Vessel Security

Maritime Security Course in Seattle

Beginning July 1, 2005, Seattle Maritime Academy (SMA) will offer courses in Maritime Security, specifically CSO/VSO and FSO. · Company Security Officer – CSO/VSO (3 days). This course is intended to provide the knowledge required for personnel to conduct the duties of a Company Security Officer (CSO) in accordance with the requirements of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, Chapter XI-2 of SOLAS 74 as amended, the IMO ISPS Code, and relevant U.S. Coast Guard regulations. · Vessel Security Officer - CSO/VSO (3 days) This course is intended to provide the knowledge required for personnel to conduct the duties of a Vessel Security Officer (VSO) in accordance with the requirements of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, Chapter XI-2 of SOLAS 74 as amended, the IMO ISPS Code, and relevant U.S. Coast Guard regulations. Combined with CSO course listed above. · Facility Security Officer - (FSO) (3 days) This course is intended to provide the knowledge required for personnel to conduct the duties of a Facility Security Officer (FSO) in accordance with the requirements of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, Chapter XI-2 of SOLAS 74 as amended, the IMO ISPS Code, and relevant U.S. Coast Guard regulations.

Bill Introduced re: TWIC

Senator Coleman (R-MN) introduced the Small Marine Business and Fishing Guide Relief Act of 2008 (S. 3377) to amend title 46, United States Code, to waive the biometric transportation security card requirement for certain small business merchant mariners, and for other purposes.  This bill, if enacted into law, would exempt from the requirement for a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) merchant mariners serving on vessels the owner or operator of which is not required

NYT: Some Ships Get Coast Guard Tip Before Searches

The Saturday, May 20 edition of the New York Times includes an article stating that the US Coast Guard sometimes tips off commercial ships that the agency will be conducting a vessel security examination before the ship arrives in port. Souce: HK Law

Terra-Marine Security Ops from Yemen

In late January of 2009, HP Terra-Marine International, LLC, sister company of HollowPoint Protective Services, LLC, successfully established a firm agreement and licensing from the Yemen government. As a result, HP Terra-Marine International, LLC, is now operating from several strategic Yemeni ports along the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. These bases in Yemen allow the company to provide professional armed security personnel for onboard vessel security through the east-west route in the Gulf of

PVA Calls for TWIC Re-Evaluation

Passenger Vessel Association Marks 10th Anniversary of Maritime Security Law; Calls for Reevaluation of TWIC. On the tenth anniversary of the enactment of the landmark Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) (Public Law 107-295), the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) takes note of the far-reaching security enhancements adopted by the U.S. flagged passenger vessel industry but also calls on Congress to re-evaluate the expensive and unsuccessful Transportation Worker

AAPA Calls for “Continued Progress” in Port Security

In the nearly five years since 9/11, America’s seaports and the federal government have joined forces to make major gains in fortifying and hardening port facilities against intruder attack. “Public port authorities have made seaport security their top priority since September 11, 2001,” said Kurt Nagle, American Association of Port Authorities’ president and CEO. With the combined efforts of public ports, initiatives of federal agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Seaarland Tanker Escapes Pirate Attack

The 74,000 dwt Liberian-flag panamax tanker Lia, commercially managed by Amsterdam-based Seaarland Shipping Management, and technically managed by Motia Compagnia di Navigazione, has escaped a pirate attack due to swift action by Euronav warships. The vessel’s crew, all 26 of whom are Indian nationals, are unhurt and the ship is proceeding normally on its voyage. The Lia had loaded its cargo of naphtha in Amsterdam/Limassol and was proceeding to its discharge destination in China

Secure Waters Offers Trip Threat Reports

The Maritime Security Council has accredited the on-demand trip threat reports.   Piracy continues to be a major problem affecting large yachts and worldwide shipping concerns.  Pirate attacks are spreading from the Gulf of Aden/Indian Ocean east to Asia and to the west coast of Africa.  There have been reports of hijackings in South and Central America, Hispaniola, and the Caribbean as well.  Shipping companies and large yacht owners are searching for solutions to help

GOVERNMENT: Terrorism Threat and the Immediate Reaction

by Dennis L. Bryant, Senior Counsel, Haight Gardner Holland & Knight When the federal government began examining United States vulnerabilities in the days following the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it quickly became apparent that significant weakness existed on the U.S. maritime borders. Many, but not all, of these weaknesses were systemic and derived from both the U.S. open society and the procedures underlying modern maritime commerce

Column: Maritime Security Regulations Published

By Charley Havnen On July 1, 2003 the Coast Guard published in the Federal Register the long anticipated regulations concerning maritime port and vessel security. This is a major rulemaking printed in seven separate individual rulemakings. These rulemakings concern compliance with provisions of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) and implementation of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO's) International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code