Closing Plenary

Wednesday, June 6, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

A Global Trend Towards Larger Ships and the Effects on Port Regions

Robust growth in global trade since the 1970s has spurred a progressive increase in the average size of ocean-going cargo vessels (UNESCAP 2007; UNCTAD 2011).  As a result, a rising percentage of cargo ships exceed the capacity of the Panama Canal – a vital link for global maritime traffic.  In response, construction to expand the Panama Canal was initiated in 2007 and is scheduled for completion in 2014, which will nearly double the capacity of the canal (Knight 2008).  The “domino effect” of this expansion has led deepwater ports along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico to evaluate and, in some cases, execute expansion plans to accommodate Post-Panamax vessels.  In turn, ports along North America’s West Coast must consider the impact of trade loss to East Coast ports, while contemplating development plans to host ships even larger than the new Panama Canal dimensions.

The Closing Plenary will examine the effects on coastal regions surrounding deepwater ports that result from the global trend towards larger ships.  The plenary will host a panel of industry, government, university and NGO representatives who will summarize their own perspectives on the topic, respond to issues raised in news headlines in recent years, and field questions from the audience.  The panel discussion will heighten awareness about the topic and highlight the consensus-building that must occur in the real world to achieve the greatest benefit for port regions nationwide, and even worldwide.

Moderator:

Hal Cardwell, PhD, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Institute for Water Resources

Panelists:

Becky Hope, Miami-Dade County, Port of Miami
Thomas Jelenic, City of Long Beach, Port of Long Beach
Laura Reynolds, Tropical Audubon Society
Brian Walker, PhD, NOVA Southeastern University Oceanographic Center
Morgan Wyenn, JD, Natural Resources Defense Council, Santa Monica Office
William Bailey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District (TENTATIVE)

References:

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 2011. Review of Maritime Transport 2011. UNCTAD Trade Logistics Branch of the Division on Technology and Logistics. Geneva, Switzerland. 213 Pages. Available at: http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/rmt2011_en.pdf.

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). 2007. Regional Shipping and Port Development – Container Traffic Forecast: 2007 Update. UNESCAP Transport and Tourism Division in collaboration with the Korea Maritime Institute. New York, USA and Geneva, Switzerland. 63 Pages. Available at: http:// www.unescap.org/ttdw/Publications/TIS_pubs/pub_2484/ pub_2484_CH2.pdf.