Isla Mujeres, Q.R. — Ferry passengers to Isla Mujeres will face an increase in security this year with the installation of new protocols and high tech detectors.
Guillermo Rentería Zúñiga, Operations Manager and Protection Officer of the Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo, said during first quarter of 2019, the port terminals at Isla Mujeres will be subject to the International Ship and Port Facilities Securities code along with detectors.
The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) is a comprehensive set of measures to enhance the security of ships and port facilities and was developed in response to the perceived threats to ships and port facilities in the wake of 9/11 in the US.
This increase in port security, along with the ISPS code, has been implemented in other ferry ports of the state including Cozumel.
He explained that the code, as well as the security protocols, are already used in the Cozumel terminal where there are not only personnel from the Mexican Navy and federal police, but also walk-through metal detectors, X-ray machines and cameras with facial recognition.
Rentería Zúñiga explained that in the case of Isla Mujeres, they are planning to invest around 400,000 peso to increase their security protocol, adding that their cameras have been in operation for several months already.
“It is a priority for port director Alicia Ricalde Magaña to apply this security code in each and every one of the port terminals, including those of Isla Mujeres and Punta Sam,” he explained.
He said that during 2019, the new protocol should be implemented not only in Isla Mujeres and Punta Sam, but also at Puerto Juarez and all maritime terminals that are under the administration of la Administración Portuaria Integral de Quintana Roo.
He added that the security team the terminals will have will not be API staff, but of an external company.
