U.S. helping Guyana beef up port security

Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) Director Claudette Rogers said sea piracy had taken a negative toll on the shipping industry internationally, so much so that increased freight costs were being pushed onto Guyanese consumers. Rogers was at the time speaking at the opening session of a National Port Security Training and Tabletop Exercise that was aimed at informing stakeholders of the International Ship and Port Facility Security code (ISPS code).
Guyana adopted the international code in 2004; however, the United States Coast Guard will be assisting Guyana in tailoring the governing regulations to address areas of inadequacy. MARAD will need to enforce security regulations on ships that are docked in Guyana to identify vulnerabilities and provide security plans addressing access control measures, restricted areas; and ensure there is adequate perimeter fencing and the communication of security level changes.
The workshop was held in collaboration with the U. S. Coast Guard at the Regency Suites on Wednesday. Rogers told the training seminar that the national response had to be stronger, and collaborative efforts with other Guyanese agencies were just as important as the U.S. initiative. She noted that there was a historical trend of increasing piracy and armed robberies committed on ships and that MARAD was in need of assistance to adequately deal with the various waterway threats.

Economy affected
She said that if left uncontrolled, piracy on international ships would become more frequent and as a result Guyana’s economy would be affected.
“We have to minimise piracy on international ships at our ports,” Rogers stated, or be prepared to deal with negative economic ramifications. She added that security could not be limited to the coast guard and MARAD, as interagency cooperation was vital.
U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Brian Behler cautioned that security threats whether small or large were negative reinforcers. He noted that the “intention is to allow for better monitoring of facilities and to guard against any sort of infiltrations, theft, terrorism or drug running”.
Behler told Guyana Times International that the tabletop exercise was aimed at strengthening the “security of each individual facility under MARAD’s oversight”. He further stated that the plan would be formulated utilising the ISPS. He explained that the U. S. Coast Guard was in Guyana to “expand our efforts… we are here to re-establish the environment and be better responders”.
Behler highlighted that all agencies needed to become qualified first responders. He said it was rare that only one agency would be called to the scene in cases of terrorism attacks, and as a result, MARAD, the coast guard, the fire and rescue services, and the police force all needed to be prepared.