This month, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) welcomed the newly-published report by the Global Ocean Commission (GOC), From Decline to Recovery: A Rescue Package for the Global Ocean, as well as the report’s call for increased action to mitigate the threats on global oceans.IMO Letter to GOC Co-ChairsIn his letter to the co-chairs of the GOC, IMO Secretary-General, Koji Sekimizu, noted that the IMO plays a key role in furthering the report’s critically important agenda, and that...

In July of 2004, the International Ship and Port Security code (ISPS) was created in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The 10-year-old code required merchant ships in international trade to be certified to an established security standard. Now in 2014, let’s take a look at the ISPS and where it stands today.Creating the ISPS Code Like nearly all maritime legislation that is initiated by a maritime accident or disaster, the ISPS code was also created following a disaster – but one on...

On Tuesday, August 19th, the Federal Government opened 21 million acres off the Texas coast for oil and gas drilling. The area includes sections along the United States and Mexico nautical boarder, all of which were previously off-limits to drilling companies.The sale was held at the Superdome in New Orleans, and was the sixth such sale under President Obama’s current leasing plan. The plan extends through 2017.Under the plan, the federal government offered over 60 million acres for...

Here are some of the latest updates regarding TWIC that you should be aware of:TWIC “OneVisit”The TWIC “OneVisit” offering is now available at all locations. You can now have your TWIC card mailed directly to your home or other preferred location, rather than having to return to an enrollment center to pick up the credential. This feature applies to both renewed and new cards; replacements for lost, stolen, or damaged cards; and Extended Expiration Date (EED) credentials.If you would like to...