Bahamas Ferries have called for their government to end its “blanket” ban on the scrap metal trade in the country, claiming that the lack of trade in the industry has led to a 50% drop in freight revenues on its back haul routes.

They have asked for “A more surgical approach” when it comes to the issue. They claim to understand why copper exports have been banned, after a spate of thefts in the country, but he claims that the government is also punishing honest scrap metal dealers and freighters with the ban, which also prevents scrap metal dealers from exporting other metals in addition to copper.

Around 95% of the scrap metal industry has been shut down as a retaliation to the copper thefts, despite the fact that copper only makes up around 5% of the scrap metal industry.

Khaalis Rolle, Bahamas Ferries’ chief marketing officer, claimed that shutting down the market could lead to the economy faltering and may also cause further unemployment in the country. He commented “We would like to know ourselves, and other shipping companies would like to know, where the Government is in its review of this industry.

“We’re experiencing a large impact from the shutdown of that industry. We transport a large quantity of scrap metal from the Family Island destinations we serve. On our back haul from the Family Islands, that represents about 50 per cent of our revenue.

“Because of the shut down of this industry, we’re seeing the impact, and given this type of timing we can ill-afford to lose activity that is there and readily available economic activity. We’re at the point where we’re seeing impact to our business and the Family Island economies.”

He has urged the government to look into the issue and supply some level of clarification to scrap metal merchants.