On September 11, 2001, terrorists used the U.S. aviation system to launch three massive attacks that forever changed America and the lives of Americans. This Article states that, because our seaports are as vulnerable today as our airports were on September 11th, many fear the U.S. shipping industry may be the next terrorist target. Various international, national, state, and local agencies have enacted a myriad of initiatives to combat terrorism while keeping our nation's ports open, efficient, and secure.
This Article considers these issues in the international, domestic, and local contexts. In the international context, the Article looks primarily at the actions of the International Maritime Organization. For the domestic context, the Article considers the actions of the United States Departments of Treasury, Defense, and Transportation; the Maritime Administration; the Federal Maritime Commission; and the Environmental Protection Agency. Finally, for the local context, the Article looks to the activities of the Georgia Ports Authority and the Savannah Port Security Committee. The Article concludes that the mixture of international, federal, state, and local agencies that share jurisdiction over ports illustrates that port security is and will continue to be “an all hands evolution.”