PHILIPSBURG:---The Government of Country St. Maarten, through the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications, is issuing an official statement regarding the alarming and persistent issue of fraudulent seafarer credentials and vessel registration documents being falsely issued under the guise of St. Maarten’s authority.
Since September 22, 2020, the Ministry was first alerted by a concerned seafarer from India who questioned the authenticity of his certification after experiencing difficulties verifying its legitimacy. This prompted an immediate internal investigation by our Maritime Affairs office. Within 24 hours, a formal notification was sent to the Government of the Netherlands. As advised, we promptly contacted both the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding (CMOU) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The CMOU, along with the IMO’s regional representatives in the Caribbean, played an instrumental role in disseminating critical information to MOU member states and flag states around the world regarding the fraudulent documentation.
The investigation identified that fraudulent certificates and documents were being issued through entities operating under domain names such as:
These organizations falsely claim authorization from or association with Country St. Maarten.
With the collaborative support of the Kingdom Maritime Administration—an entity established within the Kingdom of the Netherlands to coordinate maritime regulatory matters between Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, the Netherlands, and the BES islands—a formal statement was drafted and submitted to the IMO. This statement was published on the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) platform, emphasizing that Country St. Maarten does not operate an international flag registry, nor does it issue STCW Certificates of Competency, Seafarer Books, Ship Certificates, or any related documents for conventional vessels (vessels exceeding 500 Gross Tons).
Following these actions, the Netherlands escalated the matter by initiating contact with U.S. intelligence authorities. A virtual meeting was swiftly convened, after which U.S. authorities confirmed that the MSTA Registry had fraudulent links to St. Maarten, Belize, and California (USA).
Most recently, the Netherlands, in coordination with St. Maarten’s Maritime Affairs office, submitted an official notification on fraudulent activities to the IMO, reaffirming the following:
- Country St. Maarten is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- St. Maarten does not authorize or recognize any private individual, company, Classification Society, country, or third party to issue maritime documents or credentials on its behalf.
- Any documentation purporting to originate from or be authorized by Country St. Maarten is fraudulent unless issued directly by our competent authority.
The Ministry deeply regrets the losses incurred by innocent seafarers who, through no fault of their own, have been misled and financially harmed by these deceptive operations. We are committed to pursuing every legal avenue and collaborating with international partners to eradicate these fraudulent activities and seek justice against those responsible.
We reiterate that Country St. Maarten maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward maritime fraud. Our government will continue to take decisive action—both nationally and internationally—to uphold the integrity of our maritime sector and that of the broader Kingdom of the Netherlands.
We urge all seafarers, employers, and maritime stakeholders to verify credentials through official channels and contact our Maritime Affairs Office with any doubts or queries.
“Our integrity is not for sale, and our flag will not be misused.”
