Seaport Security
Student’s name
Institutional Affiliation
Seaport Security
Abstract
During the recent era, the European Union formulated policies aimed at promoting competition within the European ports. Besides, the conversation initiatives to regulate the facilities to mitigate risk and to beef up operational reliability as well as security of the industry have complemented their harmonization into supply chains. The primary aim of the paper is to ascertain vulnerabilities and threats affecting UK ports. Moreover, the paper intends to advise on measures meant to surmount the established weaknesses and threats. Numerous categories of prospective threats and vulnerabilities discussed in the literature review section of the paper. Besides, the paper analyses the economic and operational implications of enacting the EU policy measures relevant to the ports. Since each port harbors its fair share of distinct vulnerabilities and threats, there needed to be a critical evaluation of the UK ports to locate the potential weaknesses and threats about the ports. It is imperative that in the future, how humanity impacts, the successful execution of port security identifies.
Introduction
Transport security has emerged into a critical issue across the globe. Revelations indicate that the entire supply chain security, not forgetting the ports, has transformed into a significant theme of public policies related to ports. The ultimate aim of the introduction of regulations is to mitigate relevant security threats and vulnerabilities. The measures prevent illegal acts that might occur throughout the chain of transportation. Maritime security restricts unauthorized and intentional acts meant to cause damage or harm to the ports and ships. Seaports constitute an essential component for the global economy as well as the transportation infrastructure for the world. However, the globe has experienced the absence of comprehensive security oversight and statutory regulation. The September 11 2001vterrorist attack that collapsed the pentagon as well as the World Trade Center within the US considerably impacted numerous sectors across the globe. The disastrous incident generated radical changes within the Maritime industry. Among the vital issues that arose then in response to the assault were the relevant security strategies to counter the unexpected attacks. The development transformed the appropriate approaches to practicing and conducting issues of security. Owing to the significant fatalities in the incident, the measure has been established, in conjunction with regulation and rules, to prevent the occurrence of such an event in the coming years.
The US and the International Maritime Organization have executed numerous measures after the catastrophic event aimed at heightening the safety and security of the maritime enterprise. For instance, in 2002, the International Maritime Organization ratified the treaty that focuses on the facilitation of the international ships at the port, known as the ISPS code. The organization thereby required the member states to implement the provisions of the system by the year 2004. The United States further legislated laws meant to strengthen the general security of the amenities that transported goods to the United States. The measures mainly concentrated on the vulnerabilities of the port facilities as well as its ships. The resources faced potential exploitation by other criminals and terrorists. Even though the contemporary security measures have improved the security situation within the UK ports, some crucial vulnerability still poses security concerns upon the ports.
The research question for this research is, how can a resilient security system for the UK ports be established? The question raised concerns after encountering numerous challenges related to maritime commerce security.
Literature Review
The theoretical section of this paper analyses various sources of literature that defines the global maritime requirements and regulations for the shipping industry and ports. The theory also attempts to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the law. The framework shall further describe the vulnerabilities and threats regarding the ports and shipping industries, including the economic and competitive impacts on the ports. The theoretical section shall generate to address the vulnerabilities and risks of the UK ports and the relevant measures to be implemented to eradicate the threats and weaknesses based on the literature resources.
The following are several theoretical conceptions that facilitate the establishment of clear comprehension and body of knowledge on the security of ports.
Security Requirements and Regulations for Ports and Ships
This section of the research paper provides a concise account of various requirements and regulations for maritime ports as well as ships. The registration of ships is an affair that is exclusive to the respective country of origin of the amenities. The initiative thereby confers legal status on the facilities. Nevertheless, it is the nature of these ships to travel across the globe and traverse the seaports of foreign nations. The port state enjoys the right and authority to impose administrative obligations on the vessels that enter its territorial waters. Moreover, the host state confers the right to implement the global requirements that the flag state has subscribed to. Concerning the regulatory necessities, there exist international codes and treaties, including statutory regulations about security. Noted below are the leading global laws and treaties that influence the supervisory efforts of the states within the ports.
The ‘United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea’ (LOSC) of 1982 deals with the entire range of the legal matters related to the seas. The convention is relevant to the flag states as well as the ports. For instance, the regulation deals with issues about Regional corporations, territorial seas, dispute resolution, and environmental protection, among other topics.
The ‘International Maritime Organization Convention’ (IMOC) ratified in 1948 is a specialized treaty meant for the category of nations within the UN. The deal focuses on Maritime issues related to marine safety and security, marine environmental protection, as well as the legal systems within the marine industry.
In 1974, the ‘International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea and its Protocol’ of 1978 (SOLAS 74/78), was initiated. The conven\\tion intended to administer maritime security and safety. The treaty forms the foundation for numerous regulations by port states such as crew licensing, competence, navigational safety, lifesaving requirements, including vessel management. Besides these, the ‘International Ship and Port security’ (ISPS) Code harmonized into the treaty. The convention, therefore, composes the first threshold for maritime safety and security for ports and ships.
