The Bahamas has been recognised by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for the excellent quality of its fleet. The Qualship 21 initiative was first set up in 2001 by the USCG to identify high-quality ships operating in US waters. The US Qualship 21 certification serves as an industry performance indicator of quality and The Bahamas is proud to have achieved this recognition every year, with the exception of 2016, since 2012, making it one of the world’s most elite flags.
The announcement of the Qualship 21 list followed closely on the publication of the Paris MoU 2021 annual report where The Bahamas was once again the highest ranking non-European Flag appearing in the top five of registries. Further evidence of The Bahamas’ quality is also highlighted through the retention of Whitelist status on the Tokyo MoU 2021 annual report.
Alessandro Lo Piccolo, Assistant Director, Inspections & Surveys Department at The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) said: “We very much appreciate that the excellent quality of The Bahamas fleet is the result of the combined efforts of The BMA team, its Recognised Organisations, Nautical Inspectors and the owners and managers of the ships who work together to ensure that their vessels are compliant at all times with the international requirements. Equally important is the contribution of seafarers onboard our flagged ships who, despite the challenges of COVID19, have shown great dedication and commitment to maintaining and operating the vessels to the highest possible standards with their efforts being demonstrated through these excellent results.”
Captain Dwain Hutchinson, Managing Director & CEO at The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) said: “Ensuring the excellence of our fleet is a priority for The Bahamas and every stakeholder plays their part in us meeting our quality aspirations. With quality comes safety and uninterrupted operation and it is thanks to everyone involved that Bahamas flagged ships continue to be safe places to live and work.”
