Maritime security, safety, satcoms and software news
June 17, 2003
Maritime Security Bulletin
Maritime security, safety, satcoms and software news
June 17, 2003
Maritime Security Bulletin
G8 leaders
discuss maritime issues
Digital Ship
container security conference – program announced
ILO starts
work on seafarer identity cards
Recognised
Security Organisations can register with Panama
New Zealand
Government appoints Maritime Safety Authority in charge of security
Hutchison
to include all ports in SST network
US Customs
inspectors in Felixstowe
Copas joins
Smart and Secure Tradelanes
Container
Security Initiative goes to phase 2
LXE develops
container tag system
Tideworks
Technology launches container terminal tracking software
Customs Canada
to institute 24-hour rule
IMB joint
venture with Security Solutions
International
Registries to improve seafarer identification
US Customs
inspectors containers using dogs
CP Ships
appoints VP supply chain security
Ship runs
aground as pilot's laptop goes into powersave mode
Kelvin Hughes
and OSL in WECDIS tie-up
Greenpeace
discourages shipbreaking through fun webgame
Shipmasters
protest against unfair treatment
Kongsberg
launches propulsion control system
Transas launches
Navi-Conning
New partnerships
for Saab
Lloyds Register
type approves Kelvin Hughes track control system
Rolls Royce
and Furuno joint marketing agreement
Saab launches
4th version of AIS system
Lilley and
Gillie alarms for Columbia Shipmanagement
STN Atlas
to install bridge equipment for Pride of America cruiseliner
Lilley and
Gilley improves chart update service
Next step
for Galileo
TV antenna,
chartplotter and AIS from Simrad
ChartCo provides
sports events to ships by broadcast
SeaWave completes
communications stations in Dutch Harbour, Alaska
Telenor extends
maritime Ku-band service in North and South America
Thuraya launches
2nd satellite
MX Marine
launches DGPS receivers
Seagull's
training administrator linked to MarIT training software
Seagull launches
AIS training software
Resurgence
Software launches Version 4.5
ACTS to market
BASS software in Singapore and Indonesia
Bass launches
subscription pricing in Singapore
Kongsberg
launches electronic logbooks tool
Tribon launches
shipbuilding modelling tool
The G8 leaders discussed a number of maritime-related issues at their recent summit in Evian, France.
The leaders discussed the need to support IMO efforts to include international maritime safety with accelerating phase-out of single hull tankers, enhancing responsibilities of flag states, establishing mandatory pilotage in certain waterways and adopting guidelines on places of refuge.
They also discussed the development of a secure, verifiable seafarer identify document, development of seafarer and port worker security requirements, enhancement of container security arrangements, and support for the ISPS code and AIS. Source: HK Law
http://www.thedigitalship.com/virtualbox2003.htm
Digital Ship has announced the first program for the container shipping security conference, September 9-10, 2003, Stuurboord, Antwerp. Speakers include Antwerp Port Authority, Hessenatie, Lance Trebesch, executive director, Strategic Council on Security Technology (SCST), Antwerp Forwarders Association,
Mike
Egan, director of homeland security for intermodal transportation, System Planning
Corporation, P&O Ports, David Hopps, head of physical security and crisis
management, Tag 24, Ger Endenberg, managing director, Copas, Peter Miedema,
principal consultant ports and shipping, Cap Gemini Ernst and Young, Barber
Shipmanagement Consultancy.
The ambition of the event
is to present a practical view of the requirements on the container shipping
industry to improve security, what the methods are, and most importantly what
the costs are likely to be and how this will effect the whole industry. For
more information click on the link above.
Don't forget, you can retrieve
all Digital Ship news stories, feature articles and conference presentations
about maritime security free of charge at http://www.maritimesecuritybulletin.com
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2003/25.htm
The International Labour Organisation has started negotiations on a more rigorous identity regime for seafarers, intended to help protect against terrorism but preserve seafarers' rights and freedoms.
"We are now living in a world where we have competing but legitimate interests in security, the movement of maritime commerce, the well-being of these professional maritime workers and the facilitation of their professional movement", said Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO).
The ILO will look at how to create a tamper proof document and also make sure they are issued to the right people. Countries will be required to maintain proper databases of seafarers which are available for consultation by officials and have adequate procedures in place.
The ID is likely to include biometric data (fingerprint, face, hand or iris). They may be issued by the country of nationality of the seafarers and may be both machine and eye readable.
