World Maritime Day (WMD)

The Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) was initially closed to walk-in customers on Tuesday August 25 and Wednesday August 26.

This is due to the closure of the Office Centre Building where the MAJ has its offices, by the Urban Development Corporation, to facilitate deep cleaning and sanitization of the entire building.

Please be advised that the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) will be closed to walk-in customers on Tuesday August 25 and Wednesday August 26.

“The shipping industry and governments need to take better care of our ships’ crews, and today we are adding our voice to the call for immediate action,” stated Juan Carlos Croston, president of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA), in his welcome address to the most recent webinar jointly hosted by the Caribbean Shipping Association and the Women in Maritime Caribbean (WiMAC) last Tuesday.

In order to enable crew changes, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has listed seafarers among the class of “essential workers” under its Disaster Risk Management Act and has put in place measures to speed up the transit of registered seafarers through its borders.

An estimated 600,000 seafarers are waiting for crew changes – 300,000 on vessels and 300,000 waiting to embark – according to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). Many of those on board have been working for up to four months past their contracted dates while those waiting to embark are typically not receiving wages, leaving them facing financial ruin.

When Claudia Grant began her career at the Port of Kingston in 1986 armed with a first degree and an eagerness to learn, little did she know that this would be her foray into a lifetime of service to the maritime industry. Thirty-four years later, she is second in command at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), serving as Deputy Director General of the body since its inception in 2001.