Harbor security stretches resources
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Guarding against terrorist attacks since Sept. 11 has cost shipping companies hundreds of thousands of dollars for security and has caused delays and added expenses for nearly everyone who travels on the water, from cruise ship passengers to commercial fishermen.
"We went from virtually no security to the highest levels almost overnight," said Arnold Ku, comptroller and director of security for Waldron Steamship Co., which represents most cruise ships stopping in the Islands. "Our security costs have increased at least 300 percent since the attacks."
New metal detectors, X-ray machines, hand wands, explosive-sniffing dogs, traffic barriers and extra security personnel may end up costing the company more than $250,000, he said.
The new security measures, similar to those long in place for airline passengers, initially caused long delays for thousands of passengers waiting to board cruise ships in Honolulu, but the waits have tapered off as officials refined the process, said Bill Thayer, Waldron's president.
The waits have been particularly hard for passengers at Pier 2, where the largest cruise ships dock. Unlike piers at Aloha Tower, Pier 2 has a limited amount of shade, telephones, restrooms and food services, said Velma Hulihe'e Carstensen, marketing director for Aloha Tower Marketplace.
Despite all that, there have been few complaints. "People understand that it's for a good reason," Thayer said.
The measures put in place since the terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon include screening of all baggage, carry-on luggage and on-board provisions, as well as passenger identification checks at each Hawai'i port stop.
"Initially, the changes had us on our heels," Thayer said. "At first, we had to borrow equipment and dogs from the police department and bring in other help from the airport. We've come a long way in a short time."
The security also affects freight shippers. Matson Navigation spends more time and resources inspecting cargo as it is boarded, then tries to make up for it by speeding up its ships as they cross the Pacific, said Jeff Hull, a company spokesman in San Francisco.
"Now we run at 26 or 27 knots instead of the 23 or 24, and that costs us a lot more in extra fuel," he said.
The company also has increased security around hazardous chemicals and explosive materials, he said. "We're really examining how we accept things and always have extra security around a ship in port," he said.
The extra security efforts are putting a strain on Coast Guard resources, prompting a call to active duty for a number of local Coast Guard reservists, said Capt. Gilbert Kanazawa, director of safety and security for the Coast Guard in Honolulu.
"Harbor patrols are way up since the attack," Kanazawa said. "We're using everything from our 378-foot ship to our smallest boats to make the patrols. We're working much longer hours, around the clock. We have to look at our long-term ability to sustain that kind of security. We can't be at the highest level of security for the rest of the future."
The U.S. Senate this week is expected to take up a $168 million bill to enhance federal security at the nation's top 50 ports, including Honolulu. Most of the money would be used to develop new port security plans and hire 1,500 new customs inspectors.
Coast Guard officials also recently began requiring crew rosters and cargo manifests 96 hours before ships enter U.S. ports, instead of the 24 hours previously required. They've also stepped up the number of vessels being boarded and searched before they enter Honolulu Harbor.
"There's at least one ship out there all the time keeping an eye on who is coming and going," said Scott Barrows of the Hawai'i Longline Association.
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mledemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