The Panama Maritime Authority, the world's largest flag state authority in terms of number of vessels, has opened the evaluation of companies who are interested in participating in the ISPS security surveys as a "recognised security organisation."
Recognised Security Organisations are allowed to assess the compliance of Panamanian flag ships with the International Ship and Port Security code, coming into force July next year.
The Authority has created a Department of Maritime Security, in charge of executing the ISPS code and changes to SOLAS amendments. It has a staff of 8 people.
http://www.msa.govt.nz/Publications/pressreleases/20030411.htm
The New Zealand Government has appointed its Maritime Safety Authority in charge of implementing international requirements for maritime security, covering New Zealand ports, New Zealand flagged vessels and foreign flagged ships entering New Zealand ports.
"A significant amount of work will be required to have all the necessary measures in place by the deadline of 1 July 2004," says the Authority.
"The MSA will move quickly to recruit a small number of specialist staff, establish the National Port and Ship Security Committee of officials and begin detailed consultation with port and shipping companies."
Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) has announced plans to incorporate all of its ports in the Smart and Secure Tradelanes (SST) initiative.
"We have equipped our container operations with SST infrastructure at the Ports of Hong Kong, Seattle, Rotterdam and Felixstowe, and eventually all of our operations at 31 ports will become part of the network," says Gary Gilbert, Chief Security Officer for HPH.
http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/06032003_2.xml
US customs inspectors are currently working at the Port of Felixstowe, UK, under the US "Container Security Initiative" (CSI).
Rotterdam, LeHavre, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp, Singapore, Yokohama, Hong Kong, Göteborg, Vancouver, Montreal, and Halifax have already allowed US inspectors in.
"CSI is the only formal program in operation today that is designed to detect and deter terrorists from exploiting the vulnerabilities of containerised cargo," says the US Customs.
Copas, a Netherlands container terminal technical consultancy, has jointed the Smart and Secure Tradelanes initiative.
Copas has already been involved in SST, fitting network infrastructure at the ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Felixstowe.
Copas has provided a wide range of technical and management services for SST at European ports, including program management, site analysis, system installation and integration (including Radio Frequency Identification readers and anti-intrusion sensor systems retrofitted to containers), early-stage testing and operational monitoring.
The US “Container Security Initiative”, which involves placing
US customs inspectors in ports around the world, is moving to phase 2.
The US is trying to place its customs inspectors in
a number of ports in the Middle East, including Dubai, Turkey, Malaysia, Sri
Lanka, Durban, South Africa and Latin America, with further European ports including
Gioia Tauro, Italy, Barcelona, Spain and Marseilles.
CSI is already operational in Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, Rotterdam, LeHavre, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp, Singapore, and Yokohama, and the US would like it to be operational in the 20 largest ports in the world.
As a condition of membership, ports must have non-intrusive inspection (NII) equipment, X-ray or gamma scanning. While this equipment is not perfect, it can go some distance to detect explosives onboard, or make sure that the contents look like the contents as declared in the manifest and trigger more investigation if they don’t.
The US is trying to encourage ports around the world to sign up, by saying that ports will be themselves more secure if they have US customs inspectors based there, and it will be easier for them to continue operating if there is any security incident because they already have a security plan in place.
However the initiative has stirred up a great deal of resentment around the world, with people reluctant to pay for something they perceive to be a US problem.
The European Union at one stage threatened legal action, saying that for the US to give preferential treatment to ports with US customs inspectors upset the delicate competition between European ports.
However the EU later agreed to discuss retracting this if the US agreed to negotiate with the EU as a single body, rather than individual ports.
Port radio communications company LXE is getting in on the port security act with its own radio frequency container tag to be fixed on containers.
The tags can be connected to sensors in the container which monitor parameters such as motion, air pressure and door movement, sending data about this to tag readers. It can also provide GPS information.
LXE has also launched two new radio data terminals, MX5 and MX4, which can be used to receive and send radio data in ports. The terminals are particularly toughened, for ports where there is more serious rain, salt, humidity or fluctuating temperatures.
US container terminal consultancy Tideworks Technology has launched Forecast, an online tracking tool for terminal operators.
The tool is intended to help container terminals improve the efficiency of their gate operations and reduce customer service costs.
Container terminals can communicate quickly and efficiently with shipping lines, trucking companies, brokers and others.
The system has already been deployed at the Port of Miami.
http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/newsroom/releases/2003/apr/cargo-e.html
Canada has announced plans to implement a 24-hour cargo notification rule, following behind the Americans.
