We learnt in past issues of Portfolio how Port Castries is a bustling Cruise Port catering to over 600,000 cruise passengers a year, just this week, we saw four vessels in port with a total capacity of over 9,000 passengers. Very often, besides the majestic cruise vessels are the cargo vessels that transport cargo from the countries of export to the final consumers in Saint Lucia. Everything from the food we eat, the clothes we wear, our household items, and the vehicles we drive, must pass through the facilities of Port Castries. The Port thus serves as a facilitator of trade and plays a critical role in the supply chain; it provides the interface between ships with cargo and consumers ashore.

Port Castries is home to cargo handling activities catering to the local market along with Port Vieux Fort which primarily handles transshipment cargo. Cargo Operations at Port Castries has changed significantly from what it was before and a noticeable change has been observed from predominantly handling break‐bulk to containerized cargo. The containerization of cargo has resulted in cargo being more secure, protected from the elements of nature, and easier to be transferred from one mode of transportation to another.

The emergence of containers and radical developments in ship construction resulted in specialized ships being built to carry specific cargoes. In some instances, to increase their carrying capacity, some container vessels have been designed to only carry containers and therefore cannot load or unload their cargoes. This meant that SLASPA, as a facilitator of trade, had to upgrade its cargo handling facilities in order meet the demands of shipping lines and thus provide a more effective and efficient service to port users.

This led to the introduction of cranes and top handlers at Port Castries. The first was the Pan Atlantic Shore Crane which arrived in the early 1990’s complemented by two Kalmar top handlers. SLASPA upgraded its fleet in May and September of 2000 and more recently in November of 2007. These top handlers led to significant changes in cargo operations to include improved quality of service to shipping lines, truckers and consignees, decreased cargo handling cost and the overall modernization of Port Castries.

Development of Cargo operations not only included equipment but also led to the upgrade of the berths in order to accommodate larger container ships while making navigational improvements for the smooth entry and exit of ships. In tandem with that development, came the upgrade of Unitrack and the computerization of operating systems. Unitrack enables the smooth layout and tracking of all cargo entering and exiting the Port. The Container Park and Cargo Shed have been upgraded to feature a redesigned terminal layout, a reconfigured Cargo Shed and a new warehouse management system which allows for quicker retrieval of stored cargo.

With increases in traffic at the port, management made the strategic decision to move bananas and transshipment operations to Port Vieux Fort thereby reducing congestion at the port and improving efficiency of operations.

Port Castries is unquestionably one of the leading Ports in the OECS, Port Castries has won the prestigious Novaport Cup (awarded by the Port Management Association of the OECS) a record
seven times and is also the recipient of three awards from the Caribbean Shipping Association. In 2000, Port Castries was named Port of the Year by the Caribbean Shipping Association. Also, in 2001 Port Castries won the Most Improved Port Facilities Award by Dream World Cruises. The port continues to seek ways to improve its operations whether it is the modernization of its fleet or changes to systems to improve its service to all its customers.