The Republic of Seychelles has been added to the US list of countries regarded as having “inadequate anti-terrorism measures” in port.
In April last year, the US Coast Guard (USCG) found that ports in the Republic of Seychelles failed to maintain effective anti-terrorism measures in its ports and that the designated authority's oversight, access control measures, cargo control measures, and facility monitoring measures were "all deficient".
At the end of May 2018 the country was reportedly notified of the USCG findings and was given recommendations for improving anti-terrorism measures, and given 90 days to respond.
However, in August 2018, the USCG re-visited the Seychelles to review its progress and found that it had failed to maintain effective anti-terrorism measures in its port facilities.
As a consequence, from 12 April 2019 vessels that have visited the country in their last five port calls will be subject to stricter security vetting on entering the US.
They will have to show that while in the Seychelles they adopted procedures meeting the demands of ‘Security Level 2’ as defined by the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
Among other things they will need to have had guards posted at all vessel access points while in the Seychelles.
And in some cases the US Coast Guard may also insist that guards are mounted on the vessels when in US ports.
“ The ISPS Code was adopted by the IMO in 2002 in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks against the US and the US Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) of 2002 incorporates much of its provisions,” said UK-based security consultant Gray Page.
“That act also requires the US Coast Guard assess the effectiveness of anti-terrorism measures in foreign ports.”
The US now lists 21 countries as “failing to provide effective measures in port”, meaning ships that sail from them to the United States will be treated as a heightened security risk.
The listed countries comprise: The Republic of Seychelles, Cambodia, Cameroon, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Micronesia, Nauru, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Syria, Timor-Leste, Venezuela, and Yemen.