Ocean carriers will have to submit information about cargoes electronically 24 hours before loading the cargo on the vessel, as they are already required to do for shipments to the US.
www.iccwbo.org/ccs/menu_imb_bureau.asp
The International Maritime Bureau has formed a consultancy tie-up with Security Solutions International to provide maritime security consultancy, particularly helping ports and shipping companies comply with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS).
The consultancy also aims to help shipping companies and ports assess their attractiveness as a terrorist target.
John Saunders, former Chief Inspector with the Port of London Police now with the IMB, and Bob Weir, a former Canadian Intelligence Service Officer, have been appointed as senior consultants to the IMB-SSI alliance.
International Registries Inc, administrator of the Marshall Islands ship registry, is launching initiatives to improve security with improved authentication of officer's licenses and seafarer identification books.
The Hong Kong office of the registry receives many applications from Asian seafarers.
It will bring in a procedure requiring a local filing agent in the officer's home country to provide the Marshall Islands registry with verification from the national government's authorities that the officer's Certificates of Competency (CoCs) are valid.
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/06062003.xml
The US Customs has started using Chemical Detector dogs in ports, to try to detect chemical weapons, such as sarin and cyanide.
The dogs are trained and certified at the Canine Enforcement Training Center, considered the “Ivy League” of detector dog schools.
Detector dogs have been used by US Customs since the 1970s to try to detect drugs, but this is the first time they have been used for chemicals.
Labrador Retrievers, Belgian Malinois, and German Shepherds are some of the breeds that have proven successful in this endeavour.
Container shipping line CP Ships has appointed Jared Henry as VP supply chain security.
Mr Henry combines this role with his existing duties as VP customer service; he believes that the two roles go hand in hand.
Mr Henry's main focus as VP supply chain security is ensuring company-wide compliance with security initiatives that are being introduced by the US and Canada, other countries and international bodies.
He also heads up the CP Ships Security Task Force which reports directly to CEO Ray Miles and which includes experts from across the group representing specialty areas such as Marine, Insurance and Claims, Communications and Business Process Improvement.
http://www.atsb.gov.au/marine/incident/incident_detail.cfm?ID=181
According to a report by the Australian Transport Safety Board, a vessel ran aground off Point Cartwright, Queensland, when the pilot's laptop computer, showing the electronic chart display, went into powersave mode.
On July 19, 2002, the container ship ANL Excellence was in passage to Fisherman Islands container terminal, Port of Brisbane. A pilot boarded the vessel with a laptop computer with a global positioning system plugged into it, displaying the vessels' position on an electronic chart.
The pilot made a course alteration too soon, after not noticing a temporary buoy, and was alerted to this by the captain. However when he went to check his chart system the screen was black because it had gone into powersave.
The Australian Transport Safety Board recommends that Brisbane pilots should review the power management settings on their laptops and make sure the information displayed is easily visible.
Kelvin Hughes has joined up with Offshore Systems to jointly provide WECDIS (Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems), a version of ECDIS for navies.
Kelvin Hughes will supply the WECDIS platform, based on its "Navigation and Tactical Display", being used by 35 navies. Offshore Systems will provide its Electronic Chart Precise Integrated Navigation System (ECPINS).
http://www.greenpeaceweb.org/shipbreak/shipgame/
Greenpeace has put up a fun web game to discourage shipowners from selling ships for shipbreaking.
The idea is that shipowners answer a series of questions, and are allowed to carry on playing based on the answers they provide.
For example, if you order your crew to remove asbestos from the ship by hand and dump it over the side of the ship, or run the ship aground next to a shipbreaking beach and disappear, it is "game over."
At the International Command Seminar (May 21-22), organised by the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, the International Federation of Shipmasters Associations, the Nautical Institute and the Corporation of Trinity House, delegates "unanimously concluded" that the treatment of Captain Mangouras in Spain was "unjustified" and the bond was "unreasonable".
Delegates also strongly criticised the European Union for proposing that custodial sentences should be given to masters following non-intentional pollution incidents, saying that this is in contravention with the UN Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
"Shipmasters do care about their ships and do care about the environment," said VLCC master Captain Peter Boyle. "However, they do not always know the structural condition of their ships and they do not employ their own crews. They are used to taking responsibility and they will do the best they can, but they must not be made into the scapegoats for the industry".