The last convention to be addressed, though not the least within the treaties, is the 1988 convention for ‘Suppression of unlawful Actions against the safety of maritime Navigation’ (SUA). The settlement harbors the following components. It can empower nations upon acts of violence and criminal issues perpetrated within the vessels based on nationality or location of the wrongdoer, or the vessel flag. Moreover, the treaty confers authority on the country with the relevant mandate to deport the wrongdoers to distinct destinations for prosecution or prosecute the suspected offenders. There exists an additional protocol that concentrates on prospective crimes related to terrorism.
Most nations have formulated their internal regulations to enhance the execution of security obligations required for a state to regulate its port. The following are some of the legislative instruments and national laws about seaport security.
UK Statutory Instrument No.1495: 2004: The ship and port facility security regulations 2004-2002 ‘US marine Transportation Security Act’ (US MTSA) ‘Australian Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act’ 2003(Australian MarSec Act)
International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code
The prior section addressed the security requirements and regulations for seaports and ships. Nevertheless, this section intends to explain The previous article describes the security regulations and requirements for vessels and ports. However, this section of the paper plans to discuss the ‘International Ships and Port Facility Security’ (ISPS) Code. The convention is the current international establishment for the protection of foreign ports and ship facilities. It was inaugurated after the September 11 terrorism attacks on the US territory in 2001. The international community throughout convention decided on the necessity to widen the security regime to notice security threats and take protective measures against security issues affecting ports or shipping facilities used in intercontinental commerce. In response to this menace, the International Maritime Organization initiated the ‘International Ship and Port Facility Code’ (ISPS) through co-operation among local administrations, Governments, Shipping, Government agencies, and port industries. There was an amendment to the 1974 ‘Safety of Life at Sea Convention’ (SOLAS) in 2002 to enhance maritime safety and security(IMO.2002.SOLAS/CONF.5/31, 1). ‘Inter-national Ship and Port Facility Security’ (Code) is a set of security measures to enhance the security of the Ports and ships. Facilities developed to counter the probable threats to ports and ship facilities. The main aim of the ISPS code is to generate a uniform, dependable plan for risk analysis. This will facilitate nations to settle on the right security levels with parallel security measures and to balance the changes in threats as well as changes in vulnerabilities for ships and port facilities. (IMO.2004.IMO Security Measures).
Critiques of current Maritime Security Measures and Approach
While the formulation of policies for regulating global crime, it is essential to comprehend neoliberal nations. Governance. There is a need to recognize the relationship between biopolitics and Neoliberalism to be able to construct a broader formation of laws and security strategies beyond the borders of the states. This is because there prevail fundamental relations between the development of measures to control crime in the international arena and the institution of contemporary politico-economic theories. The relevant methods favor limited state intervention in the enterprise as well as free trade, among other issues. Bio politics concentrates on the protection and caring of citizens’ welfare. Moreover, Neoliberalism emphasizes on minimized state interference on business, privatization, free trade, reduction of resources spent by the state on social services. Controlling of crime within the international realm, therefore, demands that the relationship that prevails between Neoliberalism and biopolitics. The two features represent significant factors that determine the protection of community members through the management of populations in conjunction with their property and businesses.
Methodology
The research project applied the case study approach as well as the qualitative methodology of research as a strategy for ascertaining the vulnerabilities and threats inherent in the ports. The author opted for the case study approach because of its capacity to deliver a deeper understanding of phenomena. Besides, the strategy ensures an in-depth involvement of actors as well as a constructive process. The case study approach is considered suitable for predicting, describing, controlling, as well as explaining processes connected to a diversity phenomenon at the organizational, group, or individual levels.
The qualitative method applies to the interpretation and understanding of social action. The primary objective of adopting the qualitative methodology is its usual capability of exploration, discovery as well as construction. The method involves an intensive analysis of the data accumulated from images, interviews, and objects. The qualitative research method is subjective owing to its use of open-ended answers, observations, and interviews in the process of data collection. The use of a qualitative approach was adopted to attain an in-depth understanding of the activities, the people as well as the operations.
The research project different means of gathering data. The closed-ended questionnaires were preferred to preserve the confidentiality of the information retrieved from organizations. The distribution of questionnaires to respondents without identification criteria and sex or age distinction. The interview aspect of data collection conducted in January of 2020 engaged experts in the industry. There were four experts from two organizations. The organizations included the port of Finland and the UK port. The application of the qualitative research approach involves numerous ways of primary data collection. The observation methodology offers a more profound understanding due to its ability to utilize natural settings, as opposed to interviews.
