Bahamas Maritime Authority reporting requirements notice

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has issued a marine notice detailing the obligations and procedures for reporting specific incidents.

This notice was published on 29 May 2024.

Purpose

This Marine Notice serves to outline the legal obligations regarding reporting specific events to the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA). It is divided into two main parts:

Part 1: Details reporting requirements concerning marine casualties and incidents.
Part 2: Outlines reporting obligations for a range of events, including births, deaths, reportable diseases, breaches of security, rescue at sea, and crime.

Application

Part 1 - Reporting requirements for marine casualties and incidents:
- Applies to all Bahamian ships and vessels, regardless of flag, while within Bahamian waters.
Part 2 - Reporting requirements for births and deaths, notifiable diseases, breaches of security, rescue at sea, and crime:
- Applies to all Bahamian ships.

Under Part 1, the emphasis lies on:

Highlighting the BMA's role in investigating marine casualties to prevent recurrence.
Affirming the legal necessity of reporting such incidents.
Defining marine casualties and incidents, with exceptions outlined.
Encouraging incident reporting within the ship's safety management system.

Part 2 mandates:

Reporting births and deaths onboard Bahamian ships.
Specifying the submission process via the BMA Reporting Portal.
Detailing required documentation for reporting deaths.
Requiring reporting of certain infectious and occupational diseases.
Directing ships to report breaches of security, successful rescues, or crimes via the BMA Reporting Portal.
Designating jurisdiction for crimes onboard Bahamian ships to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):