Caribbean ill equipped for oil spills
The Caribbean lacks the resources to tackle a major oil spill – according to delegates attending a recent convention in Jamaica to help tackle the issue.
Last week’s convention, held in Kingston from 11-13 April, aimed to encourage regional cooperation to oversee the offshore oil exploration industry and to improve oil spill response and capabilities in the Caribbean.
The worry is that Jamaica and other small states have to rely heavily on their neighbours to the north at present for assistance in dealing with such events – according to keynote speaker, Christopher Cargill, chairman of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica.
Bertrand Smith, director of legal affairs at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), said: “This meeting was important to Jamaica as we ratified the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Oil Pollution and Response Convention (OPRC) two years ago and are currently incorporating its provisions into national legislation to deal with discharges from oil and gas platforms, among other things.”
The convention was sponsored by the MAJ and the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, under the auspices of the IMO, United Nation’s Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the Regional Activity Centre/Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Information and Training Centre (RAC/REMPEITC).
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