The Director of Maritime Affairs is the Government official for Security related issues according to Part A of the ISPS Code and the Merchant Shipping (Ships and Port Facility Security) Regulations, 2004. The Director shall set security levels for St. Kitts & Nevis ships.
The Coastguard shall set security levels and ensure the provision of security
level information to ships operating in the territorial sea of St. Kitts & Nevis
or ships that have communicated an intention to enter the territorial sea.
The Coats Guard point of contact is:
Email: skndfcg@sisterisles.kn
Tel: + 1 869 465 8384/466 7312
Fax: +1 869 465 8406
Ship Security Alert Systems, where these are required to be fitted to a ship, should be programmed to initiate and transmit a ship-to-shore security alert (SSA) to the Competent Authority, this being the Company Security Officer (CSO)* responsible for the ship or an authorised third party (see below) which has been contracted by the company. The SSA should also be programmed to be sent to the Department of Maritime Affairs on email address maritimeaffairs@yahoo.com.
When received by the Competent Authority, they are to verify whether the SSA is genuine or not.
The Competent Authority should then send a further email to the Department of Maritime Affairs AND to the International Ship Registry to advise whether the SSA is genuine, a false alarm or a test message. this further email should be sent as soon as possible.
if the SSA is genuine,
when a message confirming that the SSA is genuine is sent to maritimeaffairs@yahoo.com:
The Department of Maritime Affairs:
Ship Security Alert Systems (SSAS) are required to confirm to performance standards identified in SOLAS chapter XI-2 regulation 6. standards are not to be inferior to those adopted by IMO - Resolutions MSC. 136(76), revised by MSC. 147(77), and A.694(17)
There are no provisions in SOLAS chapter XI-2 regulation 6, for Administrations to type approve systems. St. Kitts & Nevis Administration is therefore unable to type approve any SSAS. Ship specific systems will be reviewed by the recognised organisation on behalf of our Administration and approved as part of the ship's security system verification
St. Kitts & Nevis Administration recognise that certain owners and managers may have difficulty in monitoring SSA's generated by their ships. Bearing this in mind this Administration recommends owners and managers to the use of a 24/7/365 SSA monitoring service in addition to their own CSO.
Authorised third parties are;
Gray Page Ltd
Email:
enquiries@graypagelimited.com
Website: www.graypagelimited.com
Securewest International
Email: info@securewest.com
Website: www.securewest.com
if an Owner/Manager wishes to use these companies services they should contact them direct.
However, notwithstanding this recommendation the ultimate responsibility for advising the Department of Maritime Affairs of Ship Security Alerts and any contravention of the Merchant Shipping (Ship & Port Facility Security) Regulations, 2004 rests with the Company & Master.
All ships to which the ISPS Code applies are required to have a Company Security Officer assigned to them, the details of which must be given to the International Registrar of Shipping & Seamen by using Form A21 available on this website. The Company* must keep the International registrar advised of any changes to the contact details of the CSO.
A list of St. Kitts & Nevis approved Recognised Security Organisations (RSO's) can be found on our website www.stkittsnevisregistry.net. the RSO will approve the security plan and assessment and perform the onboard verification. After verification, the RSO will issue a short term ISSC, and make the report and copy of the short term certificate available to our Administration. The RSO will later issue a full term ISSC valid for five years subject to the required intermediate verifications. The ship security plan may not be changed without approval and documenting the change by the CSO. Such approval and documenting shall remain with the security plan.
In addition, where there is a significant change of the plan, such a change must be submitted to the RSO for approval, together with the approval given by the CSO.
Security documents should be retained on board for at least three years or the ten last ports of call whichever comes last. Records of third Party or Internal Security Audits should be retained on board for at least five years.
Security details of ports can be found on IMO's "Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) - http://gisis.imo.org/Public/
When preparing the passage plan or during the process of the voyage, the CSO, Master & Ship Security Officer should take into account any security information/advice received from our Administration, the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre (http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/overview.php)
Area of high maritime security risk identified by the IMB should be avoided as much as possible. If the areas cannot be avoided, CSO, Master/SSO should ensure enhancement of onboard security measures in order to minimize any security risk identified.
St. Kitts & Nevis requires notification of security threats or incident. We take these to be as follows: bomb threat, threat of use of force, hijack, terrorist attack, piracy or any incident where firearms are involved.
"Company" means the owner of the ship or any other organisation or person such as the manager, or the bareboat charterer, who has assumed the responsibility for operation of the ship from the owner of the ship and who on assuming such responsibility has agreed to take over all the duties and responsibilities imposed by the ISPS & ISM Codes.
"Company Security Oficer" means the person designated by the Company to: