Guardians,
In the past two years I have had numerous discussions around the country and around the world regarding maritime domain awareness and small vessel security. These are two very complex but important issues that need to be addressed through a national conversation regarding the vulnerabilities, threats and potential consequences that exist in the maritime domain to create our current risk environment. Unlike the land and air domains, the maritime domain lacks persistent surveillance and our challenge is complicated by our "bands of jurisdiction" as opposed to bright line borders (i.e. territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone). I have had this conversation with diverse organizations and individuals including the Director General of Indian Coast Guard following the Mumbai attacks and our National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. The conversation is important and needs to continue. This week RADM Brian Salerno testified before Congress and provided this guest post.
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Guest Post from RADM Brian Salerno (CG-5: Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security, and Stewardship):
On Dec 9, 2009, I had the opportunity to testify before the Congressional Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on the topic of Maritime Domain Awareness, or MDA. This is a very broad subject which includes numerous ways to see what is happening on the water; understand what we are seeing; and then share the information with others who need it. MDA is concerned with a diverse range of threats, including severe weather conditions which may place mariners at risk, illegal smuggling activity, and the threat of terrorism, among many others. Although many issues were raised during the course of the hearing, the aspect of MDA most on the minds of the committee was the potential exploitation of small vessels as a means to attack the United States.
Small vessels remain a significant challenge from an MDA standpoint. Although introduction of new technologies, such as the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Long Range Information and Tracking (LRIT), in combination with other sensors and analytical tools, has greatly improved our awareness of vessels above 300 gross tons, smaller vessels generally operate with far greater anonymity.
There are two broad categories of small vessels: commercial and recreational. The Coast Guard has proposed rules that will require commercial vessels above 65 feet in length, as well as certain small passenger vessels, tugs and vessels transporting dangerous cargoes, to be equipped with AIS. This proposed rule would not apply to recreational vessels, however. In fact, we do not have any rules contemplated that would impose such a requirement on recreational vessels. The Committee, Chaired by the Honorable Elijah Cummings, considered which measures would, in fact, be appropriate to improve security of recreational small vessels.
Also appearing before the Committee was Ms. Margaret Podlich, Vice President of Government Affairs, Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatU.S.), who pointed out that there are over 12.5 million registered recreational boats in the US. There are millions more which are unregistered, as most states do not require non-motorized vessels to be registered.
There are no federal licensing requirements that apply to recreational vessels, nor is a federal licensing requirement under consideration. In fact, there is no federal requirement to have any form of identification on board. And yet, as in the concern expressed by Chairman Cummings, small vessels they are free to "move in very loosely regulated fashion, across the waterways, in plain view of countless pieces of sensitive infrastructure..."
As we wrestle with the challenge of creating the awareness we need to better anticipate threats to our ports and adjacent populations, we are also mindful of the imperative to preserve our cherished freedoms. The question is: what measures make the most sense?
In our view, there three measures which would reduce risk on the waterways. One is a federal boating education standard that would be administered through the states. Better educated boaters would improve safe operation on our increasingly crowded waterways, as well as be more attuned to security concerns they may encounter while operating their vessels.
Another important measure is the Vessel Identification System (VIS), which provides law enforcement officers the ability to check the registration numbers of out-of-state boats, similar to what a highway patrolman can do with automobile license plates. Presently, 25 states participate in this system, as do 5 territories and the District of Columbia. We are actively working to attract the participation of the remaining 25 states.
Finally, there is participation in American Waterways Watch (AWW), which can be thought of as a neighborhood watch on the water. Boaters are encouraged to report suspicious activity and AWW offers guidelines on the kinds of activity that may be cause for concern. The Coast Guard, with the active support of organizations like BoatU.S., the National Association of Boating Law Administrators, the U.S. Power Squadron and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, have been reaching out to the boating community to spread the word. The philosophy is that boaters are not the problem; they are part of the solution. More information on AWW can be found at: www.americaswaterwaywatch.com.
Overall, the hearing provided a welcome spotlight on a very important issue!
Note: RADM Salerno's written statement and additional information on the Maritime Domain Awareness hearing is located at: http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/hearingDetail.aspx?NewsID=1065
