Port Community Research Articles

Ships, Spatial Interconnections, and the Problematization of Peripheral East Asia in the 1860s

Abstract The 1850s and 1860s were a crucial era in the history of East Asia. The opening of treaty ports and advances in information and navigational technologies both generated new commercial opportunities and brought more people and commodities from Europe and America to East Asia. What were the consequences of these political and socioeconomic changes and the resultant spatial interconnections? I argue that spatial interconnections rendered centuries-old nonstate spaces in East Asia increasingly problematic, to the extent of creating international conflicts. To illustrate this, I reconstruct the mutual influence among places constructed by and shown in the lives of the shipwrecked American vessel Rover and its crew in East Asian waters. Their activities embodied how transpacific and East Asian communication and commerce, and the growing treaty port community in China, became entangled with how Taiwanese aborigines managed their interaction with the outside world. In this and similar borderland incidents, spatial interconnections between central and peripheral East Asia constructed by ordinary people crossing borders, and the problems arising from such interactions, led to the problematization of peripheries in the 1860s.

Impact of infectious diseases associated with passenger ships on ports: a systematic review

Abstract Background In an enclosed ship environment, close contact between passengers and crew members is inevitable. As a result, passenger ships can be a suitable environment for the transmission of infections between people. In this context, it is essential to establish effective prevention and control measures to protect the health of passengers and crew members while ensuring that shipping minimizes its contribution to the global spread of disease. The aim of this review is to provide knowledge on the impact of infectious diseases on board large passenger ships on the port, the port community and other land-based operations to better understand the effectiveness of the prevention, mitigation and management (PMM) measures implemented, in particular ship-to-shore communication. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines, searching three databases and including additional articles from hand searches up to November 2023. Peer-reviewed studies of infectious disease outbreaks on large passenger ships that described ship-shore interaction, port preparedness, impact on the port community, and impact on other modes of transportation were included. Results A total of 555 publications were initially identified. Finally, 22 articles were included. Most studies reported on COVID-19 outbreaks on cruise ships; other communicable diseases reported were influenza, gastroenteritis and varicella. The articles highlighted the importance of comprehensive management plans and proactive risk assessment during infectious disease outbreaks. Conclusions Effective stakeholder collaboration, ship-to-shore communication, and coordination of medical transport, isolation, and quarantine measures are essential components of infectious disease PMM in maritime passenger shipping and ship-to-shore operations. The findings suggest that further research is needed to improve the evidence and knowledge about this important issue. Key messages • Proactive risk assessment, comprehensive management plans and effective collaboration are critical to preventing, mitigating and managing infectious diseases on passenger ships. • Overall, very little evidence of effective practices and capacities related to the interaction of passenger ships with land-based operations, stakeholders and port communities.

Social sustainability for health and well‐being in port areas: A general framework proposal with a social value approach

AbstractSustainability is becoming increasingly critical in the port business, which generates economic, environmental, and social impacts in and around port areas. This study, focusing on social sustainability, intends to investigate the potential creation of multi‐functional social health and well‐being facilities to benefit the staff of the port community. Qualitative research was performed in port areas in Italy. A thematic analysis of textual data obtained from interviews and secondary data was also administered. The original contribution of this study, which proposes a framework with different potential interventional areas, comes from the suggestion for an economic‐financial analysis with the social return on investment. This method permits consideration of valuable aspects for evaluating the potential social value of the multi‐functional social health and well‐being facility.

The implementation of berth allocation policies that enable Just-in-Time arrival in port calls

