DANISH SHIPOWNERS: INFORMATION KEY TO IMPROVED SECURITY

DANISH SHIPOWNERS: INFORMATION KEY TO IMPROVED SECURITY    The Danish Shipowners’ Association said it will cooperate with the U.S. government and offer its insights to help improve port security.
   Representatives of the association met this week with members of Congress and the Bush administration to discuss port security measures in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
   “We know our collective economic future depends on how we address this issue,” said DSA chairman Knud Pontoppidan in Washington Wednesday evening. “We are fully prepared and intend to work with Congress, federal agencies, and international bodies to find port security solutions that meet the needs of governments, and most importantly, our customers.”
   Danish shipping moved about 2 million containers in and out of American ports last year. At any given time, there are more than 10 Danish ships in American ports, and every hour one of these ships is either arriving or leaving an American port, according to the DSA.
   The association recommends the development of “a common system for when, where, and how critical information is exchanged and — just as importantly — how that information is exchanged between government authorities,” Pontoppidan said.
   DSA has also initiated contacts with the European Commission to discuss port security issues.