By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

Freeport News Reporter

krystal@nasguard.com

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham will be in Grand Bahama this week to officially open the 2nd annual Bahamas International Maritime Conference and Trade Show which will be held at the Our Lucaya Resort.

The event, which will run from February 9 through 12, is hosted by the Bahamas Maritime Authority in collaboration with the Ministry of The Environment and other public and private sector partners.

Delegates are expected to begin arriving on island tomorrow.

Under the theme 'The Maritime Sector and the Environment,' the conference aims to highlight how sustainable maritime policy development and technological advances offset environmental degradation.

It is also hoped that the event will stimulate interest in the many world-class maritime services offered in The Bahamas and encourage leading shipping companies to consider registering their vessels on the Bahamian Ship Register.

Attendees will hear from Minister of Environment Earl Deveaux; Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment Phenton Neymour; Port Controller Cmdr. Patrick McNeil; the Grand Bahama Shipyard's health, safety and environment manager Kenderick Knowles; Freeport Harbour Company/Freeport Container Port/Grand Bahama Airport Company Chief Executive Officer, Gary Gilbert; Vopak CEO Raymond Jones; Chairman of the Bahamas Maritime Authority Ian Fair and a host of other speakers.

The conference will conclude with an address from the International Maritime Organization's Secretary General, Admiral Efthimios E. Mitropoulos.

At last year's conference, Prime Minister Ingraham noted that The Bahamas Ship Registry surpassed the 50 million gross tonnage mark.

"It was never our objective to become the largest ship registry," he said. "Instead, we have concentrated and focussed our efforts on becoming a well regulated and properly supervised registry capable of delivering quality service."

The prime minister said the goals and objectives of the Bahamas Maritime Authority in 1995 were to promote, facilitate and encourage the development of ship registration and maritime administration. It also had the responsibility of regulating and controlling all matters related to merchant shipping; participate in international organizations dealing with maritime-related matters; advise the government on any matter relating to merchant shipping, marine pollution prevention and control; and to expand and create maritime employment opportunities for Bahamians.

As a responsible member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) since 1976, Ingraham said membership has afforded The Bahamas the opportunity to participate in discussions leading to the development of new international maritime laws and regulations, including discussion of threats to the industry.