Bahamas: New Ballast Water Record Books transition guide

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) revised Marine Notice 13, updating the list of countries recognized for STCW certificate recognition and Bahamas Flag State Endorsements.

This notice was published on 29 August 2024.

Application:

The Marine Notice applies to:

i. Bahamian ships where STCW regulations are applicable.
ii. Seafarers working or intending to work on Bahamian ships who require an STCW Flag State Endorsement.
iii. Companies that employ, recruit, or select seafarers for service on Bahamian ships.

General:

The Notice includes a list (Annex) of countries recognized by The Bahamas for the issuance of STCW endorsements.

Recognition is only available for countries that are parties to the STCW Convention. The Bahamas has the authority to decide whether to enter into recognition agreements with such countries and to set the terms for these agreements.

If a seafarer has a certificate from a country not recognized by The Bahamas, the employing company must engage directly with that country to resolve the recognition issue.

Despite a country’s participation in the STCW Convention, The Bahamas has the discretion to decide on entering into recognition agreements and defining their conditions.

Queries:

For questions or additional information, inquiries can be directed to stcw@bahamasmaritime.com or any BMA office.

Annex:

The Annex lists the countries with which The Bahamas has recognition agreements as of the effective date. The list includes:

Newly Added: Kuwait, Latvia
Previously Removed: Kuwait (in earlier versions), and Dominica (now referred to as The Commonwealth of Dominica)
Notable Details: Some countries have specific notes, such as Honduras, where only Certificates of Proficiency are accepted, not Certificates of Competency.