PurposeJust-in-Time (JIT) arrival in the context of port calls can be used to reduce fuel and emissions to achieve environmental targets. The purpose of this paper is to study the implementation process of the Pre-booking Berth Allocation Policy (PBP) and analyze the effectiveness of this policy for the implementation of JIT in port calls.Design/methodology/approachThe study deploys a single case study approach to empirically analyze port authority’s transition from a first-come-first-served (FCFS) arrival policy to the PBP. Observations, interviews and documents were used to collect data during 2020–2022. The analysis deployed the capability, opportunity, motivation and behavior model.FindingsThe transition from FCFS to PBP requires an inter-organizational approach, engaging external actors to manage diverse needs and preferences. This fosters effective transition and addresses conflicting interests. The PBP enables JIT arrival, enhancing operational and environmental performance, but faces barriers such as resource dependency and lack of trust. Information sharing capability among the actors, supported by Port Community Systems and adjusted operating rules, is crucial. Moreover, the PBP facilitates integration between sea and hinterland transportation, improving planning and efficiency across maritime transportation chains.Research limitations/implicationsThe single case study limits the generalizability of the findings.Practical implicationsImplementing the PBP is complex and demands careful planning from managers. Involving port call actors in the transition is helpful for port managers because they provide valuable feedback and highlight overlooked issues.Originality/valueFive propositions are suggested to highlight the role of inter-organizational collaboration, information sharing and overcoming barriers such as resource dependency to successfully realize the benefits of JIT in maritime transportation chains.

Structure and resilience changes of global liquefied natural gas shipping network during the Russia–Ukraine conflict

Research on the structure and resilience of marine networks that transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) can inform policies to secure global energy supplies. Since the 1990s, geopolitical risks have been crucial in the LNG supply chain. However, existing research inadequately addresses the impact of major geopolitical events, such as the Russia–Ukraine conflict, on LNG maritime networks. This study utilized 2021–2022 Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to create a global LNG maritime network, including ports and chokepoints, to assess changes in structure and resilience during the Russia–Ukraine conflict. We also simulated changes in network resilience under various attack scenarios. The findings indicate that the Russia–Ukraine conflict has impacted the direction and volume of LNG flows. Structural changes were observed, including changes in the weighted degree of nodes and the composition of port communities. In 2022, the network demonstrated dynamic resilience, invulnerability, and recoverability changes, with noticeable self-healing properties. However, these capabilities were lower than those in 2021. Intentional attacks on maritime chokepoints, such as the Strait of Malacca, result in a much faster decline in network resilience than random attacks. These findings suggest that the Russia–Ukraine conflict has altered the resilience and structure of LNG maritime networks. Countries heavily dependent on LNG should prioritize expanding their LNG-receiving terminals and diversifying their LNG sourcing strategies.

Spatial heterogeneity among different-sized port communities in directed-weighted global liner shipping network

Global liner shipping network (GLSN) serves as the backbone of international commerce. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and regional integration, regionalization has become one of the dominant trends of the GLSN's structure. This study detected 27 practical relevant port communities within the directed-weighted GLSN using the Infomap algorithm. Based on the community structure of the GLSN, we identified the provincial, gateway, and connector hubs, considering the balance and intensity of the inbound and outbound shipping routes. To highlight the smaller communities obtained in this study, those practical relevant port communities are further differentiated into 7 large and 20 small port communities. The spatial heterogeneity among different-sized port communities is investigated regarding geographical distribution, topological properties, functional characteristics, etc. The large port community is typically formed in major trading regions with well-developed hub-and-spoke networks. They are the principal market in which most liner operators participate in it. Some small port communities lying along the main lane of seaborne container trades also play pivotal roles in the GLSN with many liner companies involved. While other small port communities located peripherally only connect to a few surrounding port communities. The spatial heterogeneity among different-sized port communities is mainly caused by the unbalanced distribution of seaborne container trades. These findings offer new insights into the community structure and its spatial heterogeneity within the GLSN, which can provide stakeholders with practical implications.

Enhancing Sustainability through the Development of Port Communication Systems: A Case Study of the Port of Koper

This paper addresses the highly topical issue of the digitalisation of the port community through the development of advanced port communication systems (PCSs). The efficient and sustainable operation of container terminals (CTs) plays a key role in global trade and in ensuring the sustainable functioning of transport chains. While larger container terminals utilise PCSs, smaller container terminals often face challenges when implementing similar systems due to resource constraints and unique operational characteristics. This research analyses the impact of PCSs on the operational processes and information exchange between the smaller CT in the Port of Koper and the local port community. The aim of this study is to identify the possibilities of upgrading PCSs with modern information technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchains, internet-of-things (IoT), etc., that will lead to more efficient execution of operational processes, reduced congestion and a lower carbon footprint for the port community as a whole. The paper provides guidelines for the possible coordinated development of PCSs in the Northern Adriatic to ensure the most harmonised operation of stakeholders in different ports or CTs.

