United States Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel made a surprise visit to members of American Maritime Officers during the Crowley Maritime Officers’ Conference being held at STAR Center in Dania Beach on Tuesday and had a candid conversation about the recent Jones Act waiver extension and future plans to improve the domestic fleet.
Invited to speak to the gathering of more than 150 AMO members by the AMO National President, Carmel did not shy away from the topic on everyone’s mind: what is next for the Jones Act?
Carmel said the Maritime Administration had already reviewed nine new waiver requests submitted to the Department of War since the extension was announced last week, but his office had identified U.S. flag vessels that could accommodate 66 percent of those requests. The Department of War does not have to follow MARAD’s recommendations to use the domestic fleet, but Carmel said he intends to make it as difficult as possible for decision makers not to.
“We are doing everything we can to make this as transparent and visible as we possibly can [for cargo to go on U.S. flag ships],” Carmel said. “The short version is to make it harder to ignore us.”
Carmel, a former AMO captain and previous president of U.S. Marine Management, also discussed the recently submitted Maritime Action Plan, which included MARAD’s push for cargo preference enforcement to increase cargo and his intentions to move the future of shoreside and ship propulsion toward nuclear power. Last month, MARAD signed an agreement with Port of Long Beach to develop safety standards to use small nuclear generators called small modular reactors (SMR) to produce shoreside power at the docks.
“One of the biggest things we have going here is returning the merchant marine to nuclear power. This is not some technology fantasy. This is a very real thing happening right now,” Carmel said. “We’re focused very hard on public acceptance, acceptance of cargo owners and interests – all the things that surround regulations and safety…. This will change the way all mariners operate in your lifetime.”
After speaking briefly with AMO members and answering questions, Carmel toured STAR Center and came away impressed with the number of offerings at the training facility, including the bridge and engine simulators, fire fields and gun range. In 2024, STAR Center was recognized as a Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education by MARAD.
This is the first time STAR Center has hosted the Maritime Administrator since 2019 when retired Rear Admiral Mark Buzby toured the campus.
