Coast Guard tightens security for ships calling Cuban ports

The U.S. Coast Guard has determined that effective antiterrorism measures are lacking in Cuban ports and will impose more stringent entry conditions on vessels arriving from that country.

Effective April 18, the Coast Guard will require these ship operators to ensure that each access point of the vessel is guarded in Cuban ports, attempt to execute a Declaration of Security while in port in Cuba, record all security actions in the ship抯 log, report actions taken to the Coast Guard captain prior to U.S. port entry, and ensure each access point to the ship is guarded by armed private security guards in U.S. ports.

In addition to Cuba, the Coast Guard noted that other countries not maintaining effective antiterrorism measures are Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Liberia, Mauritania and Syria. 

Source: American Shipper