Two deadly boat collisions on the west coast this year have put local maritime regulation in the spotlight.
In an interview with St Lucia Times two days before World Maritime Day on September 24, Tariq Khan, CEO of the Saint Lucia Chamber of Shipping, said that even though the organisation is only about seven months old, officials are often reminded of how important their work is.
After gaining momentum in recent months, the organisation is now focused on improving port efficiency, supporting sustainable shipping and strengthening maritime regulations.
“I think that what we need to focus on in this coming new year is really ensuring that we develop new, safe and efficient ports,” Khan said while reflecting on the role shipping plays in everyday life. “We rely on shipping heavily to import most of our food items, construction materials, medicines and so on.”
Globally, shipping is under strain. As a result of the United States’ conflict with Iran, some seafarers have found themselves stranded in the Strait of Hormuz for months before the strait was closed indefinitely. “It means that there is a chokehold on several key minerals, whether it’s oil or fertiliser, that we require for daily life.”
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Philip J Pierre said Saint Lucia has incurred an EC$26 million revenue deficit driven largely by global fuel price hikes between April and September 2026.
Khan said another issue that could be overlooked is the trickle-down effect a potential fertiliser shortage could have.
“We’ve published a ‘weekly insight’ to show that the fertiliser shortage is going to impact food supplies very soon,” he said, noting that this could bring higher prices and shortages of basic food items that require fertiliser.
Khan said the Chamber is developing comprehensive solutions to tackle some of Saint Lucia’s most pressing shipping concerns.
For instance, the organisation has put time and resources into supporting the development of increased local and regional organic fertiliser production capacity, including exploring the use of sargassum – a resource that has become well-known through local producer Algas Organics.
“…[It is] so that we don’t have to rely too heavily on imported fertiliser, and in that we are able to make food supplies a bit more sustainable for us within the sector, within our region.”
Beyond fertiliser, Khan said general import cost reductions could also be on the horizon, as regional trade could become a reality, reducing the need for goods sourced from the US, UK and other countries.
Khan said the Chamber has already identified two sets of investors willing to come on board, a move that would allow the venture to proceed without burdening the Treasury or the Government of Saint Lucia.
He said several brokers are involved, and they are working to find a suitable ship that can carry large amounts of goods across the Caribbean.
Trade with the African continent is another route being considered.
“…We will see trade routes becoming more and more difficult to traverse and these challenges will have huge increases in costs for shipping. With the African continent, we have one straight shot across from the Atlantic Ocean so we can see if our importers, our traders, our manufacturers can start accessing goods from that continent so that it becomes a bit more accessible and cheaper than what we’re experiencing right now.”
Khan said equipping more people with the training, skills, resources and expert insight required to work in a developing maritime industry is also one of the Chamber’s top priorities.
Khan also said that after several recent disasters in the Caribbean Sea and off Saint Lucia’s coast – including the sinking of the MV Barima near Guyana, which killed at least 72 people, and two boat collisions near Soufrière that claimed five lives – stronger maritime regulations are crucial.
“We’ve been working on another initiative that would allow for us to have a better hold on the legislative side of the maritime sector…The incidents …and all those things should not be happening. Overloading of vessels should not be happening. There would be regulations and enforcement to prevent those things from happening.”
Khan said the Chamber of Shipping, alongside Invest Saint Lucia, has written a memo that was presented to the Minister of Investment, Ernest Hilaire, to take to cabinet for approval.
World Maritime Day is observed globally on September 24. This year’s theme, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence”, highlights the need to make sure international maritime rules are put into practice locally.
