Southern California ports see no vessel call increases

Southern California ports see no vessel call increases Southern California ports are receiving vessels at almost exactly the same pace as last year, with only a 0.4 percent decrease in total vessel calls during the first quarter of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006.
   The ports of El Segundo, Hueneme, Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Diego have logged 1,814 vessels during the first three months of the year, down from 1,821 during the year-ago period.
   The neighboring ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles make up the lion's share of vessel calls, with first quarter totals recorded at 1,484 vessels. Yearend numbers for 2006 show that 82 percent of all vessel calls in Southern California were at Long Beach or Los Angeles.
   Vessel calls peaked last year at an all-time high of 7,444 calls for the five ports, up 4.6 percent from the 2005 totals.
   The numbers are tallied by the Marine Exchange of Southern California, which manages maritime traffic much the way air traffic controls monitor and manage air traffic.