Optimizing Port Efficiency: Unveiling Disparities and Potential of Port Community System (PCS) Deployment at Port Qasim for Economic Growth and Technological Transformation

Optimizing Port Efficiency: Unveiling Disparities and Potential of Port Community System (PCS) Deployment at Port Qasim for Economic Growth and Technological Transformation

An Analytical Model for Estimating Ship-Related Emissions in Port Areas

Intensive shipping activity in port areas is considered one of the leading problems in the maritime sector, which has a negative effect on climate change and local air quality. The compilation of detailed inventories of combustion gases released by ships should therefore provide a more accurate overview of emission levels, which can serve as a basis for analysing impacts on the port community and lead to the establishment of better environmental measures. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop an adaptable and relevant analytical model capable of integrating a comprehensive methodology with large databases of ship movements and technical details to provide clear ship-related emission estimates in large port areas. Considering the lack of research in Croatia that includes the mentioned approach and the insufficient monitoring of air pollutants in ports, the model was used to produce an initial overall emissions inventory for the Port of Split, the busiest passenger port in Croatia. In the model, bottom-up logic with an energy-based method was applied to detailed technical and near-real-time shipping data from AIS, creating the first high-density spatial and temporal overview of shipping emissions in the City port basin. The results showed strong seasonal fluctuations and large discrepancies in the quantities emitted between different ship types and operating modes. The analysis therefore raised the question of the need for the future development and implementation of a scalable system that would provide a more transparent and efficient overview of the important characteristics of air pollution from ships and port areas.

A new sampling device for metabarcoding surveillance of port communities and detection of non-indigenous species

Metabarcoding techniques are revolutionizing studies of marine biodiversity. They can be used for monitoring non-indigenous species (NIS) in ports and harbors. However, they are often biased by inconsistent sampling methods and incomplete reference databases. Logistic constraints in ports prompt the development of simple, easy-to-deploy samplers. We tested a new device called polyamide mesh for ports organismal monitoring (POMPOM) with a high surface-to-volume ratio. POMPOMS were deployed inside a fishing and recreational port in the Mediterranean alongside conventional settlement plates. We also compiled a curated database with cytochrome oxidase (COI) sequences of Mediterranean NIS. COI metabarcoding of the communities settled in the POMPOMs captured a similar biodiversity than settlement plates, with shared molecular operational units (MOTUs) representing ca. 99% of reads. 38 NIS were detected in the port accounting for ca. 26% of reads. POMPOMs were easy to deploy and handle and provide an efficient method for NIS surveillance.

A Conceptual Model for Sustainable Green Port Practices: A Case Study of Northport (Malaysia) Berhad

This paper aims to propose a conceptual model for sustainable green port practices. The port industry is the main gateway of trade around the world. Nowadays, ports do not only focus on business purposes but also non-business purposes specifically environmental concerns surrounding the ports. As the public becomes more engaged with the risks of climate change and the composition of port shareholders changes, the philosophy towards port business has evolved too. The environment has become an in-thing for ports to emphasize the sustainability of their business. It is also the regulation that is implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to protect the environment and community because ports are also the source contributing to pollution. Thus, the introduction of Green Port Initiatives (GPIs) is the best way and resolution to highlight the importance of keeping a safe environment for the future. The study presents the conceptual framework portraying the elements concerning the sustainability of GPIs from the Northport perspective. Firstly, examining the level of awareness of GPIs among the port community; secondly mapping the port GPIs to the six key areas of Green Port Concepts; thirdly, understanding the initial key areas of initiatives which port community is interested in practicing; and fourthly, comparison GPIs at Northport with other port for benchmarking. The findings will provide ideas on the best strategies to implement and sustain the GPIs at Northport (Malaysia) Berhad towards their operation and more significantly meeting the United Nation’s 17 SDGs.

Identifying Transshipment Hubs in a Global Container Shipping Network: An Approach Based on Reinforced Structural Holes

Transshipment hubs are important components of the global container shipping network. Nowadays, hybrid ports are emerging, handling both gateway and transshipment container traffic depending on their significant maritime connectivity. Effectively identifying transshipment hubs, including traditional transshipment hubs with high transshipment incidences and hybrid ports with sufficient transshipment capabilities, is crucial to gain a good understanding of container shipping networks. The method of reinforced structural holes (RSHs) has been introduced from the sociology to detect transshipment hubs at the global level, as it can fully consider the existence of separated cohesive port communities. The results show that the RSH-based approach is feasible to identify those hubs playing the role of bridges across different port communities worldwide, which is demonstrated from the perspective of maritime connectivity. The higher ranked hubs with higher RSH values generally have better maritime connections with ports from various port communities. Several policy implications have been further elaborated for relevant decision makers, such as liner companies and port operators.

Trade, literacy and documentary histories of the northern Black Sea

AbstractThe northern coast of the Black Sea has produced an abundance of documentary texts dating from the sixth through fourth centuries BC. Of great value to the epigraphist and historian are dozens of Greek letters, receipts and curses inscribed on lead and ceramic media. When placed in dialogue with one another, these texts yield new insights into daily life and literacy in communities for which literary sources are scant or absent. They document the bustling trade in saltfish, enslaved persons and textiles, and the web of relations between Greek and non-Greek individuals in north Pontic cities, from marriage to commercial ties with indigenous groups of the Pontic interior. This article demonstrates how trade could drive literacy in non-elite communities of the northern Black Sea. Literacy and mercantile activity were very much entwined, and developed in parallel with one another and with other civic and social institutions within these port communities.

A port performance measurement approach using a sustainability balanced scorecard based on stakeholders’ expectations

ABSTRACT This study aimed to integrate stakeholder theory into developing port performance management systems through the sustainable balanced scorecard (SBSC), which represents and reflects different stakeholders’ expectations in hybrid organizations, such as port communities. The study developed an integrated stakeholder-based framework for global performance measurement, ensuring a balance between the SBSC performance indicators and stakeholders’ consensus. Fifty-seven port performance indicators (PPIs) selected from the literature were categorized into six SBSC dimensions and assessed by 41 stakeholders in the Port of Radès using the failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) technique. The framework fully considered the stakeholders’ perceptions, expectations, and satisfaction levels. Prioritizing the PPIs using an indicator priority number, inspired by the risk priority number approach of FMEA, fostered an effective balance between the performance dimensions in the SBSC. The developed framework can help port authorities reach a consensus on the most important strategic priorities, align port stakeholders’ expectations, prioritize their improvement actions, and gain a significant competitive advantage. The participative approach enabled by the integration of stakeholder theory promotes the effective use of global performance measurement systems. Emphasizing the governance and environmental dimensions of the SBSC contributes to enhancing port competitiveness.

Classification of Port Systems for Port Competitiveness

The general objective of the research was to classify port systems for competitiveness by implementation criteria, continents and port functional competitiveness indicators. This research used the qualitative approach and was applied. The thematic narrative research design due to the variety of information used in reference documents based on the topic of classifying port systems for competitiveness. A classification with 18 criteria was constructed by evaluating their fulfillment in the different port systems based on the literature reviewed. They were also classified by level of implementation, by countries in which they have been implemented, and by port competitiveness indicators. The port community and the automatic identification system are focused on improving the flow of information, while the terminal operation system, the automated gate system and the truck appointment system are focused on optimizing the operations performed at ports.

Criterion for Ensuring the Effectiveness of the Management of the Global Maritime Industry

