There comes a point in every regulatory process when the wording is agreed, and a new requirement is adopted. From the outside, that can look like the job is done. In shipping, this is often when the difficult part begins. An owner, manager or other impacted stakeholders must understand what is required, a Flag State has to put the right framework in place and, ultimately, a seafarer has to make it work on board. That is why the IMO’s World Maritime Day theme for 2026 and 2027, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence”, is particularly relevant. Shipping is facing substantial regulatory and technological change, and agreeing the direction is only part of the challenge. The rules also have to work in practice.

The Bahamas has been an IMO member state since 1976 and has served continuously on the IMO strategic body the Council, since 1999. Through the BMA, we participate in committees, sub-committees and their subsidiary groups addressing many of the issues that ultimately affect ships operating under our Flag. That involvement gives us the opportunity to bring practical experience into discussions before new requirements reach the fleet. Owners and managers see quickly where regulation works and where implementation becomes difficult. Our technical teams see how requirements affect different vessel types and trades, while seafarers experience their impact directly. That experience should be reflected when international rules are being developed.

The Bahamas is a global leader in maritime governance and was the first nation to ratify the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006). Acting as a vital diplomatic and technical bridge at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the country continuously drives international safety and environmental policy forward, such as passenger ship safety, fire-fighting systems, MARPOL requirements and cargo classification.

In the 2026 legislative cycle, The Bahamas has further co-sponsored major safety and casualty-investigation initiatives which include, but are not limited to, leading proposals to mandate enhanced cargo hold fumigation safety measures by 2027, overhaul marine casualty reporting and investigation frameworks, improving survival craft ventilation and resolving safety harness ambiguities in free-fall lifeboats. Furthermore, it intends to spearhead a global mandate for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on all vessels.

These may be technical subjects, but that is where much of the important work happens. Regulation is stronger when operational experience is brought into the discussion rather than considered only after a requirement has been adopted. The process also must work in the opposite direction, with international decisions translated into clear requirements for the fleet.

Earlier this year, The Bahamas introduced a modernised suite of Merchant Shipping Regulations covering areas including registration, safety investigations, inspections and seafarer standards. This may not be headline-grabbing work, but it is fundamental to providing owners with clarity and ensuring international requirements are applied consistently. For our clients, there is a practical benefit in having their Flag State closely involved at the IMO. They should expect us to understand what is coming and what it will mean for their operations, while also knowing that experience from the fleet can feed back into future regulatory discussions.

That connection is becoming even more important as shipping tackles decarbonisation. New fuels and technologies do not simply replace what came before. They change bunkering arrangements, emergency procedures, risk assessments, training and the skills required on board. The industry has to reduce emissions, but environmental ambition cannot be separated from operational reality or safety. The same principle applies more broadly. The Bahamas supports high standards, but high standards do not require unnecessary complexity. Clear regulation is not light regulation, and operators are more likely to meet demanding requirements consistently when they understand exactly what is expected of them.

Owners should also not have to choose between an Administration that maintains strong oversight and one that is responsive. A good Flag State must do both. It has to enforce international requirements while remaining accessible when guidance is needed and be prepared to listen when experience from the fleet shows that something could work better. More process and paperwork do not automatically produce better regulation. What matters is whether the requirement actually improves safety, environmental performance or the way ships are operated.

The success of maritime regulation will ultimately be measured not by the complexity of the rules, but by what happens when they reach the ship: whether vessels are safer, seafarers are properly prepared, environmental performance improved and responsible operators can meet their obligations. That is the practical meaning behind this year’s World Maritime Day theme, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”

For The Bahamas, this is at the heart of our role as a Flag State and our engagement at the IMO. World Maritime Day is a reminder that excellence in maritime regulation is not achieved when a policy is agreed; it is achieved when that policy works in practice – on board, at sea, and for the people whose safety and professionalism keep global shipping moving.

By Capt. Dwain Hutchinson, Managing Director and CEO, and Capt. Ghulam Hussain, Deputy Director, Maritime Affairs, The Bahamas Maritime Authority