Comoros enhances port security planning

Maritime and port authorities in Comoros have boosted their capacity to draw up and implement effective port facility security plans for Mutsamudu port, following support from an IMO experts' mission held in Anjouan (18-22 August).

Port facility security plans outline specific security measures and procedures to protect ships, cargo and people against threats to maritime safety, including terrorism, smuggling and unauthorised access. These include:

• measures for preventing weapons, or any other dangerous substances and devices intended for use against persons, ships or ports and the carriage of which is not authorized, from being introduced into the port facility or on board a ship;

• measures for preventing unauthorized access to the port facility, to ships moored at the facility, and to restricted areas of the facility;

• procedures for evacuation in case of security threats or breaches of security;

• duties of port facility personnel assigned security responsibilities and of other facility personnel on security aspects;

• procedures for interfacing with ship security activities;

• identification of the port facility security officer including 24-hour contact details;

• measures designed to ensure effective security of cargo and the cargo handling equipment at the port facility;

• procedures for responding in case the ship security alert system of a ship at the port facility has been activated.

The mission included working sessions with Comoros port operators and port authorities in Anjouan to prepare the Port Facility Security Plans (PFSPs) of Mutsamudu port, which are based on provisions in part A of the the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and guidance given in part B of the Code.

The workshop was organised under the EU-funded Port Security project.