Maritime security is an issue for all major seaports of the world. Because of the importance of the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to both the regional economy (25 million residents in Southern California) and the national economy, securing the ports from both natural and anthropogenic disasters is a high-priority issue for the ports and their tenants. USC Sea Grant can best serve our clients at the ports by bringing university research to bear on these critical issues of port operations but also by bringing to the table diverse partners whose expertise in maintaining the supply chain is critical to the success of their own businesses.
Threats
When we think of threats to the goods movement system, terrorism often comes first in mind. Thousands of intermodal cargo containers arriving from all points in the world make vigilance to terrorism a high priority at every major seaport in the world including the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. But a thoughtful consideration of the threat landscape helps us to realize that the more likely threats are caused by weather, natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, and the occasional tsunami, as well as dockside labor disputes, trucking and railroad labor problems, and a host of other causes that may seem benign but actually are the more common threat components of the maritime goods movement picture.
Related Links
Piracy and IUU Fisheries
Maritime piracy is defined as the plundering, hijacking, or detention of a ship in international waters. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing describes a wide variety of fishing-related activities that may violate both national and international fishing regulations. They can occur at several points in the seafood supply chain.
Community Engagement
Fawcett, James. (2010). Challenges to apprehension and prosecution of East African maritime pirates. Marit. Pol. Mgmt.. 37. 753-765. 10.1080/03088839.2010.524742.
Related Links
Learning More about “Dark” Fishing Vessels’ Activities at Sea: by NOAA Fisheries (published November 02, 2022)
