The Washington Declaration The Commonwealth of the Bahamas joined the Republics of Liberia, the Marshall Islands and Panama by signing a Declaration Condemning Acts of Violence Against Seafarers - also known as The Washington Declaration.The event took place during the Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) at the Connecticut Maritime Association on March 19. Officiated by Oceans Beyond Piracy and Marshall Islands representative, William H. Watson, the signing was also witnessed by other signatory States representatives.The Declaration reiterates the signees' dedication to guarantee better documentation of the violence endured by seafarers. It pulls its inspiration from the Human Cost of Somali Piracy study released in June 2011 by Oceans Beyond Piracy. The study found that thousands of mariners become hostages and are subjected to gunfire, beatings, captivity, and torture. More frequently, pirate hijackings are becoming increasingly violent as well; some even result in the deaths of entire crews.During the signing ceremony, Commodore Davy Rolle, Managing Director & CEO of the Bahamas Maritime Authority made the following remark: "Piracy is a true blight on modern maritime trade. But only some aspects make the headlines. We may read about the "threat to shipping" in quite abstract terms. We may also read ...
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