Jersey to attend national ports conference

06 October 2010

Jersey’s Chief Executive Officer and Harbour Master, Howard Le Cornu, and Harbours Commercial Director, Myra Shacklady, will be representing Jersey and learning about ways forward for modern ports when they attend the British Ports Association (BPA) conference in Torquay this week.

The BPA conference is organised for ports by ports and is seen as a valuable and comprehensive way to keep up to date on all the latest operational trends facing their industry. It is also a major networking opportunity with experts and representatives from ports around the country.

One of the key speakers will be the new Chief Executive of the Maritime Coastguard Agency, Sir Alan Massey. Topics on the agenda will include port and transport policy, prospects for the economy, improving environmental performance and navigational safety.

Chief Executive, Howard Le Cornu said “It is vital that we attend key conferences like this if we are to ensure that Jersey Harbours continues to have a modern and progressive port. The Port of Jersey is Jersey’s lifeline to the outside world with 99% of all goods arriving in the Island entering through the port, so our location makes it even more critical that we keep ahead of all the developments in the industry.”

During 2009 the Port of Jersey handled exports of 84,693 tons and 730,000 passengers.

The British Ports Association was set up in 1992 to represent the interests of its 90 full members from a very broad cross section of the UK port industry. The group includes many ports and terminal operators, all of varying size, location and nature, and covering every kind of activity ranging from large cargo handling ports and terminal operators to small leisure ports. As a result, the association is able to draw upon this vast range of experience and knowledge to represent the port industry in many fields and on a large number of issues.