Small Vessel Facility - Security Awareness

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Maritime Security: A Global Concern

Reporting Suspicious Activities

Transport Canada believes the best way to keep small vessels and small vessel facilities safe and secure is to promote security awareness.

In Canada, small vessels often operate near critical infrastructure such as hydro dams, power plants, chemical factories, bridges, and key marine assets such as merchant vessels, ferries or cruise ships, all vulnerable to potential threats.

The use of small vessels for unlawful activities could put our public safety and security as well as our national commerce, trade and economy at risk. That is why you should know how to reduce the risk of incidents using small vessels and know what to do if you see any suspicious activity on or near Canada’s waterways.

To learn more about security awareness in Canada, search the Internet for: Integrated Threat Assessment Centre.

Maritime Security: A Global Concern

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations agency responsible for improving maritime safety and security. In 2008, it issued voluntary security guidelines for small vessels and facilities. Transport Canada helped draft them. They encourage you to report suspicious activities to appropriate authorities and describe best practices that we hope you will utilize.

The IMO voluntary guidelines will help you:

• plan for security incidents;
• offer security awareness programs; and
• prevent the theft or hijacking of, and unauthorized access to small vessels.

The IMO voluntary guidelines provide information and best practices for these facilities.

Inform your clients

Advise the people who use your facility about:

• the current security environment;
• parts of the facility that are subject to security conditions;
• nearby areas of restricted navigation;
• nearby areas used by large commercial vessels; and/or
• any local regulations that apply to small vessels.

Review your security arrangements with nearby regulated facilities

If your small vessel marina, port or harbour is not covered by a Port Facility Security Plan, but is located in or near a port facility regulated by Transport Canada’s Marine Transportation Security Regulations, consider reviewing your security arrangements regularly with the regulated facility. Depending on the size and complexity of your marina, port or harbour, you may want to do the following:

Take physical security measures

You can improve security at your facility if you:

• install good lighting;
• have effective access controls; and
• install a system to monitor vessels as they move in and out of your facility.

Follow security procedures

Other ways to improve security at your facility are to:

• train your staff regarding security procedures;
• conduct regular security patrols, which should include walking all pontoons and docks and being alert for suspicious activity.

To learn more about the IMO security guidelines, search the Internet for: MSC.1/Circ.1283.

Reporting Suspicious Activities

Promoting security awareness is the best way to keep small vessels and small vessel facilities secure. The RCMP has a program to raise awareness and through which suspicious coastal activity can be reported. To learn about this program, search the Internet for: RCMP suspicious coastal activity.

Reporting suspicious activities is important because the RCMP, provincial and municipal police need the marine community and people who live in remote coastal areas to be their “eyes and ears”. There is just too much navigable water within Canada and along our borders for the police to maintain marine security without help.

How you can help

We know that most people using small vessels and facilities are law-abiding and that activities that appear suspicious may not be. Use the questions below as guidelines in reporting what you witness.

• Are unauthorized persons inappropriately trying to gain access to vessels or facilities?
• Is the size of the vessel’s crew not typical for the type of small vessel (e.g. too many or too few)?
• Are crew members reluctant to leave a vessel while it is being serviced and/or are they taking unusual security measures?
• Is a vessel anchored or running without lights in the dark?
• Are there smaller vessels hovering near a larger vessel?
• Are crew members recovering items from, or tossing items into, the water or onto the shoreline?
• Are vessel owners reluctant to fully identify themselves to a marina or harbour authority? Is it hard for those authorities to locate owners?
• Is there unusual diving activity?

DO NOT approach or challenge anyone you think is acting in a suspicious manner. Report suspicious activity to your local police service or call the RCMP at one of the numbers below.

RCMP Contact Numbers for Reporting Suspicious Marine Activities

• Newfoundland and Labrador 1-709-772-5400
• Nova Scotia 1-800-803-7267
• Prince Edward Island 1-902-566-7112
• New Brunswick 1-800-665-6663
• Quebec 1-800-771-5401
• Ontario 1-800-387-0020
• Manitoba 1-204-983-5462
• Saskatchewan 1-306-780-5563
• Alberta 1-780-412-5300
• British Columbia 1-888-855-6655
• Yukon 1-800-381-7564
• Northwest Territories 1-867-669-1111
• Nunavut 1-867-979-1111

United States Small Vessel Security Strategy

If you navigate on waterways shared with the United States, you may be interested in the Department of Homeland Security’s Small Vessel Security Strategy, released in 2008.

To learn more, search the Internet for: DHS Small Vessel Security Strategy.

Transport Canada Marine Security Activities

To learn more, search the Internet for: Transport Canada Marine Security.