cramp Jamaica’s big economic plans
A string of attacks on ships in Caribbean waters could torpedo Jamaica's plans to create one of the major trans-shipment points in the hemisphere.
That is according to reports in the international media which quote the world's leading maritime institution.
The report says several attacks on ships by pirates in the Caribbean in the first quarter of 2006 might prompt the International Maritime Bureau to list Jamaica as a hot spot for piracy.
According to the report, head of the piracy reporting centre at the Maritime Bureau, Noel Chong, says it is monitoring the situation and will list Jamaica if the attacks continue.
In the period January to March 2006, three attacks in Jamaican waters were reported to the Maritime Bureau.
If Jamaica is designated a hot spot, ship owners may consider adding a premium on freight rates and bulk carriers plying the Caribbean routes.
This would make it less attractive for ships to come to Jamaica's ports and would affect plans to create a major trans-shipment centre.
Recently officials of the Port Authority announced a partnership with the Israeli shipping firm, Zim, to create a logistics centre to deal with containers shipped from across the world to the Americas.
The centre is being designed to be one of the largest in the hemisphere and should involve the stripping, repackaging and redistribution of containers being shipped by Zim.
Speaking at the launch, officials said the logistics centre should transform Jamaica into an international trade centre.
But Wednesday officials in the shipping industry noted that if Jamaica is declared a hot spot this could cramp these plans.
At present the Maritime Bureau has designated the coasts of Somalia and Nigeria as hot spots.
For the first quarter of this year the Bureau received reports of 61 attacks by pirates around the world up from 56 over the corresponding period last year.
Most pirates go for cash and valuables aboard the vessel but in Asia pirates are known to take over small tankers and ships and sell the oil or other goods.
To prevent piracy, governments step up patrols in hot spots.
Efforts to get a comment from Transport Minister Robert Pickersgill have so far been unsuccessful as he is reportedly ill and out of office.
The Port Authority of Jamaica requested a copy of the source information which was provided but so far it has not commented on the report.
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