BMA join the maritime community in Cyprus

‘Shipping response to the 3Cs – Crises, Challenges and Competitiveness’

Joining more than 900 representatives from the world of shipping at Maritime Cyprus, The BMA’s Managing Director and CEO, Capt Dwain Hutchinson, and Regional Director, Dimitri Tsiftsis made the most of the opportunity to discuss the important issues of the day. The opening reception, which took place on 9th October, was held in the presence of the President of the Republic of Cyprus.

Among the speakers at the Maritime Cyprus Conference were regulators including IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, representatives from the EU, financiers, insurers and shipowners. Themed “Shipping Response to the 3 Cs – Crises-Challenges-Competitiveness”, the event featured sessions on subjects ranging from innovation to how to attract young people into the industry, from shifts in established business models to regulatory changes, and from environmental protection to technological transformation.

However, the speaker who most moved the delegates was Polish Captain Andrzej Lasota who described how he spent nearly two years in a high-security jail in Mexico on false suspicions of involvement with drug smuggling. He was eventually released without charge but criminalisation of seafarers is an issue we should all be aware of.

While all attendees acknowledge that the 3 Cs are keeping the industry on its toes, the overall mood of the conference was positive and optimistic, particularly if we all embrace that fourth C – collaboration!