OECS Member Countries are considering strategies to effectively address crimes inflicted on the region’s vital Yachting Sector. Incidents have transformed over time from the simple stealing of items to what has become more violent and involving personal bodily harm.

Director General of the OECS Secretariat Dr. Len Ishmael told a recent Media Conference OECS Tourism Ministers have agreed on establishing an OECS wide website to record incidents of crime against visiting yachters as well as immediately post follow up actions to help ensure that the world’s marine industry sees something being done regarding their concerns. She expressed that the number of crimes is sobering because they are increasing regularly on an annual basis throughout the region. The Director General added that as a result the Caribbean as a whole is tarnished regardless of where the crime took place.

Dr. Ishmael who also has a passion for yachting warned that many yachters have threatened to no longer sail in the Caribbean because it has become increasingly unsafe and they also perceive that when crimes occur against yachters little or no care is shown by the islands. “Yachting people are a different kind of breed of people as well in that they have access to immediate means of communicating on their radios so that the moment one incident takes place in any corner of the Caribbean all yachts people know and reporters overseas get hold of this information”

Dr. Ishmael notes that the move by OECS Governments to tackle crimes in the yachting industry, will complement approaches that have already significantly enhanced security at marinas throughout the OECS and strengthen the response to what she describes as: “a discernable upward trend in levels of in crimes against visiting yachts persons” throughout the Caribbean.

OECS Tourism Ministers have discussed establishing a 24 hour VHF Safety and Security Radio Communications network as a result of public and private interface and collaboration. A joint crises co-ordination plan for the OECS is also on the table. To this end a meeting is being arranged for all stakeholders in yachting including the yachters and the public sector for December 2006. 

OECS Member Countries are also considering a review of legislation that deals with visitors to the islands with a view towards a harmonized approach in dealing with crime against visitors.