Detention by Port State Control

The holding of a ship in port by the Port State Control authority until serious deficiencies are corrected, the strongest enforcement tool under the regional PSC memoranda such as the Paris and Tokyo MOUs. Detention follows an inspection that finds the ship unseaworthy or a clear hazard to safety, health, or the environment; the ship cannot sail until the right of departure is granted. A detention is recorded against the ship, flag, and recognized organization and feeds the targeting algorithms for future inspections.