Kongsberg Maritime has launched a propulsion control system for medium and low speed diesel engines, called AutoChief C20.
All information needed to control the engine is on a single colour display. The control system integrates with the machinery automation system and power management system.
Transas has released a standalone version of its software product Navi-Conning 3000, which processes parameters from different interfaces.
The software allows information from various sensors to be presented on a single display, including wind, depth, anchor, navigational lights, course, speed, rudder state, route, time, position, rpm and engines.
Saab TransponderTech has signed an agreement with Radio Holland Group for distribution and service of its automatic identification system (AIS). Radio Holland Group has 48 sales and service stations around the globe.
Saab is also now providing free Seagull computer based training software with every AIS system, training seafarers how to use it.
Saab believes that only 50 per cent of ships that need to fit AIS by the first date of July 1, 2003, have fitted them so far (as of June 6, 2003). Wth 17,000 ships required to fit them by this date, there are still 8,000 which must be fitted in the final month.
Saab also believes that it has a 35 per cent market share of the AIS fitted so far.
Kelvin Hughes has received type approval for its ECDIS based track control system, which tracks the position of the vessel on the chart.
The track control standard stipulates the minimum track keeping performance in different ship manoeuvres in different environmental conditions. It also defines the functionality that the system should provide in the event of a sensor or other failure.
Rolls Royce and Furuno have agreed on a joint marketing agreement, which will involve selling Furuno bridge systems to customers of Rolls Royce ship systems, and selling Rolls Royce automation and control products to Furuno customers.
The two companies will work together to develop elements of the integrated bridge system, improve flow of information around the vessel and improve the man machine interfaces.
In future, the two companies will collaborate at earlier stages of the design process.
The companies hope that from the co-operation, it will become possible to freely exchange information between the fore and aft bridge display systems, improve interchangeability of display content and increase system functionality.
The first joint Rolls-Royce/Furuno system is planned for installation in the first half of 2004, with a Furuno radar system and Rolls Royce automation and control system.
Saab TransponderTech has launched the 4th version of its shipboard Automatic Identification System (AIS), already type approved by BSH.
The system has an integrated pilot plug (a requirement for systems used on the Panama Canal) and a 1W mode for tankers, so they can reduce the power using loading and offloading.
UK chart agent Lilley and Gillie has won a contract to supply course monitors (compasses) for Columbia Shipmanagement, Cyprus in a contract with GBP 28,000.
“We have always been aware that the use of the approved standard magnetic compass was the correct method of providing an input to the Off Course Alarm, however convincing customs has never been easy,” says Lilley and Gillie.
STN Atlas has won a contract to supply electrical and bridge equipment on Pride of America, a cruiseliner under construction at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven, Germany, for Norwegian Cruise Line.
STN Atlas will supply project management and engineering, as well as supply and installation of cabling, electrical distribution, lighting, automation systems, a safety and security system, personal safety systems, communication systems, a fire alarm system and an onboard TV network.
It will also supply the Ship Control Centre (SCC) for the bridge with a navigation command system.
http://www.lilleyandgillie.co.uk/cms/details/index.php
UK chart agent Lilley and Gilley has improved the updating functionality of its online chart outfit management service.
The service, available through the Lilleyandgillie.co.uk website, enables fleet superintendents to view the current status of charts and updates being despatched to the ship.
There is a colour coded system, indicating if the vessel is up to date, if the vessel should receive an update, if an update should be given to the next chart agent, if an update has been received within 48 hours.
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMBOBS1VED_index_0.html
Member states behind the European Space Agency (ESA) has made agreement which should lead to the launch of the "legal entity" which will co-ordinate ESA and EU involvement in Galileo, the European global positioning system.
Most ships are heavily reliant on GPS, the satellite global positioning service developed by the US military. Although this service is available globally, it is still controlled by the US military, and can be turned off at any time.
Galileo will be a civil (non military) system and should be operational by 2008. There will be 30 satellites (27 operational and 3 reserve), with 3 circular earth orbits.
Simrad, part of Kongsberg Maritime, has launched a shipboard satellite TV system, which can receive all major television channels "almost anywhere" on water, the company claims, including MTV, HBO, CNN and BBC.
There are three different sizes of antenna, appropriate for vessels in areas with different satellite signal strengths and speeds. The antenna is cable free internally, and does not need any external compass.
Simrad has earned BSH approval for its GPS navigator with built in chartplotter.
