TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Port Authority and the U.S. Coast Guard, along with representatives from the Tampa Bay Harbor Safety and Security Committee, and the ports of Tampa, Manatee, and St. Petersburg, will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Port of Tampa to celebrate the official opening of the Cooperative Vessel Traffic Service (CVTS) in Tampa Bay.
The traffic system is focused on the safe movement of all vessels sailing the navigable waters within a 35-mile radius of a centralized sea buoy and all waters east of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. This area includes Old Tampa Bay, south of the Gandy Bridge, and all waters of the Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay. Specific radio channels and phone numbers have been designated to facilitate communications between vessel pilots, marine personnel, port operations, maritime security bodies and other officials. The partnership has worked well and the Tampa Bay area will benefit from the safety and security provided by this multi-agency approach.
“We have worked hard to combine our strengths in developing a winning team here in Tampa Bay, and safety on our waterways, security of our ports and protection of our environment is at the core of what we believe is the best cooperative effort anywhere in the country,” Captain Joseph A. Servidio, Coast Guard Captain of the Port, said.
The event will be held at the Tampa Port Authority’s Security Operations Center located at 2002 Maritime Blvd. Tampa, FL.
Source: USCG D7 Public Affairs
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