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1. St. Kitts & Nevis Maritime Administration vide Marine Circular MC 125 23, dated 17 October 2023 has advised that with immediate effect, Security Level III (3) should be applied to all St. Kitts flagged ships that are currently transiting within the Eastern Mediterranean Sea area adjacent to Israel and Palestine and in particular, near the Gaza Strip.

2. Vessels in Israeli ports or transiting the above mentioned zone must keep the utmost vigilance and increase security conditions aboard in order to protect the vessel and its crew.

3. Further, the Administration has provided following recommendations to the ship owners/managers;

• Undertake a new ship and voyage specific threat risk assessment before entering any region where there has been an incident, or the threat has changed.

• After the risk assessment, review the Ship’s Security Plan.

• Review section 2 of BMP5, which outlines non-piracy threats and the Global Counter- Piracy Guidance.

• Maintain a full and vigilant bridge watches. At night, slow small boats with no wake are difficult to spot on radar.

• Maintain a strict communication watch and establish communication with all vessels coming close. Do not allow small boats to approach or to come alongside. Use a searchlight for identification at night.

• Ensure strict boarding controls in place.

• Only lower accommodation gangways or ladders when necessary.

• Rig outboard lighting where possible provided they do not interfere with keeping a safe lookout, particularly over the stern and rig/use searchlights if available.

• Monitor relevant VHF and other communication channels.

• Check all fire-fighting equipment available for immediate use. Make sure the emergency fire pump is available if any maintenance is being undertaken.

• Keep the Automatic Identification System (AIS) on. There is no need to complete the field stating the last or next port of call.

4. Additionally, the Administration has recommended that all vessels follow the instructions of the local authorities regarding the transit of the crew in port areas and review their security plan on board, in case of an unforeseen incident.

5. Owners/ managers and masters of St. Kitts & Nevis flagged ships are advised to take note of the above and ensure compliance. 

Enclosure:

• St. Kitts & Nevis Marine Circular MC 125 23, dated 17 October 2023.

Disclaimer:

This Technical Circular and the material contained in it is provided only for the purpose of supplying current information to the reader and not as an advice to be relied upon by any person. While we have taken utmost care to be as factual as possible, readers/ users are advised to verify the exact text and content of the Regulation from the original source/ issuing Authority.                              

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