Over the past decade, the maritime industry has shown remarkable adaptability — navigating shifting global markets, a pandemic and its aftermath, and volatile geopolitical challenges worldwide. Responsible for providing technical and administrative support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry, International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) maintain a global Maritime Security (MARSEC) Department to support a secure maritime environment. Seasoned maritime security professionals within MARSEC deliver timely security advice, regulatory guidance, and security risk assessment support to help vessels mitigate threats. “We connect RMI-flagged vessel owners and operators to the global maritime security community to share real-time information, identify trends, exchange best practices, and foster a secure maritime environment,” said Evan Curt, Vice President, Maritime Security.
Based in Ft. Lauderdale, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Piraeus, Reston, and Singapore, the MARSEC team actively engages with coalition naval forces, industry associations, non-governmental organizations, governments, information sharing centers, and intergovernmental organizations worldwide through meetings and events.
“Our team investigates all maritime security incidents that occur aboard RMI-flagged vessels – from piracy and robbery to terrorism, contraband and cyberattacks,” noted Vangelis Moutafis, Senior Manager, Management Systems Certification. “We aim to identify root causes, recommend corrective actions, and share findings with the fleet.”
MARSEC investigation findings, recommendations, and intelligence from partner organizations are shared with the RMI fleet via Marine Notices, Ship Security Advisories, and Marine Guidelines. MARSEC also issues ship security alerts related to potential threats and security concerns around the world.
“In accordance with Best Management Practices for Maritime Security (BMP-MS), vessels must conduct comprehensive threat and risk assessment before each voyage,” noted Brian Green, Vice President, Maritime. “Recent attacks on commercial vessels in high-threat regions have highlighted the critical need for timely, relevant, and accurate maritime security intelligence. Our team works around the clock to provide owners and operators of RMI-flagged vessels intelligence needed to support informed decision-making.
“Geopolitical volatility and attacks on commercial vessels have reduced traffic through the Red Sea as much as 60%,” added Evan. “This has been the defining challenge of the past year. Commercial vessels lack defenses against advanced weaponry, making accurate, real-time intelligence and guidance vital for their protection.”
Sources: Joint Maritime Information Center and S&P Global
Serving as a global intelligence hub demands significant investment in coordination, collaboration, and building trust across the maritime security community.
“As physical attacks rise and resources to protect global trade routes remain limited, our participation in tabletop exercises, strategic dialogues, and symposiums is increasingly vital,” noted Evan. “These engagements help us to build strong relationships, know our partners before a crisis, and actively contribute to the development of incident response protocols.”
MARSEC also ensures that all RMI-flagged vessels comply with international maritime security laws and regulations and requires implementation of BMP-MS to mitigate threats. The MARSEC team verifies compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and ISO 28007 standard, reviews training and certifications for privately contracted armed security personnel (PCASP) serving aboard RMI-flagged vessels, and issues letters of non-objection for armed security teams protecting RMI-flagged vessels.
“Our ultimate goal is safe vessel operations,” noted Evan. “We strive to ensure every RMI-flagged vessel, and its seafarers and cargoes reach their destination with minimal risk exposure,” he concluded.
