Vizhinjam port gets ISPS code; the passenger and merchant vessels of international shipping lines can now call at the port

The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), which reports to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, granted the port the ISPS Code (International Code for the Security of Ships and Port Facilities) about a year after the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) stopped the outer anchorage crew change at Vizhinjam seaport. Following the port's approval, foreign shipping companies' passenger and cargo ships that had avoided calling at the Vizhinjam port since last July may finally do so.

The crew change service, which was last performed here on July 20, 2022, may also be resumed by the authorities. The implementation of suitable and proportional maritime security measures in ports and aboard ships is ensured by the ISPS Code certification. At the national, regional, and international levels, it also outlines the respective tasks and obligations of all parties involved in ensuring marine security in ports and onboard ships.

The ruling from the MMD confirmed that the Vizhinjam port facility functions in line with the authorised port facility security strategy and that it complies with the requirements of Chapter XI-2 and Part A of the ISPS Code.

The port can presently accommodate a variety of boats, including passenger ships, passenger high-speed craft, cargo high-speed craft, bulk carriers, various cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers, gas tankers, gas carriers, and mobile offshore drilling rigs. In light of the restrictions placed on seafarers by several nations during the COVID-19 period, the outside anchorage crew change was permitted at Vizhinjam. The port then enabled 735 crew swaps, which brought in 10 crore in income. However, soon as the government loosened the epidemic limitations, they withdrew the authorization. Due to its proximity to international shipping lanes, the crew change at Vizhinjam was very advantageous for the marine industry.

The Kollam Port has lately been declared to be in accordance with the ISPS's requirements, according to the MMD. The 7,700 crore Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport, which is still under development, has not yet received the ISPS code since the port facility's perimeter fence could not be finished even though other security requirements were completed. The certification process has been delayed because the port developer has not yet received a land parcel close to the port.