Combatting unauthorized departures, which endanger human life, prompted a meeting between authorities from the province of Colón and directors of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) .
Victor Zamora, Deputy Director of Ports at the AMP , reported that in the coming days an inspection tour will be carried out on the coast above Colón, in which the Merchant Marine, Seafarers and Ports departments will participate, to verify that the vessels dedicated to passenger transport comply with the operating and safety standards.
“We need compliance with AMP regulations, especially regarding the operating license corresponding to the type of activity, the current navigation patent, the certificates of competence of the vessel operators, and respect for the authorized capacity of each vessel,” Zamora explained.
Julio Hernández, governor of Colón, asked the AMP to reinforce inspection measures at the docks and piers of the Atlantic coast, in order to prevent incidents.
“We respectfully request that the AMP assign personnel at authorized passenger boarding points, especially for migrants, in order to prevent the loss of human lives,” Hernández stated.
The Colón Governorate will draft a decree to strengthen the sanctions applied by the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) to those who violate maritime safety measures. The possibility of establishing a designated arrival point for migrants was also mentioned, with the aim of improving control over this flow.
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to hold a follow-up meeting in mid-December, in which the results of the inspections will be presented and additional measures to reduce the risk of accidents at sea will be defined.
