Chairman:
Edward J. Krause III
CEO
E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc.
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief:
Michael Rosenberg
Vice President of Security
E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc.
Deputy Editor:
Paul Scott Abbott
Operations Manager:
Anna Ferris
Contact Information:
Tel: (301) 493-5500
Fax: (301) 493-5705
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Maritime Security Expo adds focus on anti-piracy,
unmanned vehicles and natural disaster recovery
By Michael Rosenberg
Vice President, Homeland Security Division
E.J. Krause & Associates Inc.
(article to appear in Cargo Security International...
Responding to demands of government and industry, the Maritime Security Exposition and Conference is adding two new key areas of focus – anti-piracy and unmanned persistent surveillance vehicles – to its exhibition and business program for its eighth annual gathering, set for Oct. 20-21 in Long Beach, Calif.
Always at the leading edge of addressing maritime security concerns and offering the latest high-tech solutions, the Maritime Security Expo this year will augment its internationally acclaimed program for interfacing public- and private-sector leaders by highlighting these two current hot topics.
Also in response to requests from several U.S. agencies and private-sector entities, Maritimes Security Expo organizer E.J. Krause & Associates is partnering with The California Maritime Academy in compiling a comprehensive database of companies that furnish anti-piracy products and services.
Piracy, of course, is by no means a new occurrence in maritime history, as the seizure of ships by evildoers dates back as far as trade by sea route has existed. Indeed, pirates roved Mediterranean and Aegean waters at least as early as the 13th century B.C.
However, incidences of piracy have seen resurgence over the past year or two, particularly off the coast of Somalia, as well as in the Strait of Malacca, between Singapore and Malaysia, spurring government and industry leaders alike to make anti-piracy efforts a significant priority.
Estimates indicate that seaborne piracy against cargo vessels results in worldwide losses of between US$12 billion and US$20 billion a year. Attackers seize ship safes and cargoes and take crew members hostage. On occasion, they sink ships and sometimes kill people. Thus, piracy is an issue to be taken very seriously.
Following several 2008 incidences, including the seizures by Somali pirates of the French luxury yacht Le Ponant, the Ukrainian cargo ship MV Faina and Liberian-flag supertanker MV Sirius Star, the acts of piracy struck a particularly solemn chord among Americans in April 2009 with the capture of the U.S.-flag MV Maersk Alabama, which was bringing relief supplies to Kenya. Although that ship’s crew regained control, and their captain was rescued by U.S. military forces, American leaders have been paying as great attention as ever to piracy issues.
Because potential rewards for pirates are great and because legal and international jurisdictional barriers make threat of prosecution faint, piracy is likely to continue to be a substantial cause for anxiety on a global basis. It is thus little wonder that the organizers of the Maritime Security Expo, the well-respected leading industry forum in the maritime security arena, have been approached to put emphasis on the full scope of the anti-piracy topic.
A specific exhibit hall pavilion at the Long Beach Convention Center is being dedicated to anti-piracy. Stakeholders will have opportunities to hear from experts in various facets of piracy and its deterrence, while officials of governments and industry will be able to meet with heads of companies that provide anti-piracy solutions. Indeed, the Maritime Security Expo is the only U.S. event covering the entire breadth of piracy-related concerns while offering the latest in anti-piracy solutions on the exhibit floor.
Furthermore, the index of anti-piracy solution providers being assembled by E.J. Krause and Cal Maritime is an additional way in which the organizer of the Maritime Security Expo is connecting public and private sectors. The database of companies that furnish anti-piracy, training, education, services, products and/or technologies is to be shared with such federal agencies as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Defense plus private-sector maritime entities, including ocean carriers, ship owners, shipper and manufacturers.
Those wishing to see their company included in the Anti-Piracy Solutions Index are encouraged to furnish contact name, title, organization name, address, company e-mail, phone and 50-word description of technology, product or service to Anna Ferris – via e-mail at ferris@ejkrause.com – and interested parties also may contact Ms. Ferris, via e-mail, regarding participation in the Maritime Security Expo as an exhibitor and/or conference attendee.
Participants in the 2009 Maritime Security Expo will find an added emphasis not only on anti-piracy but also on unmanned persistent surveillance vehicles.
This technology – known by such acronyms as UAV (for unmanned aerial vehicle) and BAMS (for broad-area maritime surveillance) – already has been used extensively by the U.S. military, including to detect and deter Latin American drug traffickers, and its deployment in a plethora of air, land and sea applications is emerging.
For example, the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy, as well as the private sector, are beginning to apply the technology within the maritime arena, to fight smuggling, drug-running, terrorism and piracy, as well as to assist in search for and rescue of ships and people adrift at sea. The unmanned vehicles provide benefits of around-the-clock surveillance while not requiring cost and possible endangerment of pilot or crew.
As is the case with providers of anti-piracy solutions, those with unmanned persistent surveillance vehicle technology are urged to reach out to Ms. Ferris, per the contact information above, so that she may facilitate interface with appropriate agency officials and advise as to opportunities for speaking, paper presentation and/or other means for increasing product awareness at the Maritime Security Expo and/or through other avenues.
Another unique aspect of this year’s Maritime Security Expo is the fact that it is being co-sited with the 2009 All Hazards Forum & Expo, which also is slated for Oct. 20-21 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Organized by E.J. Krause and presented in association with the International Association of Emergency Managers, Region 9, this event addresses the full scope of natural disaster threats, including fires, floods, storms, earthquakes, mudslides and volcanoes.
The latest technologies, products and services in the natural disaster arena will be on display at the All Hazards Forum & Expo as emergency managers, planners, practitioners and stakeholders discuss issues related to emergency planning and preparedness, response and recovery, communications and information sharing, and critical infrastructure protection.
Many of the same principles that apply to maritime security also are relevant to dealing with natural disaster hazards, plus numerous agencies and individuals tasked with addressing one of these critical concerns also have responsibilities related to the other, so the co-location of the two events makes perfect sense.
In fact, the conference theme for the 2009 Maritime Security Expo – “Weathering the Perfect Storm: Faltering Economics, Piracy, Climate Change and Maritime Security Regulations” – reflects the tie between maritime security and meteoro-climatic phenomena.
The Maritime Security Expo is being presented in association with the U.S. Maritime Administration, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, The California Maritime Academy, Propeller Club of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Foreign Trade Association of Southern California, Naval Postgraduate School, Harbor Association of Industry & Commerce and the Los Angeles Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association.
Scores of high-level speakers invited to make 2009 Maritime Security Expo presentations include John Porcari, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation; Jane Hall Lute, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Matthew Bettenhausen, acting secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency; and Vice Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr., commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area.
Conference speakers, in preliminary discussions with organizers, have cautioned that the present is no time to become complacent about homeland security. They note that al-Qaida and other international terrorist organizations appear to operate in cycles of approximately eight years. When one notes that the initial car-bombing attack on the World Trade Center came in 1993, followed some 8½ years later by the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, there is particular reason for concern today.
The Bush and Obama administrations both have done an admirable job in the homeland security realm, including thwarting threats of which the general public has been unaware, but continued vigilant preparedness is essential.
Ports throughout the world are continuing to put in place robust programs and facilities to protect their operations and people. One example is the state-of-the-industry command and control center that recently opened at the Port of Long Beach, which participants in the Maritime Security Expo will have an opportunity to see.
As maritime security defenses continue to be bolstered with the latest in technological advances, the Maritime Security Expo is prepared to once again address the most salient issues, bringing leadership of public and private sectors together to share leading-edge solutions. Additional information is available on the Web at www.maritimesecurityexpo.com.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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