Gray Page, a specialist maritime intelligence, investigation and crisis management company, has advised that the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee’s (MSC) recently approved interim guidance on the employment of privately contracted armed security personnel (PCASP) to combat piracy, “underlines the requirement for independent vetting of private armed maritime security providers (AMSP),” writes Insurance Journal. The MSC guidance, issued in May, incorporates recommendations for “flag States” [the country where a ship is registered], which confirms that “it is the responsibility of individual flag States whether to ordain the carriage of security personnel and their firearms on board ships sailing under their flags. Further interim guidance, for ship owners, ship operators and shipmasters, seeks to address the difficulties faced in selecting an appropriate provider of armed security services.” James Wilkes, managing director, Gray Page, commented: “The IMO should be commended for setting these guidelines focused, as they are, on ensuring that the provision on board of armed maritime security teams is managed safely and lawfully." “For a ship owner, employing the services of an armed maritime security provider is an exceptionally serious proposition, as the logical consequence of putting men with arms on board a ship is, fundamentally, to sanction the potential use of lethal force to defend the crew and vessel (albeit in extreme and proscribed circumstances). Any decision of such importance should be supported by comprehensive and objective due diligence.” The bulletin noted that Gray Page has launched an “Armed Maritime Security Provider Vetting Program,” which provides ship owners with a “reliable and independent means of vetting prospective providers of armed maritime security services. The program helps ship owners objectively and comprehensively evaluate prospective providers against professional, legal and ethics-based criteria encompassing corporate probity, financial substance, regulatory and legislative compliance, commercial experience, contractual integrity, operational and logistical capability, weapons licensing and accountability, and the selection, recruitment and training of security personnel.” Wilkes added: “There will likely come a point in time when the diligence that a ship owner took in their evaluation and selection of a chosen armed maritime security provider will, itself, be scrutinized. In that event, the ship owner will probably be required to demonstrate that an appropriate due diligence process was followed, adhering to the IMO guidance as a minimum.”
According to Marine News China, COSCO Shipping takes measures to protect its vessels from pirates by spending US$12 million on armed guards and other arrangements. In order to prevent attacks and protect its ships and crews in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, COSCO will buy bullet-proof vests and on-board equipment. Guo Jin, COSCO Shipping's chief operating officer, said according to The South China Morning Post, ‘the measures are necessary for those ships that are unable to avoid high-risk areas off Somalia.’ He added that the company plans to hire British security companies using former Special Air Service troops or Royal Marines. The Shipping Gazette reported that some Hong Kong shipowners, including Pacific Basin Shipping, Valles Steamship and Wah Kwong Maritime Transport, have already hired armed guards to protect their ships against pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. COSCO has declined to comment.
West Africa Piracy
A surge in pirate attacks off West Africa has led to mounting concern in the shipping industry, and analysts say a gang involved in the lucrative black market for stolen fuel appears to be the main culprit, reports AFP.
The increase in attacks in recent months has been concentrated along the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of the small nation of Benin, which neighbours Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer and where piracy has long been a problem.
Unlike the explosion of piracy off the coast of Somalia on the opposite end of the continent in recent years, those involved in the recent West African attacks have so far not appeared to be after ransom payments.
Two independent analysts said a relatively organised gang from Nigeria seems to be the prime suspect in the attacks, which have included pirates hijacking tankers and ordering them elsewhere to offload fuel to be sold on the black market.
Other types of attacks have occurred as well off Benin, such as armed robberies where criminals board ships and make off with whatever they can.
Fifteen piracy incidents off Benin have been reported so far this year to the International Maritime Bureau. None were reported last year.
The spate of pirate attacks off the coast of West Africa have led to changes in the War Risk excluded areas.
Since a number of tankers have been attacked in recent weeks, the London insurance market’s Joint War Committee has added Benin to the list of countries where additional war risks premium may be charged - Shiptalk.
The issue is exemplified by a recent event in the area where pirates boarded a Swedish tanker off the coast of Benin at the weekend but were chased away by the African nation’s navy, leaving the vessel and crew unharmed, the ship’s owner said Monday.
“Protection forces from the Benin navy came out to the ship after the crew reported the attack and scared away the pirates,” Jonas Engstroem of Wisby Ship management told AFP, writes Vanguard news.
Pirates boarded the 183-meter (600-feet) Gotland Sofia overnight to Sunday, causing the crew of 23 to retreat to a fortified room, or so-called citadel, on the ship.
Engstroem said he did not know how long the pirates were onboard, but the crew stayed in the safe room “for about four or five hours” until the incident was considered over and it was certain no pirates remained onboard.
“Everyone is physically unharmed and no one had direct contact with the pirates,” he said.
Tanker Operator reports that pirates attacked two Panamanian-flagged tankers off the coast of Benin on Wednesday. At the time, the vessels were undergoing a ship-to-ship transfer, but were driven off by the Benin navy, local authorities said. "The ships (reported as) ‘Golden Sifia’ [possibly confused with Gotland Sofia] and ