From the CSA president, Juan Carlos Croston

Working closely with others in challenging times

As I prepare this message, our collective heart goes out to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines who are suffering the effects of eruptions from the La Soufrière volcano. The Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) is keeping in close touch with our members in that country and applaud them for their heroic efforts in keeping the main ports open and operational. We also commend the cruise lines and their agents in the Eastern Caribbean for offering timely assistance to those most affected. We encourage all our members to assist in the relief efforts.

Disaster preparedness and resiliency planning have been priority areas for the CSA in our annual meetings and training programs, and recent events that include the Covid-19 pandemic, hurricanes and the current volcanic eruption are proving that our emphasis is well-placed.

Freight rates

Globally, freight rates are at an all-time high and compounds the challenges already being faced in our region. Even though global shipping is being impacted in a number of ways by higher-than-expected volumes, the Caribbean region’s shipping industry is still struggling with cruise cancellation, economic upheaval from lack of tourists and new waves of infections.

In light of all these challenges, businesses and organizations need to continue finding ways to evolve and enhance services for the new demands of clients/customers. What we have in our favor is a long history of collaboration and partnerships in our shipping industry. The CSA has facilitated and promoted a strong, wide and deep network of maritime and logistics professionals throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, and this is proving to be of immense value in this challenging period.

In this regard, the annual meetings of the CSA continue to play a vital role in building strong bridges for the region’s maritime community and the Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference (CSEC) will be staged this year, again virtually, on May 24-25. We anticipate a very productive CSEC as we share experiences and ideas that will be of immense value to all participants.

In this period, the CSA has been very active in strengthening our regional and international partnerships. We are in discussions with organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), the World Bank, CARICOM, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Central American Maritime Transportation Commission (COCATRAM) on behalf of our members and the maritime sector.

Protecting

Our proactive involvement in protecting the Caribbean Sea is continuing in our work with the Caribbean Marine Environment Protection Agency (CARIBMEPA). We are committed to the implementation of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) that CARIBMEPA promotes for safe, secure, environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping through cooperation.

The CSA places a very high value on the work of the Women in Maritime Caribbean (WiMAC) and our very close working relationship is indicative of the shared vision of our organizations. Through the joint webinars that we have hosted, and other activities, we have strengthened the call for greater maritime cooperation and coordination in the region, including the enactment in national legislation for IMO/ILO conventions that need to take place as a matter of great urgency.

So, despite the “social distancing” that the pandemic has forced upon us, we have never been closer. Not a day passes that we are not connected and involved in problem-solving across the region - and we can now see how the decades of forging friendships and partnerships, coupled with digitalization, are working for the benefit of all.

Yes, this is a pivotal moment in world history, and the CSA has adopted the position of making the challenges we face a catalyst for positive transformation. You will therefore find encouragement in these pages – in the people who continue make our maritime industry the stable center of our region’s economic development.

Juan Carlos Croston
President
Caribbean Shipping Association