On Wednesday, August 10, Italian authorities raised the security threat level in all major ports where cruise ships and ferries transit. Coastguard Admiral Vincenzo Melone sent an order to all passenger and cruise-ship ports to raise their alert level from MARSEC 1 to MARSEC 2. The Coast Guard said that the raising of the security measures is not, connected to a specific terror threat, but the need for prevention following the latest developments in Europe. The order to raise the level of Security issued yesterday refers to the SOLAS Convention on maritime safety. MARSEC Levels are set to reflect the prevailing threat to the marine elements including ports, vessels, facilities, and critical assets.
MARSEC Level 1 means minimum appropriate security measures are maintained at all times.
MARSEC Level 2 provides additional protective security measures for a period of time as a result of heightened risk of a transportation security threat.
MARSEC Level 3 is the highest level in which further protective security measures are implemented for a limited period of time when a transportation security incident is imminent, or has occurred.
MARSEC 2 Level implement in Italy will increase the security personnel for control and surveillance of the port facilities identifying any suspicious activities. There will be additional controls on the docks where ships are moored, and stepping up controls of containers and goods loaded on ships.
The following measures will provide further tightening of controls on people and vehicles during boarding, according to security plans already provided in different ports. The new provisions provide greater controls to port openings, a higher percentage of vehicles and passengers screened, and more reliable monitoring of all areas.
Similar security measures were taken immediately after the attacks in Paris and Brussels, but this time we don’t know why the alarm was triggered by the Italian authorities. Many argue that the possibility that Italy is being targeted from Isis could grow as a possible retaliation to the Government's decision to make available to the Italian military bases to the Americans engaged in anti Isis air operations in Libya.
