Today, September 25th, we celebrate World Maritime Day, which focuses on the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment. This year's theme, Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity, emphasizes our responsibility to protect the ocean, its resources, and the stability of the Blue Economy.
At the Barbados Fisheries Division (BFD), we recognize the important role the agency plays in the sustainability of the ocean's resources, and communications on how to do so. As such, the BFD will launch a Maritime Moot Court competition tomorrow at the Law Faculty, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus, hosted in collaboration with the Barbados Maritime Transport Administration (BMTA) and the Faculty of Law at UWI Cave Hill. This will be a series of mock courts at which students of the Law Faculty will argue simulated cases for practice. Here, students and other early career lawyers will have the opportunity to develop practical legal skills in Maritime-related cases and demonstrate to judges and prosecutors the importance of maritime law in national development.
The public is invited to attend the event, occurring on the 21st of November, 2025 at the UWI campus, where they will be educated on various maritime issues such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, marine pollution, and the collision of vessels in the High Seas (international waters beyond any national jurisdiction.)
Cover photo credit: International Maritime Organization