Alaska Air unveils seafood security rules

Alaska Air unveils seafood security rules    Alaska Air Cargo on Tuesday said it has implemented procedural changes to meet Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements for the screening of seafood.
   Beginning Feb. 15, tender times will increase to four hours prior to departure for all flights to allow additional screening time, security screening surcharges will increase to 40 cents a pound and will be subject to a $2 minimum charge per shipment, and seafood boxes requiring security screening must be free from exterior moisture to ensure accurate testing.
   Wet boxes and containers that have not been pre-screened may be rejected, the airline said.
   The changes apply to seafood shipments that have not been pre-screened by shippers in the TSA's Certified Cargo Screening Program, which allows companies with approved facilities to self-inspect shipments during the packing process and avoid having airlines unpack and inspect bulk shipments.
      New rules go into effect Aug. 1 requiring 100 percent of cargo on passenger planes to be screened and the TSA is encouraging shippers of perishable and other cargo that don't want their products delayed or tampered with to join the CCSP Program.
   Alaska Airlines will exempt certified CCSP shippers from the security screening surcharge. In addition, the tender time for CCSP-certified shipments will remain two hours prior to departure. The tender time of four hours prior to departure for freighter shipments also will remain the same.
   'We strongly encourage all seafood shippers to consider joining the TSA's Certified Cargo Screening Program,' said Joe Sprague, Alaska Air Cargo's vice president. 'Receiving certified pre-screened freight is the best way to ensure the most efficient and highest quality shipment of seafood products to market.'
   To read more about the challenges facing shippers as the 100 percent screening deadline approaches, see the feature story 'Collateral Damage?' in the February issue of American Shipper.