COALITION FOR SECURE PORTS NAMES FORMER OAKLAND PORT DIRECTOR TAY YOSHITANI AS SENIOR ADVISOR

Washington, DC - Tay Yoshitani, former Executive Director of the Port of Oakland, has joined the Coalition for Secure Ports as a Senior Advisor. The Coalition was formed earlier this year to educate policymakers and the public on steps that have been taken to improve port and cargo chain security since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and to advocate for further pragmatic and effective improvements to the country's maritime security system.

"We are very pleased that Tay has joined the Coalition as a Senior Advisor," said Basil Maher, President and COO of Maher Terminals and President of the National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE). "As an expert with more than 15 years of experience directing ports on both the East and West Coasts, Tay will be a great asset to the Coalition as we seek to help identify and move forward on the best ways to enhance maritime security."

"I am excited to join the Coalition for Secure Ports," said Yoshitani. "The Coalition is addressing one of the most important issues facing the U.S. today - further enhancing port security. Ports, vessels and the entire cargo supply chain are vital to our nation's economy, and now that the rhetoric of the political campaign season is behind us, policymakers need to obtain the facts regarding the best ways to improve our nation's port and cargo security system."

"While a great deal of attention has deservedly been paid to aviation security, we must also continue to enhance maritime security," he continued. "More than 95 percent of this country's overseas cargo moves through U.S. ports. The maritime industry contributes more than one trillion dollars to our country's GDP each year. Yet only 10 percent of the Transportation Security Administration's annual budget is currently allocated to maritime security."

The Coalition for Secure Ports advocates a unified and cooperative approach to port and cargo security that involves all stakeholders: shippers, importers, intermediaries, brokers, ocean carriers, ports and terminals, land-based transporters and, most important, the U.S. government.

The Coalition advocates three central approaches:

1. Earlier, better and more complete cargo shipment data, which means collecting advance loading information on container shipments from shippers and importers overseas prior to loading on vessels.
   
   
2. Further enhancing the security of the containers themselves by implementing requirements obligating the party that stuffs a container to seal it immediately after secure stuffing takes place, and also by setting defined international standards for the use of high security seals on all containerized shipments.
   
   
3. Implementation of the Transportation Worker Identity Credential, or TWIC, by which transportation system workers nationwide would carry a tamper resistant credential containing biometric information in order to ensure that the identity of individuals in the U.S. with access to cargo can be verified reliably and expediently.

The Coalition seeks to identify actions that the government, in cooperation with private sector stakeholders, can take now to further enhance the security of the nation's marine transportation system. "Nearly 9 million cargo containers arrive at America 's 361 seaports each year," said Yoshitani. "Further enhancing our nation's port and cargo security without impeding the flow of commerce is a complex challenge that requires both government leadership and private sector expertise."

Mr. Yoshitani has extensive experience in the maritime sector. As Executive Director of the Port of Oakland from 2001 - 2004 and Deputy Executive Director from 1998 - 2001, he presided over one of the most important economic engines in the Bay Area, impacting well over $2 billion in business revenue and over 200,000 jobs in region. Prior to working for the Port of Oakland, Yoshitani was Executive Director of the Port of Baltimore and Deputy Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, the largest port in the United States.