VISR Urges Persons to Exercise Caution at Sea

~~Adz:Right~~Roadtown, Tortola; Monday, December 22 – The Virgin Islands Shipping Registry (VISR) is urging residents of the Territory and visitors alike to exercise extreme caution at high sea, particularly during this festive season.

Director of the VISR Captain Baboucar Sallah told the Department of Information and Public Relations the objective is to ensure an “enjoyable and accident-free Christmas and New Year.”

He observed that “during the forthcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, residents and visitors alike will throng our beaches and cruise our waters in large numbers therefore increasing the hazards associated with such conditions.”

Captain Sallah is appealing to the increased numbers of “sun-seekers, bathers, swimmers and boaters to exercise due care for others in an effort to reduce the potential for accidents.” He added that it is important to keep a good lookout.

Noting the merriment of the season and the accompanying likelihood for alcohol consumption, the VISR Director is also warning persons to refrain from using alcohol when operating vessels, whether personal or commercial craft. “Alcohol tends to reduce our reflex time so it important that persons refrain from the excessive use of alcohol or narcotics and from using excessive speeds which can endanger not only themselves but others as well,” he said.

Captain Sallah further encouraged persons to refrain from engaging in risky escapades. He specifically addressed “the failure of some small boats and dinghies to carry or show the proper lights at night to alert other boaters of their presence.”

According to Captain Sallah, the BVI has been blessed with a bountiful natural environment and while he encourages persons to enjoy this, he wants them to do so with “the utmost care and respect for themselves and others and with due regard for the preservation of the marine environment and the safety and welfare of all.”

The Virgin Islands Shipping Registry is the department charged with implementing the maritime policies of Government including safety of life at sea and enforcing regulations relating to vessels navigating the territorial waters of the BVI.