The Bahamian government is now enforcing a maritime pilot rule that makes the service a requirement for all vessels calling at the country’s ports.

Even cruise ships visiting private destinations will be subject to the enforcement of the compulsory requirement, according to a report by The Tribune 242.

The new measure was introduced earlier this month and is said to mark a major milestone for the maritime industry in the Bahamas, while adding to costs for cruise lines.

Captain Justin Wallace, president of Independent Maritime Services, told the local newspaper that the requirement will foster new jobs in the country.

“Beyond our team, the law has allowed us to hire a large number of employees, from pilots and trainees to pilot boat coxswains and deckhands,” he stated.

“It also affects a wide range of services, from fuel suppliers to marina operators and even airlines transporting staff between islands. The ripple effect of this milestone is significant for the entire maritime ecosystem,” Wallace added.

According to The Tribune 242, some 30 marine pilots are active across the Bahamas, with most based in Freeport.

The law is expected to “expand opportunities for apprentices, trainee pilots, and other maritime personnel, allowing the industry to grow in both capacity and skill,” the source noted.

In an interview with Tribune Business, Captain Yuri Butler, vice president of Bahamas Elite Maritime Company (BEMCO), said that the requirement has always existed in the country’s law.

He noted, however, that it was not previously enforced due to a shortage of qualified maritime pilots who were unable to meet the volume of incoming ships.

“It was always on the books. It was always law. The reason it wasn’t enforced is that there weren’t enough qualified pilots at the time, and so the government allowed them to operate as they saw fit so as not to stop the flow of cruise ships into the country and take on that economic cost,” he explained.

The new measure will allow for more job opportunities, having a trickle-down effect on the country’s economy, he added.

“It brings regulation to the industry … pilots are pretty much at the top of the maritime industry, so by increasing pilot jobs, it trickles down, and you need more boat captains and deckhands,” Butler added.