Countering Maritime Terrorism
A seminar looking at maritime security issues ranging from cyber security on board ships to piracy and illegal maritime activities concluded in Copenhagen (12-13 December).
Industry security experts have concluded that maritime crime will not be stopped any time soon – and that cyber incidents would continue to expand in frequency and severity. This was the consensus at BIMCO’s first ever Maritime Security Seminar in Copenhagen.
There was further consensus that regional instability in the Horn of Africa confirms the need to retain legacy systems such as the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) and the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) initiative to continue to deter piracy.
International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Chris Trelawny chaired a panel on maritime terrorism, exploring how the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), could support actions against illegal maritime activities.
Hosted by BIMCO, the event gathered over 60 participants from the maritime industry and also discussed constructive proposals presenting immediate and long term solutions to counter various maritime security threats.
Giles Noakes, Head of Security at BIMCO, said: "It was extremely valuable to gather leading security experts together at BIMCO to discuss these global issues."
The message was clear: the maritime industry must not take short cuts when implementing security procedures. It’s crucial to keep sharing information to encourage all stakeholders to maintain maritime domain awareness and to train personnel to recognise threats - this will reduce the severity of future incidents.