Introduction. The significant dynamic nature of modern geopolitical and military threats sets new requirements for evaluating the criteria effectiveness of solving maritime industry management problems, requires new methodological approaches and mathematical models for evaluating criteria, and determines a new architecture of information systems in the structure of which these approaches and models are implemented. This makes the issue of the analysis of the application of criteria and the development, research, and implementation of such models and systems extremely relevant.
 Aim and tasks. The purpose of the study is to create a methodological approach to evaluating the criteria that characterize the effectiveness of the management of the maritime industry, with the dynamic change of criteria due to the influence of threats and challenges.
 Results. A methodological approach has been developed to evaluate the criteria that characterize the effectiveness of the management of the maritime industry based on the model for assessing the convergence of the absolute values of the first derivatives of the criteria over time, which, at short time intervals, can be considered as criteria change trends. It has been established that instead of reducing transportation costs, management switches to the principle of ensuring optimal costs, which leads to an increase in the cost of freight and shock reactions in the sea transportation market. It was established that it is advisable to use the LSCI criterion as an indicator of the negative effect of “local optimization”. After determining the development trends of the criteria, their evaluation as well as the assessment of their convergence were carried out, which became the basis for proposing directions for improving the efficiency of maritime industry management.
 Conclusions. The developed methodological approach and the mathematical model of its implementation make it possible to conduct both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the effectiveness of management of the maritime industry. To increase the efficiency of management, it is proposed: to integrate port community systems; to increase the stability of the port infrastructure so that it can function in crisis conditions; to achieve coordination of management actions at all levels; to avoid “local optimization” and introduce integral optimization; to respond not only to direct threats but also to detect the cascading effects of threats.

Smart Terminal System of Systems’ Cyber Threat Impact Evaluation

Systems of system-level thinking is required when the purpose is to develop a coherent understanding of the ecosystem where every user and system requirements are divided into specific parts. The smarter project, as a part of the Sea4value program of DIMECC, aims to develop harbor operations, including passenger and cargo transportation, in a way that port processes will improve, emissions will decrease, and overall security will enhance in smart ports. This paper describes cyber-attack impacts against the Smart terminal system of systems in the cyber realm by utilizing the MITRE ATTACK® framework to map the objectives of threat actors. The Smart Terminal system environment includes ICT, ICS networks and components, communication systems, and port service systems. Internal and external threat sources or actors are hard to divide exactly because of the diversity of the threats. Hybrid threats challenge maritime domain awareness globally. The cyber threat impacts on IT and OT environments are connected to each other because of the use of internal and external networks that impact each other by combining vulnerabilities and threats. Well-working port and terminal operations require not only protected operational systems or sensor systems, but human errors must also be minimized. Objectives of threat actors are presented, categorized, and listed. Threat scenarios illustrate that cyber threats and risks are mainly similar in the maritime global-linked port community and basic hinterland trade. The networked supply chain of the business causes evolving and combined threat scenarios. European and international standards, regulations, policies, recommendations, and, e.g., guidelines by the IMO, set new cyber-threat requirements for port and terminal services and facilities. Therefore, overall security must be considered when cyber-security is the development area. Information exchange in an understandable form is essential for maintaining business continuity. Threat information has to be transferred among stakeholders as well as cyber security codes have to be followed in the port operations of partners that are involved, for example, in operational and system-level actions. Digitalization in smart ports and terminals enhances the capacity to handle cargo and passengers more efficiently, but cyber threats evolve.

Environment and shipping drive environmental DNA beta-diversity among commercial ports.

The spread of nonindigenous species by shipping is a large and growing global problem that harms coastal ecosystems and economies and may blur coastal biogeographical patterns. This study coupled eukaryotic environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding with dissimilarity regression to test the hypothesis that ship-borne species spread homogenizes port communities. We first collected and metabarcoded water samples from ports in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. We then calculated community dissimilarities between port pairs and tested for effects of environmental dissimilarity, biogeographical region and four alternative measures of ship-borne species transport risk. We predicted that higher shipping between ports would decrease community dissimilarity, that the effect of shipping would be small compared to that of environment dissimilarity and shared biogeography, and that more complex shipping risk metrics (which account for ballast water and stepping-stone spread) would perform better. Consistent with our hypotheses, community dissimilarities increased significantly with environmental dissimilarity and, to a lesser extent, decreased with ship-borne species transport risks, particularly if the ports had similar environments and stepping-stone risks were considered. Unexpectedly, we found no clear effect of shared biogeography, and that risk metrics incorporating estimates of ballast discharge did not offer more explanatory power than simpler traffic-based risks. Overall, we found that shipping homogenizes eukaryotic communities between ports in predictable ways, which could inform improvements in invasive species policy and management. We demonstrated the usefulness of eDNA metabarcoding and dissimilarity regression for disentangling the drivers of large-scale biodiversity patterns. We conclude by outlining logistical considerations and recommendations for future studies using this approach.

