Coast Guard updates safety and security boarding targeting lists

Coast Guard updates safety and security boarding targeting lists    The U.S. Coast Guard has updated its security targeting information for foreign-flag vessels, which includes a vessel's flag state and last five ports of call.
   The revised information may be found on the Web at: https://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/pscweb/index.htm.
   Singapore's compliance has improved over the last month, and the Coast Guard has removed Singapore from the target list.
   Four countries that have recently reported compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code — Lebanon, Guinea, Mozambique and Nigeria — have also been removed from the list.
   A Coast Guard port security advisory listing remaining noncompliant may be found at https://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/mp/xport.html.
   Figures on the vessel data Web site show the Coast Guard held 20 vessels at U.S. ports during September — detaining 19, including one passenger vessel, and ordering one ship to leave port.
   The banished vessel was the Panamanian-flag bulk carrier 'Blue Dream,' told to leave the port of San Diego, Calif., Sept. 27. The passenger ship was the Royal Star, flying the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which was detained Sept. 29 in the port of Jacksonville, Fla.
   Security targeting information will be updated monthly until the end of 2004. Targeting statistics will be compiled and published annually, starting in 2005.
   Flag administrations whose names appear on the targeted flag state list have demonstrated a below-average compliance rate in the U.S. for security since July 1. 'Foreign vessels flying those flags can expect increased scrutiny and boardings based on this information,' the Coast Guard said in a statement.