The Bahamas Shipowners Association (BSA) was pleased to host its Annual General Meeting this past Thursday, 29 January, bringing together industry leaders and policymakers to reflect on the rapidly evolving global operating environment for shipping. The AGM was held at Trinity House in London, UK.
The BSA Chair, Capt. Domenico Rognoni, opened the meeting by emphasising the strategic importance of shipping to the Bahamas and the role of the BSA in supporting a safe, competitive, and internationally respected registry.
We were delighted to hear from Jacqueline Simmons, Chair of the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA), together with Deputy Chair Peter John Goulandris and Capt. Dwain Hutchinson, BMA CEO and MD. Ms. Simmons and Capt. Hutchinson spoke to the continued importance of shipping to the Bahamian economy, the strong performance of the registry, and ongoing efforts to ensure the BMA remains a high-quality, forward-looking flag administration.
We were also honored to welcome Thomas Kazakos, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), as keynote speaker. His address set the scene for a thoughtful discussion on the strategic, geopolitical, technological, and regulatory pressures reshaping international shipping — and the importance of global coordination to safeguard a stable maritime order.
The AGM benefited from expert insights on security and resilience. Viurniel Sanchez delivered a compelling briefing on the growing significance of cyber and operational technology risks, highlighting how digitalisation, GNSS interference, and IT–OT convergence are rapidly becoming core safety and operational challenges for commercial shipping. His presentation underscored the need for the sector to move beyond compliance toward genuine cyber and operational resilience.
This was complemented by Professor Basil Germond, who explored how geopolitical tensions, technological acceleration, and climate change are converging to create a more complex maritime threat environment, with direct implications for commercial shipping and the stability of the maritime order.
In closing the meeting, Mr. Goulandris reflected on the day’s presentations, noting with interest the common themes emerging across geopolitics, security, cyber risk, and regulation — and their relevance for the future positioning of the Bahamian flag and its shipowners.
The BSA thanks all speakers and participants for the thoughtful and forward-looking discussion, reinforcing the shared responsibility of states, industry, and institutions in navigating an increasingly complex maritime landscape.
