Marine Log - April 2008 - (Page 60)

Opinion April 2008 Vol. 113 No. 4 Forum highlights cruise and ferry security W hile there have not been any successful terrorists attacks on a ferry or cruise ship in U.S. waters since 9/11, both clearly are attractive targets. As such, regulations have to reflect this threat, a point emphasized at the first joint Marine Log Securewest International Maritime Security Forum to be held in 2008, which took place on Jan. 29 in Arlington, Va. The attraction of cruise ships and ferries offer a target for terror groups and pirates alike precisely because they carry many passengers and are high profile. The taking of a cruise ship, for example, would provide any terrorist faction with what they crave—huge amounts of media exposure. At the forum, the first presenter, Michael Crye, Executive Vice President of Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) was quick to point out the significance of the Achille Lauro hijacking in 1985 to the cruise industry of that attack. The hijacking occurred in Egyptian waters when four armed terrorists from the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) took control of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro. In return for releasing the passengers—there were about 100 onboard—the hijackers demanded that Israel free 50 Palestinian prisoners. During the incident, the terrorists killed a disabled, elderly American passenger, Leon Klinghoffer, and threw him and his wheelchair overboard. Crye told the assembled delegates that as a result of the Achille Lauro incident many cruise line companies began creating more detailed security plans to address potential security concerns into the future. CRYE Ship Security Plans should be a live document, allowing unforeseen circumstances to be addressed As a consequence, the industry was better prepared than many other maritime operations in the aftermath of 9/11. Crye also went on to emphasize that Ship Security Plans should be a live document, allowing unforeseen circumstances to be addressed at any stage, and identified the Advanced Passenger Information System, implemented Feb. 18 and requiring the submission of passenger manifests well in advance of voyage, as a potential delay for not only his passengers, but ferry operations as well. Cruise ships, of course, do not make easy targets because of their size and speed. However, the pirate attack on the Seabourn Spirit in Nov. 2005 off the Somalia coast made the cruise industry keenly aware that they have to be vigilant. The next topic on the agenda was security training. This was addressed by Captain Donald Thompson and Tanya Rawson of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who outlined the first in a series of DHS Security Awareness training programs created on CD for the maritime industry. Drawing on the expertise of their explosive and security teams, the program offers detailed guides into handling security matters as well as identifying potential bomb threats. The final speaker, Captain Elizabeth Gedney, Director of Safety, Security and Risk Management for the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), gave an overview of the association and its concerns. The PVA represents cruise, excursion and dinner boat operators, as well as ferry operations. In particular, Captain Gedney made recommendations that Security Programs should be created more with size of operations in mind, and highlighted the merits of the PVA’s cooperation with the American Waterways Watch— seeking to help recreational craft to be part of the security solution. January’s forum on cruise and ferry security was the third in a series of round table events sponsored by maritime security services specialists, Securewest International, which bring together representatives from key maritime industry and political sectors to provide a platform for valuable information sharing. Each forum is designed to encourage positive input on a chosen topic from a select number of around 40 guests from the maritime sector, ranging from vessel owners and insurers, to independent consultants and political bodies. ML MARINELOG ISSN 08970491 A Simmons-Boardman Publication 345 Hudson Street, New York, N.Y. 10014 Tel: (212) 620-7200 Fax: (212) 633-1165 Website: http://www.marinelog.com Advertising Sales UNITED STATES New York Sales Office 345 Hudson St., 12th floor New York, NY 10014 Roland Espinosa Sales Director Tel (212) 620-7225 Fax (212) 633-1165 E-mail: respinosa@sbpub.com U.S. GULF COAST Jeff Sutley Tel (212) 620-7233 Fax (212) 633-1165 E-mail: jsutley@sbpub.com WORLDWIDE Europe & Australia Representative Donna Edwards, International Sales Manager e-mail: dedwards@sbpub.com Marine Log (UK) Hillreed House, 54 Queen Street, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 5AD UK Tel: +44 1403 275935 Fax: +44 1403 260633 Korea Young-Seoh Chinn JES Media International 2nd Fl. ANA Bldg. 257-1, Myungil Dong, Kangdong-Gu Seoul 134-070, Korea Tel: +822-481-3411 Fax: +822-481-3414 e-mail: jesmedia@unitel.co.kr CLASSIFIED SALES Diane Okon Classified Advertising Sales 20 South Clark St., Suite 2450 Chicago, IL 60603 Tel: (312) 683-5022 Fax: (312) 683-0131 E-mail: dokon@sbpub-chicago.com USPS 576-910 60 MARINE LOG APRIL 2008 www.marinelog.com http://www.marinelog.com http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - April 2008

Marine Log - April 2008 Contents Editorial Second Thoughts Update Inside Washington Offshore Vessels Evolve to Meet Subsea Demands Picking the Right Floaters for Deepwater Tugs: The Good Times Roll, But for How Long? Interactive TV at Sea Jo-Kell's Suzan Kelly Tugs & Barges Exhibitors Preview Beyond Imagination Tech News Newsmakers Contracts Events Website Directory Infodirect ML Marketplace Last Page

Marine Log - April 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.