MAJ Offices to be Lit in Blue for World Maritime Day on September 28

The Office Centre Building on Ocean Boulevard in downtown Kingston will be illuminated in blue on the evening of Thursday, September 28, which will be observed globally as World Maritime Day (WMD).

The floodlighting of the building, which houses the offices of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), is being done at the request of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank on Tuesday (September 26), MAJ Director General, Rear Admiral Peter Brady, explained that the IMO has asked all Member States to join the IMO Headquarters in solidarity by floodlighting local maritime offices in blue to demonstrate the critical importance of the oceans and the part shipping must play in keeping the oceans clean.

The lighting ceremony, which will cap a day of activities for the MAJ, will take place at nautical twilight, which is the phase where both the horizon and the brighter stars are visible, making it possible to navigate at sea.

Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, will bring remarks at the ceremony as well as the Board Chairperson of the MAJ, Corah Ann Robertson Sylvester.

WMD 2023 is being observed under the theme ‘MARPOL at 50 – Our Commitment Goes On’, which pays homage to the 50th anniversary of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

The Director General noted that pollution by ships occurs in various forms and it is important for Jamaica to be aware because of the amount of shipping traffic that comes to the island to conduct trade.

In Jamaica, some 90 per cent of foreign trade is conducted via shipping.

The MAJ will also be hosting several webinars to commemorate WMD.

A major activity to mark the occasion is an industry conference hosted by the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), titled ‘Managing Risks in the Maritime Industry Through the Application of Engineering Solutions’.

The event will be held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston from September 28 to 29.