Marine Log - January 2009 - (Page S4)

MARITIME&PORTSECURITY wrong and driven by the self-interest of the DG who did not want to come under the control of the marine services. The DG recently indicated in an interview that they would be using Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) means to obtain information about vessels below 300 tonnes that do not come under the provisions of International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) and pass them to the Navy and the Coast Guard. There is definitely a need to integrate all the surveillance assets with the forces along the coast for obtaining real time surface picture. The regulation of fishing vessels and crew in a country where there are over 100,000 fishing vessels of different descriptions would require both willingness and astute measures.” Commodore Vasan’s comments are illuminating in that they reveal that India’s ports have thus far not been under Coast Guard supervision—and that LRIT of smaller vessels is apparently the preserve of the Indian equivalent of the U.S. Maritime Administration. Since Commodore Vasan wrote his piece, the Indian Government has announced that it will invest in radar ICE CLASS TANKERS coverage of the country’s entire 7,000 km coastline and will establish nine new Coast Guard stations. HOW DOES THE U.S. MEASURE UP? While the U.S. is obviously in a far better position than India in terms of what could be termed big picture Maritime Domain Awareness, it is still working to improve small boat security. A small, speedy boat packed with explosives such as in the case of the USS Cole is still a very real threat. In April, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) developed a Small Vessel Security Strategy. The plan, according Stewart Baker Assistant Secretary, Policy, DHS, is to outline the goals and objectives that DHS agencies, especially the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, will work toward. An interagency working group has been developing an implementation plan that in the coming weeks will outline the department’s specific intentions. All of this effort has been done in coordination with the owners and operators of small vessels, including American fishing fleets, recreational craft associations, and commercial passenger and cargo vessels. The bottom line: We’re not quite there yet. Small vessel security has also only quite recently started to get serious scrutiny at IMO. Just last month, an effort led by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, resulted in IMO approval of new guidelines for small vessel security. A year in the making, these provide recommendations for governments and the owners and operators of small vessels and related facilities such as marinas. The recommendations encourage the registry of vessels and the sharing of such registry information between governments, the installation of access controls at marinas and on small commercial craft, as well as guidance on how to conduct vessel searches. Small vessel security will be one of the topics discussed at the Marine Log Maritime & Port Security Conference & Expo, which is scheduled for Jan. 27 & 28, 2008 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va. The event will be held in conjunction with the Rail Security Forum & Expo 2009. ML S4 MARINE LOG JANUARY 2009 www.marinelog.com http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - January 2009

Marine Log - January 2009 Contents Editorial Second Thoughts Update Inside Washington What's On Your Hull? That Sinking Feeling Newsmakers Tech News Contracts Wake Up Call From Mumbai Events Security Guide Vietnam Stretches its Portfolio ML Buyer's Guide ML Marketplace Marine Salvage

Marine Log - January 2009

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