The unit has a built in C-MAP chart system, a 14 channel GPS receiver, and a memory for 50,000 chart points. There is an optional built in DGPS receiver.
Simrad has also launched an AIS package, based on the Kongsberg Seatex AIS 100 system, already well used in offshore markets.
Kongsberg Maritime has won four contracts with NOK 90m (USD $12m) for control systems on four tankers to be built in Japan carrying LNG from Snøhvit field to the US, Spain and France.
"We first addressed this market seriously in 2000. Since then, we've sold just less than MNOK 600 ($85m) worth of products and won 34 of 76 possible contracts for automation and measurement systems designed for this kind of gas carrier," says Kongsberg.
Maritime satellite broadcast service ChartCo is providing regular sports bulletins to seafarers by satellite, including Wimbledon, Rugby World Cup, Grand Prix Athletics, Football Champions League and World Athletics Championship. It includes previews, team news, competition reports and statistics.
The move follows 100 ships subscribing to ChartCo’s WorldCup service last year.
Seafarers can subscribe to the service themselves, providing the vessels already have equipment to receive Chart updates.
Costs for the service are $75.00 for one sports event (receive 7 to 17 editions, 2 pages each) or $400.00 for the whole service.
SeaWave has completed development of a communications station in Dutch Harbour Alaska, to improve coverage of SeaWave's high frequency radio communication network in the North Pacific, Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean.
Telenor has extended its Ku band maritime communications service in the Caribbean and coastal regions of the US and South America.
Antennas for Ku band are smaller and less expensive than C-band antennas, but C-band antennas offer a broader global coverage.
Thuraya has launched its second satellite, Thuraya 2, to back up the Thuraya 1, providing satellite telephony over the Middle East, Europe, North and Central Africa, and South and Central Asia.
A third satellite is also under development for use as needed.
MX Marine, Leica Geosystems Group, has launched two marine DGPS navigation receivers, compliant with IMO performance standards.
The MX 521 antenna and MX 525 receiver comply with a new IMO requirement for "Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring" (RAIM).
Polish crew management software company MarIT Ltd has interfaced its crew management system to Seagull's Training Administrator, enabling users to transfer data between the two systems.
Seagull has launched software to train seafarers how to use shipboard automatic identification systems (AIS).
AIS manufacturer Saab TransponderTech has already agreed to include the software free with every AIS system it delivers.
The module aims to familiarise seafarers with the system, explain its architecture, teach them about its functionality and make them aware of its limitations.
There is detailed information about the components of AIS and the messages it broadcasts, with training on how to use the information for collision avoidance and in search and rescue operations.
The software explains how AIS targets can be displayed on radar and ECDIS systems.
http://www.resurgence-software.com
Resurgence Software, which produces software for shipping companies to benchmark equipment performance, has launched version 4.5.
The new software has a Windows XP-style interface, a data summary tool, functionality to perform global data updates to vessels and equipment, a manufacturer benchmarking report so manufacturers can compare their equipment's performance, labour and parts cost reports, new analysis reports and trend charts.
Maritime software company BASS has signed up Awards Consulting and Training (ACTS), a Singapore maritime information technology company, as a marketing and sales agent for Singapore and Indonesia.
Maritime software company BASS is selling its software by subscription, rather than one-off fee, in Singapore.
The ambition is to enable shipping companies which do not have large amounts of capital available to use the software.
Kongsberg Maritime has launched its FleetMaster electronic logbooks, after a 6 month trial onboard Sartor's offshore vessel "Ocean Sky."
Following the trial, Ocean Sky seafarers will only make logs electronically, the first in the world to do this; in total 6 vessels in the Sartor fleet will use electronic logbooks with additional installations planned.
The Electronic Logbooks meet the requirements of IMO and SOLAS regulations
for logbooks and are already Type Approved by major flag states, Norway,
United Kingdom, Bahamas, Sweden and Denmark.
The electronic logbooks are customised with report templates and the data is automatically sent back to the shipping company. There are separate logbooks for deck, engine and oil record.
Tribon has launched a new shipbuilding modelling tool, in conjunction with Neilsoft. The tool will, Tribon says, reduce the time required to create and place steel objects into the Tribon Product Information Model.
Neilsoft is a software house in
India, which works together with Tribon to help customise Tribon software to
specific clients.
Digital Ship Ltd, 213 Marsh Wall, London E14 9FJ, UK
http://www.thedigitalship.com www.maritimesecuritybulletin.com