U.S. - Increased PSC Measures For Vessels From ISPS/MTSA Non-Compliant Ports

November 2004

The U.S. Coast Guard have issued a further Port Security Advisory on ISPS/MTSA Non-Compliant ports.

From Port Security Advisory (3-04):

The below countries, with the addition of Mauritania, have not communicated to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) or the U.S. Coast Guard all information regarding port facility security compliance 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-Bissau Liberia Madagascar Mauritania Nauru

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. These recommended precautions are in no way meant to interfere with the Flag State's right to designate the security level at which its vessels operate.

a. Implement measures per the ship's security plan for a higher security level; 

b. Execute a Declaration of Security; 

c. Log all security actions in the ship's log; and 

d. Report actions taken to the cognizant U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port prior to arrival.

On November 16, 2004, the National Port Security Committee will convene to discuss the range of future Port State Control measures to be taken against the vessels arriving from the above countries. 

Since the Port Security Advisory, issued October 1, 2004, the following countries have communicated to the IMO all information regarding port facility security and are being removed from our advisory. 

Kiribati Serbia and Montenegro  Sierra Leone Solomon Islands Suriname 

Vessels arriving from these 5 countries are no longer requested to take additional security measures for the reasons described above. These vessels still may be subject to U.S. Coast Guard Port State Control boardings based on other targeting criteria, discussed here.

Date: November 9, 2004 

Contact: CDR Joseph LoSciuto (202) 366-1497

Click here for the Port Security Advisories page of the U.S. Coast Guard website.