14 September 2004
U.S. to Target Ships from Countries with Uncertain Security
Coast Guard to focus on vessels posing greatest risk
The U.S. Coast Guard has announced it will intensify scrutiny of ships registered in countries with substandard maritime security as well as vessels coming from ports in countries in which implementation of the new international security regime is uncertain.
In a September 10 news release, the agency in the Department of Homeland Security said it will be increasingly boarding vessels flying the flags of countries that have not implemented basic antiterrorist security measures. Those countries include Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Honduras, Hong Kong, Malta, the Netherlands, Panama, Russia, Singapore and Thailand, according to the agency's targeting guidelines published on its website (http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g%2Dm/pscweb/FlagSecurity.htm).
The agency must focus its resources on ships that pose the greatest risk, Coast Guard Commandant Thomas Collins said in the release.
From July 1, when the new international security standards came into force, through July 31, the Coast Guard detained, denied entry to or took other actions against 59 vessels, the agency said in a July compliance report.
The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code requires ships and ports to implement basic security procedures such as identification checks and restricted access to secure areas.
The Coast Guard also said it will be increasingly boarding vessels coming from ports in the 17 countries that have failed to report compliance with the ISPS to the International Maritime Organization or to it. These countries include Albania, Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nauru, Nigeria, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands and Suriname, according to a September 9 agency advisory.
In another news release issued September 10, the agency recommended that U.S.-bound ships take security precautions before calling on ports in these countries to avoid extra Coast Guard scrutiny.
Following are the texts of the news releases and the advisory:
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security
United States Coast Guard
Press Release
September 10, 2004
COAST GUARD TARGETS VESSELS FROM COUNTRIES FOR INCREASED BOARDINGS
WASHINGTON -- The Coast Guard today issued a list of countries whose vessels will be targeted for increased boardings because of two months of below-average compliance with international security standards.
"Approximately 200 vessels call on U.S. ports every day," said Adm. Thomas H. Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard. "We must focus our resources on those ships that present the greatest risk. The past compliance of vessels from these countries shows us that they haven't implemented basic security measures, increasing the security risk posed to our ports when they arrive here."
The Coast Guard examined the results of its July and August security compliance boardings to determine which countries' vessels had a higher than average rate of compliance problems that resulted in a detention, denial of entry or other major control action.
Targeting vessels from these countries for increased boardings helps the Coast Guard focus its attention on vessels that present a higher risk, and is one element of a larger matrix that helps Coast Guard field commanders consistently target vessels for boardings. Other elements include the past performance of the individual vessel, its ship management company, recognized security organization and the security in its last five ports of call. Vessels are also targeted for boardings based on intelligence information, or on a random basis.
The list will be updated on a monthly basis until the first annual report is issued, expected to be in April 2005, at which point countries will be targeted for an entire year.
The new international security standards, the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, came into full effect on July 1, and required vessels that travel internationally to implement basic security procedures, such as identification checks and securing of restricted areas. Starting on July 1, the Coast Guard has boarded every foreign vessel on its first port call to the United States.
More information on the Coast Guard's port state control program, including the list of targeted countries can be found at: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/pscweb.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security
United States Coast Guard
Press Release
September 10, 2004
COAST GUARD ISSUES LIST OF COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NOT REPORTED FULL COMPLIANCE WITH NEW INTERNATIONAL PORT SECURITY REQUIREMENTS
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Coast Guard alerted the maritime community today that it has concerns about the security of ports in 17 countries because those countries have failed to report compliance with new international port security requirements.
The Coast Guard will be targeting vessels for increased boardings when arriving in U.S. ports if they have visited one of those countries during their last five port calls.
"Shipping is a global industry," said Adm. Thomas Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard. "In order for us to protect our ports, we must be concerned about the security of the entire shipping chain, including ports overseas."
"We strongly encourage all nations to take steps to protect their ports," he said. "Terrorism is a global problem, and an attack on any country's ports could have a significant impact on their economy."
Countries were required to provide the International Maritime Organization information about their ports' compliance with new international security requirements by July 1. The Coast Guard has a range of concerns about the information reported from these 17 countries, including reports that they are not in full compliance, incomplete reports, or no reports at all.
"Right now, we are relying on countries to report the actions they have taken to increase security in their ports," Collins said. "Over the next three years, we plan to visit 135 countries around the world to share and align our security practices. We will use that information to help us make decisions about security for vessels arriving here. In the meantime, it is vital that countries report this information so that all countries can take proper steps to protect their ports."
The Coast Guard recommends that vessels calling on ports in these countries take several steps to protect themselves, which the Coast Guard will take into consideration when making decisions about boardings and other port state control actions. Those steps include setting a higher security condition, in keeping with their vessel security plans; executing a declaration of security that details specific security arrangements between the vessel and the port facility; logging their actions and reporting those actions to the Coast Guard Captain of the Port prior to arrival in the United States.
The port security advisory issued to the maritime community and list of countries can be viewed at: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/mp/mapipsp.html.
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International Port Security Program
U.S. Coast Guard
September 9, 2004
Port Security Advisory
The below countries failed to communicate to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) or the U.S. Coast Guard all information regarding port facility security information as required by Regulation 13 of Chapter XI-2 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS) or the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA).
Albania, Benin, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nauru Nigeria, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Suriname.
Failure to submit the required information indicates noncompliance with the port facility requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and leads us to believe there are inadequate anti-terrorism measures in place at port facilities in these countries.
Vessels that have visited a country listed above during their last five port calls will be subject to increased Port State Control actions upon arrival at a U.S. port.
If a vessel takes the recommended steps outlined below, the vessel's security posture will be considered and reflected in the location, scope, intensity and duration of the Port State Control measures.
a. Set a higher security level;
b. Execute a Declaration of Security;
c. Log all security actions in the ship's log; and
d. Report the actions taken directly to the cognizant U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port prior to arrival.
If the above countries fail to comply with the ISPS Code or MTSA by 9 November 2004, a new Port Security Advisory will be issued. This Advisory will warn vessels arriving in U.S. ports from noncompliant countries of the additional Port State Control measures that will be imposed.
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=September&x=20040914153019SAikceinawz0.2147943&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
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