Two United States Coast Guards and one British Coast Guard will be on island next week to inspect the three major ports of Blowing Point, Sandy Ground and Corito. They will be on island from May 7 to 10 to ensure that proper security measures are carried out at these facilities.
“This is part of a Caribbean-wide initiative. It’s an ISPC inspection of the Ports – ISPC certification for port security – both the vessels and facilities. All our ports are internationally traded ports, including Corito and they have to be up to par,” Rawle Hazell, Superintendent of Ports told The Anguillian.
He said, “The US Coast Guard, while they have no legal jurisdiction in our ports, there is cooperation between them and the British, so they will do an inspection in May. Along with them will be an inspector from the UK, and he will issue a certification for the ports, so the ports have to be ISPC compliant and have to be certified.”
Hazell continued: “They’ll be looking at security issues at the ports, how are we keeping with the security obligations. And from the US side, they can say because of our lack of security, no American flagged vessels can enter or depart from our ports – so this is important.”
Following this visit, Anguilla will undergo a Search and Rescue audit in mid-June. “Specialists from Search and Rescue in the UK will be on island as this is one of our responsibilities as a Coastal State,” Hazel acknowledged.
