By Kiara Smith on Thursday, 2 December, 2021 at 06:54 AM

Barbadian fishing, watersport, and military sea craft vessels, sailed across the ocean for the National Maritime Flotilla Parade as part of the Independence celebrations.

Bystanders and dignitaries watched the vessels sail from the Bay Street Esplanade and surrounding areas like Browne’s Beach.

There were performances that captured the audiences’ attention while the boats were on display in the sea. This included music from The Barbados Defence Force, along with performances by Anderson “Blood” Armstrong and “Ronnie D”. The last appearance was by a Tuk Band, playing popular Barbadian folk songs.

Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Humphrey used the event as an opportunity to highlight what his administration has achieved and upcoming goals in relation to maritime affairs.

He said the beach where the National Maritime Flotilla Parade occurred, will become a marine managed area to protect the space, and as they build it out, they will have the opportunity to hire at least 1,000 people in this maritime space over the next year or year-and-a-half.

He stated that Cabinet has approved legislation that will protect Barbadian seafarers wherever they go. It will also allow shipping to be faster, so that they do not idle in ports or pollute the ports, and they have separated domestic shipping from international shipping which were previously all combined.

“In the port's masterplan, there is going to be not only a massive haul out for ships, but a massive boatyard that will allow us to treat to ships that now pass Barbados, that can haul out safely in Barbados, they can be cleaned in Barbados, they can be repaired in Barbados, so that we can start thinking seriously about ship building in this country,” Minister Humphrey added.

Overall, Minister Humphrey indicated that it is about paying homage to our history in a way that is reflected in everything that we do.