Limits to blue economy: challenges to accessing fishing livelihoods in Ghana’s port communities

The blue economy concept has drawn global attention to the maritime economy, recognising expanding maritime industries such as shipping as crucial drivers of economic growth. In recent decades, seaports have correspondingly witnessed significant expansion, allowing them to play a substantial role in achieving blue growth. This study examines the challenges faced by small-scale fishing actors in gaining access to fishing livelihoods in coastal fishing communities close to Ghanaian ports. Drawing on political ecology, the study demonstrates how securitisation in port areas and dispossession has resulted in unstable fishing livelihoods in port communities. The study shows that the growth-oriented goals of port expansions and port security measures have restricted fishing communities’ access to coastal fishing spaces and caused congestion in the canoe bays of Ghana’s fishing harbours. In addition, the urbanisation around the ports has impacted fishers’ ability to meet the rising cost of living in fishing communities with fishing incomes. Furthermore, the study discusses how the new Jamestown fishing harbour complex project has displaced small-scale fishing actors and become a site of contestation between a coastal fishing community and local government authorities. In conclusion, as coastal fishing actors lose their only source of livelihood, resistance may escalate into different forms of maritime conflicts in the blue economy. The study recommends addressing the marginalisation and exclusion of traditional coastal fishing livelihoods to ensure a more equitable blue economy.

Ports in the Medieval European Atlantic: Shipping, Transport and Labour, ed. Ana María Rivera Medina

The synergy of legal, environmental, slavery and socio-economic historians marks this book, edited by Ana María Rivera Medina, as an important addition to existing scholarship. The book consists of seven chapters, each meticulously prepared. The opening chapter, by Mathias Tranchant, examines the jurisdictional frameworks of the Atlantic ports of medieval France. Tranchant stresses that ports had three geographical layers: the supralittoral zone (land the tide never reaches), the intertidal zone (area covered by the tide range), and the infralittoral zone (shallow water region closest to the shore). From the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries a series of overlapping prerogatives had been collected by lay and ecclesiastical lords (seigneurie rivagière) which created a complex web of rights and jurisdictions. Tranchant carefully describes this process through an in-depth analysis of the available source material. Ana María Rivera Medina’s chapter discusses Basque stevedoring and analyses the port services which ensured the safety of ships, such as placing buoys over sandbanks and employing pilots who knew local sea conditions. She carefully reconstructs the busy working lives of port workers, the intricacies of using lighters to unload ships, and how storage spaces provided opportunities to collect revenues from maritime trade. The chapter by María Álvarez Fernández complements Medina’s essay by discussing port infrastructures and cargo handling in Asturias and Galicia in the later Middle Ages. These were small ports that focused on fishing, but which, nonetheless, contributed to local economies in a variety of ways. Amândio J.M. Barros’s chapter on the slave trade and Portuguese ports in the sixteenth century is an important contribution. His focus is on the smaller ports involved in the slave trade and through this fascinating study draws our attention to black sailors, and how the presence of enslaved people in port communities supported the maritime economy through activities such as carpentry and shipbuilding. Also focusing on Portugal, Sara Pinto examines transport and shipping in the port of Caminha. Pinto pays close attention to the environmental conditions that affected Caminha and examines the administrators employed to supervise port services. Enrique José Ruiz Pilares’s chapter analyses the development of port infrastructure in the coastal regions of Atlantic Andalusia. He points out that, prior to the fifteenth century, much of the infrastructure was built in wood, but from the mid-fifteenth century a significant expansion in trade encouraged authorities to undertake initiatives to improve facilities. Drawing on a case-study of Jerez de la Frontera, Pilares shows that these building projects led to labour specialisations and the development of warehouses, lodgings and markets, which encouraged the growth of a vibrant merchant community. Roberto J. González Zalacain focuses on the development of Tenerife’s ports from the late fifteenth century through to the sixteenth century. The author’s focus here is on showing how Tenerife was integrated into the ‘Atlantic Mediterranean’ and how it facilitated links between Europe, Africa and America.