Maritime Security
Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in the United States, the issue of maritime security rose in importance to such an extent that it became the IMO's third mandate, alongside safety and pollution prevention. On December 12, 2002, the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, ('Code'), was adopted by a Diplomatic Conference of the Contracting Governments to the IMO with a view to implementing measures and procedures to prevent acts of terrorism that threaten the security of passengers, crews, ships and port facilities.
Contact
For questions regarding Maritime Security contact the General-Head Office.
In order to implement these measures expediently, they were given effect mainly through amendments to SOLAS 74. Chapter XI was modified to create chapter XI-1, dealing with the existing provisions, and a new chapter XI-2, "Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Security", was created to give effect to the Code.
The above maritime security measures came into force on July 01, 2004. All other provisions apply to commercial vessels of 500GT and above. These measures apply equally to pleasure yachts when engaged in trade by carrying fare-paying passengers.
In line with UK Government policy for all British ships, compliance with the Code for Cayman Islands registered vessels is dealt with exclusively by the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry.
Work relating to the approval of the Ship Security Assessment (SSA), the Ship Security Plan (SSP), onboard verifications and the statutory certification will not be delegated to any Recognised Security Organisation (RSO). However, a security organisation may assist ship owners or operators in the preparation of their SSA and SSP, which shall then be submitted to the CISR for review and approval.
Last Updated: 2008-02-21