[Hud3]

Concern about the effect of APIS on yachting tourism is widespread in the eastern Caribbean, and confusion abounds. I tried to get some answers by emailing Ms. Hazzard at JRCC, but got no response. Next Monday I fly over to Antigua to launch my sailboat to bring her back to Nevis, so I'll find out firsthand what Antigua is requiring.

The November edition of the Caribbean Compass will be out in a few days, and I'm sure they will have good coverage of the latest on APIS. Here's an article from the Safety and Security Net about a recent meeting in Trini:

8 October 2007: Chagaramas, Trinidad. Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS)
Representatives from the Caribbean Marine Association met with officials from the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) regarding the new Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) and its implications for yachting tourism.
APIS is viewed an integral part of border control and security, designed to catch or discourage terrorists and criminals among ten CARICOM member states: Jamaica, Antigua/Barbuda, St. Kitts/Nevis, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad/Tobago and Guyana, which are known as the Single Domestic Space (SDS). APIS requires that ALL vessels traveling to and from the CARICOM member states complete a form at Caricom > HOME <http://www.caricomeapis.org> and either submit it online, send by e-mail to maritime@impacsjrcc.org <mailto:maritime@impacsjrcc.org>, or fax it to 246-228-4040. All vessels include cruising and charter yachts, according to the definition stated at the meeting by Commander Louis Baptiste, Director of the JRCC. Commander Baptiste indicated that all ten participating countries have implemented APIS and appropriate legislation has been enacted in each country, amending the immigration acts to include APIS.

After an initial registration by the master of each vessel, EVERY move to and from one of these member states will require the submission of the form, which asks for all the information already required on the clearance forms for each of these countries, plus the flag code (??) of the vessel, and the correct code for the departure and arrival ports. In addition, the form must be submitted:

No later than 24 hours before arrival, when arriving in the SDS from a port outside the SDS
No later than 15 minutes after departure, when departing from the SDS to a port outside the SDS
No later than one hour before departure when traveling between countries within the SDS

Various CMA representatives presented some of the challenges facing yachtsmen in their attempts to comply with this new legislation, not the least of which is a wide variation in the legislation passed and the implementation in effect within each member state. JRCC has provided no public dissemination of procedures to the yachting visitor, and actual practice is left to the Immigration Office in each port of entry/departure.

A number of potential solutions, both temporary and permanent were suggested, and JRCC agreed to consider some of these suggestions. CMA warned that if significant changes are not made to the APIS system for yachts, it will either fail through non-compliance or cripple the yachting industry in the region, as the yachtsmen will be attracted to more visitor friendly destinations.

Unfortunately, there is no single website where the yachtsman can find the answers to his questions. Information MAY be obtained by e-mailing Diane Hazzard at diane.hazzard@impacsjrcc.org <mailto:diane.hazzard@impacsjrcc.org>. Concerns should be expressed to the Caribbean Compass (compass@caribsurf.com <mailto:compass@caribsurf.com>), Keats Compton, president of the CMA (keats@miasl.org <mailto:keats@miasl.org>) or any of the other officers of CMS, the local marine trades organizations in the various member countries, and the Ministries of Tourism of those countries.

As more information becomes available, that news will be included here at www.safetyandsecuritynet.com/news.html