Cruise ship anchorage to be restricted, monitored – Humphrey

Cruise ships are to be restricted to anchoring in parts of Carlisle Bay and only by special permission, Maritime Affairs Minister Kirk Humphrey has announced, following the discovery of severe reef damage from their berths last year.

The authorities will also be at sea to monitor the berthing and make sure the ships use onboard technology to avoid the use of heavy anchors.

He told journalists Friday that based on findings of the UWI Centre for Resources Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) Technical Report that assess anchoring impacts of cruise ships invited to anchor here during the COVID-19 outbreak, the big leisure vessels will no longer be permitted to anchor on the west coast.

The report recommended the restrictions to protect the coral reefs and sensitive marine ecosystem in that space.

Humphrey also announced that cruise ships will not be allowed to anchor in Carlisle Bay except in special or exceptional circumstances.

The ships will be asked to make use of dynamic positioning – a computer-controlled system that used the ship’s propulsion to maintain a vessel’s position and heading – instead of dropping anchor where possible.

The minister said the Barbados Coast Guard and the Royal Barbados Police Force’s Marine Unit, assisted by the Barbados Port Inc, will be monitoring vessels that are permitted to anchor to ensure that they adhere to the new directives.

Humphrey told reporters: “The important thing is that we are having conversations with our partners. So we are going to be working with the vessels, the mega yachts. We are talking to Port St Charles; we are going to be talking to the vessel captains.
(AH)