UNCLAS QUEBEC 000107

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

OTTAWA FOR ECON AND DHS/ICE
STATE FOR WHA/CAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EWWT KCIP PHSA PTER PREL KCRM MARAD IMO
SUBJECT: QUEBEC PORT AUTHORITY COMPLIES WITH ISPS CODE

REF: A. HALIFAX 134


B. MONTREAL 696

C. TORONTO 1132

D. LIMA 3239



1. Summary: The Port of Quebec announced significant
investments to heighten security at its six harbor facilities
hence fulfilling the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
International Shipping and Port Security Code (ISPS). With
financial assistance from the federal government to help meet
the requirements, the Quebec Port Authority has committed Cdn$1
million this year to improve port infrastructures and increase
staffing. U.S. Coast Guard audited facilities July 1. End
Summary.


2. The Quebec Port Authority (QPA) announced investments worth
Cdn$1 million to comply with the ISPS requirements that took
effect July 1, 2004. Transport Canada on May 14 approved a port
facility plan and a cost and security assessment, and will
reimburse 75% of the total investments. Quebec harbormaster
Michel Petit told us that the sums will add security fencing,
gatehouses, magnetic control cards, and surveillance cameras to
monitor the port area. A new coordination center was also put
into operation and will operate in partnership with the local
RCMP division, Canadian Coast Guard, and municipal police. The
QPA has also quadrupled the number of port police, made of up
contract security agents, on the site.


3. Petit was reluctant to provide further details on the new
measures, maintaining it was protected information. (Post heard
of the measures via a radio news item; it was not covered in the
usually more thorough local print media, nor is it noted on the
Port website.) Petit pointed out that U.S. Coast Guard and
Transport Canada officials had audited the port facilities on
July 1, which easily met the set standards. Work is steadily
underway, he said, and should be totally implemented by December

2004.


4. Quebec City attracts 58,000 cruise ship passengers, many of
which are Americans arriving from Boston and New York, as well
as 21,000 crew members. In 2003, the Port of Quebec handled
20.2 million tons of merchandise; mainly wheat, iron ore,
clinker, methanol, newspaper, crude and jet oil, and alumina.
Port Director Ross Gaudreault announced that 2003 ended with
record tonnage - a 45% increase over the preceding two years.
The new security initiatives put into place will improve the
monitoring of shipments and passengers arriving and circulating
in the metropolitan Quebec City area.