MV Barima recovery tender under scrutiny as bidders’ salvage credentials questioned

(Kaieteur News) – The procurement process governing major marine recovery operations in Guyanese waters has drawn scrutiny regarding technical qualifications, financial offers, and operational methods, bringing into focus the vital distinction between commercial wreck clearance and evidence-sensitive vessel salvage.

At the centre of the debate is the promised recovery of the 87-year-old State ferry MV Barima, which capsized off Castle Flats on July 18, 2026, with an estimated one hundred seventy-nine people onboard, claiming over one hundred lives in one of the nation’s worst maritime disasters.

This tragedy exposes a recurring pattern of human loss and regulatory failure in the region’s waterways. Fourteen years ago, the capsizing of the cargo vessel Miss Ellisa claimed the life of 63-year-old cook Gerald DeFreitas, whose body was lost inside the submerged structure. The legacy of that loss, combined with the scale of the MV Barima catastrophe, has turned the spotlight onto the Maritime Administration Department.