US Coast Guard Team here to Strengthen Security
Ateam from the United States Coast Guard International Port Security Programme is in the country to discuss best practices and to improve port security between the US and Fiji.
The team who are also here as part of the bilateral relationship between the United States and Fiji are assessing the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
They met up with representatives from the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) and the Fiji Ports Corporation Limited at the Port of Lautoka on Tuesday.
The programme’s chief capacity building and technical assistance, Scott Wolland said this was the team’s first time to Fiji.
Mr Wolland said they were also in the country to share and align security best practices under the ISPS. “We’re here this week meeting with our colleagues from the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) and from the Fiji Ports Corporation to discuss best practices and the implementation of port security to secure global supply chains and to improve security in our two countries,” he said.
“This is part of an ongoing relationship, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the ISPS code in 2004 and since then the United States has been working with all of our maritime trading partners to share and align security best practices and to help improve maritime and port security globally together with all of our maritime training partners.”
He said as part of the visit, the team would continue to return to Fiji.
“We will have the capacity building and training seminar that we’re hoping to do in February and later again in the Spring to continue our partnership and our cooperation,” he said.
Discussions taking place
Mr Wolland said an important discussion that would be taking place was the implementation of the ISPS code which involved risk assessments of the ports.
“This is to ensure that the international ships that come to the ports in Fiji are safe and secure and that when they go to the other foreign ports they are also safe and secure and so when we’re discussing risk assessments and the implementation of the security measures globally here in Fiji and sharing US experiences and lessons from our experience of port security,” he added.
The assessment will be done at both the Port of Lautoka and the Port of Suva.