Port Maritime Legislation - Assignment Example

Port Maritime Legislation The smart Port Security Legislation is a law that has its focus on enhancing measures for securing the maritime activities through mitigation of threats in the maritime sector before the risks can get to the shores of the United States. This act adopts a risk-based methodology that enables cooperation between the Homeland Security Department, local and state law enforcement agencies in enhancing the security of the maritime sector. This law also ensures cost cutting with the enhanced levels of cooperation between the local stakeholders, international, state and federal agencies in the mitigation of threats and enhancement of security in the maritime sector.

Majorly the Smart Port Security Legislation has in place a strategic arrangement that boosts the international supply chain security through partnerships in fighting vices such as terrorism. The legislation also has modalities for recognizing the shipper programs of other nations that are trusted, while fostering its main objective of enhancing the security of supply chain. This enhancement of security is done through identification of security gaps within the supply chain and making them more secure in the whole supply chain beginning from the manufacturing process to the supplies stage (Klein, 2011).

The Safe Port Act is an amendment of the 2002 Homeland security act for the establishment of a domestic office for nuclear detection within the homeland security department. The safe port legislation has preconditions for putting in place standards and equipment for scanning and radiating all the containers getting into the United States ports. This legislation specifies protocols to follow for responding to emergencies, which involves cooperation across the private sector, federal, local and state administrations.

With this legislation, there is stipulation for inspecting containers christened “high risk” before they can arrive into the United States. Apart from those provisions, the legislation reinforces custom trade partnerships especially that work towards mitigating terrorist activities.According to Klein (2011), the Small vessel Security strategy attends to the risk that of smuggling of mass destruction weapons or terrorists into America. Other risks it attends to include the possibility of the small weapons being used as platforms for launching weapons either directly or indirectly though the water ways.

Apart from addressing these threats, it gives descriptions of the small vessels and their suitable operating environments. The objectives of this strategy include enhancing are coherent and innovative maritime security, creating maritime awareness within the cycles of the small vessel community. Other objectives include enhancing security cooperation both locally and internationally, creating strong partnerships with the small vessels community, detecting, and deterring risks that could potentially occur through the exploitation of the small vessels.

ReferencesKlein, N. (2011). Maritime Security and the Law of the Sea. Oxford: OUP Premium.