On invitation of the Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IHO Director Luigi Sinapi paid a High Level Visit to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas from 15 to 19 April. The Visit was aimed at resuming discussions on the Bahamas’ potential membership to the International Hydrographic Organization and on the progress made in the maritime sector of The Bahamas, to further strengthening the national capacity in the area of hydrography and improving the current Bahamian Maritime National Policy.
The importance of having a hydrographic capacity in order to become a Maritime Hub in the Caribbean region was discussed. Hydrography provides a fundamental means to obtain information on the dynamics of the sea, its resources, limits, and natural changes, in order to optimize the Bahamas’ ocean activities like tourism and safe navigation. It also supports sustainable marine management that allows for the efficient use of marine resources, protection of the marine environment and on-going monitoring of erosion and sedimentation phenomena that affect the coastline.
The Bahamian authorities met during the visit expressed their intent to support the internal process for joining the IHO and creating a national hydrographic capacity. A “Concept Note” was signed by the IHO Director and the Director General of the MFA of the Bahamas with the aim of identifying the way ahead to: consolidate the Bahamas' presence at the regional level by joining the Meso-American and Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission (MACHC) as an Associate Member, participate in the IHO Capacity Building Programme’s activities, build internal outreach programmes to raise awareness about the importance of Ocean sciences / hydrography, allocate appropriate funding to support the creation of a National Authority and a National Hydrographic Service, and implement the process to become an IHO member.
