The Tribune

Minister of Transport and Aviation Glennys Hanna-Martin opened the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code workshop at the Prince George Dock Port Department this week.

“I am pleased to be here to declare open this important workshop, which seeks to sharpen an awareness as it relates to the correct, efficient, and effective implementation of the ISPS code and ultimately to protection of our sea borders,” said Minister Hanna-Martin.

“There was a time in this country and indeed in most countries worldwide when ports of entry, both air and sea, were pure and simple portals to new destinations, apart from what was there in the usual official process of immigration and customs.  All of this changed in the event which is now known as 9/11.”

Mrs Hanna-Martin said the terrorist attack shook the world and created a universal realisation that ports of entry could be used to penetrate states and cause harm.

“The world learned that persons with warped motivations and disturbed minds could simply walk through an open door and cause death and destruction to innocent, unsuspecting human beings, and we now know they can engage in transnational crime, such as the trafficking of firearms, thereby destabilising societies,” she said.

“But the protection of our seaports does require a delicate, but certain balance, because ports of entry are, by and large, still portals to new destinations. But travellers must now be subject to new and more stringent processes. And those of you who are charged with the protection of these seaports must ensure that at no time are there any weak links, either technical, technological, or human. We must never let our guard down.”

Mrs Hanna-Martin said states are most vulnerable to attack when they don’t expect it, and those who seek to inflict havoc understand this principle very well.

She said the workshop comprises of both public and private sector stakeholders who have responsibility for implementing the ISPS code.

“The protection of our seaports and airports is serious business. If there is a weak link, the implications could be very severe. This collaboration between the United States and the Bahamas is yet another example of the close links between our countries.”