Collapse of U.S.-flag merchant shipping fleet poses security risk

put the emphasis on the ship’s crew and command — rather than on the ship’s flag — because many U.S. flag ships now have very few Americans serving on them. Moreover, insisting that certain sensitive cargo be carried on U.S. flag ships may run afoul of international trade treaties. The U.S. crew requirement may be incorporated in the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code). The code already allows for three levels of security — 1 (normal) ,2 (heightened), and 3 (exceptionally heightened) — but Levels 2 and 3 are time-bound and are triggered by specific information about imminent danger (this is more true of Level 3 than Level 2). The United States should collaborate with other nations to introduce security levels — and the measures entailed by these levels — tied to the nature of the cargo and the potential risk it poses rather than to specific information about a terrorist attack.

The second tentative conclusion is there is room here for innovative employment companies to recruit, train, and deploy personnel in the tens of thousands to the merchant fleet.

-read more in this MaritimeTV.com White Paper; to learn more about the ISPS Code, see the IMO Web site; to purchase the publication detailing the code, see order form at IMO Web site; for more information on the declining size of the U.S. flag merchant marine fleet see the information at MARAD Web site; and at this page; and this page

MORE: Virginia-based MaritimeTV, which covers the maritime industry, will hold a ninety-minute Web cast on Thursday, 16 March, at 13:00 where industry experts will discuss this issue. For more information see the organization Web site

ALSO: Hutchison Whampoa is piloting a container scanning system in Hong Kong which has caught the eye of port security maven Stephen Flynn, and of two congressman — Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and James Oberstar (D-Minnesota). The container screening system combines a radiation portal to scan for radioactivity and gamma-ray technology to search for unusual density. The two congressmen have sponsored legislation (HR 4899) to make similar scanning of all containers coming into the United States a requirement within one year. Flynn is more cautious, hoping to work individually with port holders to install the technology, which he estimates costs $6.50 per container to use. CQ report (sub. req.)