Analysis and Findings
Physical security is an essential factor for thwarting unlawful activities. The absence of effective and efficient systemic measures exposes the security to potential evasion by the perpetrators of criminal activities. The relevant security measures in place ought to facilitate the verification of individuals accessing the port as well as their intentions. Besides, the rules in place ought to actualize the issuing of credentials to individuals. The establishment of the most substantial locks sounds ineffective in case the criminals have access to passwords or keys. Based on the distributed questionnaires, as well as personal observations, the relevant ports have been surrounded with fencing of barbed wire, as well as a concrete wall. The entrances to the facilities have been equipped with barricades and gates. Any attempts to access the facility by individuals require the presentation of a harbor pass, without which, the access to the facility cannot be granted. The extent of efficiency and effectiveness of such measures for controlling access to the facilities by criminals remains uncertain.
The UK administration has substantially invested in the enhancement of the physical security apparatus on its ports. The Government perceives the ports and harbors as a tactical asset for the sovereign nation. The facilities thereby deserve significant protection against criminal and terrorist activities from the state. The management of the facilities has allocated numerous expenditures on security for the acquisition of distinct security gadgets, sophisticated technological equipment, including CCTV cameras to oversee the facilities. The security apparatus of the UK harbors and ports are associated with the entire national security institutions, around and within the port, for reinforcing the security system for emergency purposes. The facility’s pride in competent and experienced security personnel capable of responding to vulnerabilities and threats with the state of the art security equipment. However, the inherent conspiracy within the security personnel and the non-security staff concerning the cargo theft at the port has remained a perennial menace.
The ports in the UK are renowned for their excellent security network insecurity across the globe. The ports are endowed with skilled personnel within its operations department, as well as dedicated and drilled human resources in its security department to ensure the security and safety of the entire cargo within the ports. The network of the security equipment has been intensively enhanced with the installation of a CCTV network in the facilities. The system ensures the security and safety of the personnel and cargoes at the port. The security departments at the facilities liaise its operational activities with the UK national security docket and the police.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The objective of this research is to ascertain the vulnerabilities and threats and suggest the relevant measures to be instituted to surmount the current threats and weaknesses within the transportation facilities. The literature review section of the project has discussed various groups of vulnerabilities and threats. Nonetheless, every port across the globe are exposed to distinct risks as well as weaknesses. There is, therefore, a need to critically evaluate the operations at the UK ports to ascertain the prospective weaknesses and threats associated with the relevant facilities. The results of this study shall form the foundations for the necessary recommendations.
The research question for the project was how a resilient security system could be generated for the UK ports? In response to the general question, another question came to perspective. Have the ports in the UK been linked to relevant incidences of security threats? How effective are the security measures meant to cushion the ports from relevant vulnerabilities and threats? The relevant questions prompted for the development of questionnaires to search for efficient information that pertaining to the security control measures, and activities related to the operations of the port. The research on the question adopted a case study approach. The materials for the research were gathered through observation, questionnaires, as well as informal discussions.
Feedback from the respondents demonstrates the weaknesses and threats concerning the security systems at the UK ports. There are areas that require improvement for the provision of effective security services at the port. Security procedures meant for handling cargo, and availing of appropriate information to security guards require thorough enhancement. Feedback from questions to the respondents also insinuates that security information and education does not extend to the non security personnel. It is imperative that the entire staff at the port be equipped with the relevant information pertaining to security matters. It is critical for the achievement of effective security measures. The investigations further established that the attitude of the security personnel and non security staff alike towards security matters is extremely adverse. Security issues seem to pose threats to their day to day operations at the ports.
Without the relevant means and opportunity, personal motive to perpetrate criminal activities cannot materialize. The perpetration of crime requires the combination of the means, opportunity, as well as motive. It is impossible to control the motive and means, but opportunity can be controlled. It is imperative for the establishment of security measures to concentrating on minimizing opportunities to alternate the consequences. The mitigation of opportunities that encourage criminal activities ought to be the point of focus. This will discourage criminals from port activities, thereby cushioning the port infrastructure.
Respondents revealed that the security personnel had limited information pertaining to the ISPS code. The convention constitutes the contemporary security regime for ships and ports. It is essential that the human resources within the security docket be extensively educated on the relevant convention.
Even though exercises pertaining to security can be exercised at the operational as well as the managerial levels within the port facility, synchronization of the two levels sounds beneficial to the to the entire organization. The development facilitates the management team in recognizing the inherent security loopholes at all levels of the organization. It will enable the security team to generate timely programs meant to fix the inherent loopholes.
The involvement of human factor as a threat to the execution of security procedures has not been exhaustively studied. The realm requires extensive exploration owing to the rise of espionage and corruption as potential security threats in the recent years. Human factor can therefore not be overlooked in consideration of vulnerabilities and threats regarding port security.
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