On Port Security

Last week I had a great opportunity to speak with John Rand, a Marine Security Officer with Transport Canada from the Regional Marine Security office in Toronto.

He filled me in with a lot of information I didn’t know about shipping so I asked his permission if I could use his name and the info he gave me to write this post.

I’d first like to start by stating that Transport Canada takes port security seriously and judging by their quick response to my one phone call, I’m confident they do.

So this is what I learned. In July of 2004 all ports in the world had to comply with the International Marine Organization’s (IMO) International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS code). More info can be obtained here

Canada responded with its Marine Transport Security Regulations in July of 2004

These regulations have to comply with the ISPS in setting security standards for each port facility in the country.

All ships have to report 96 hours in advance of entering Canadian waters, not just a Canadian port. That report has to include the IMO #, the ship’s registration, what they’re carrying and last 10 ports of call. It would also include ‘tomb stone’ information (marine lingo) such as names of the crew, where they came from etc.

That report goes to a dedicated Marine facility in Halifax where Transport Canada, the RCMP, Canadian Border Services Agency, the Coast Guard and Fisheries and Oceans receive the info.

The ship’s information is cross-checked with these agencies. CBSA checks the passports and ship documents, Transport Canada is responsible for inspecting the ships if there are any concerns regarding ship safety or environmental issues and the RCMP would inspect it if they have received some intelligence on criminal activity prior to their 96 hour report. All this is analyzed and the ships are put into priority codes. There are four categories of priority status.

If Canada has had problems with a ship or the company beforehand that may trigger a priority one status, in which the ship would be subject to inspection. Inspection can take place randomly after it passes through provincial jurisdiction – the ships don’t know if they will be randomly searched or not once they reach Quebec or Ontario for example.

So those ‘random’ inspections’ we hear about on the MSM aren’t as random as it suggests (something I am appreciative to learn).

I now understand the difference between a ‘salty ship’ and a Great Lakes freighter. The salty ship’s are those that are International Ocean going vessels and do not pick up goods at one port and deliver them to any port in the country.

Once salty ships empty their cargo, they would leave for another destination, say Thunder Bay and load up with grain from the prairies taken there by train or transport truck and then head outbound to sea again.

Only the Great Lakes freighters are allowed to pick up and deliver to inbound destinations between Canada and the U.S.

Each port facility had to submit a Master Port Security Plan that was reviewed and approved by Transport Canada. These security plans are not available to the public, as they are classified documents. And each port facility has to have a Port Facility Security Officer or a PFSO

All this being written, because the Marine Security Directorate takes it’s security measures seriously, they will be investigating the wrinkles in port security at Hamilton’s Pier 8 that are documented in this post.

As I was told, there should have been no security breach at all as the Hamilton Port Authority should have had a facility security officer to document when the crew was coming and going from this ship when a ship is in port.

It’s as simple as that. As for the other stuff mentioned in the post…that’s what our security people do behind the scenes.

I want to thank John Rand for kindly offering his time to acknowledge all my past and future questions. The Marine Security Directorate is more than happy to speak to any Canadian who wants to learn more about their ports.

Contact info can be accessed on Transport Canada’s Marine Security Site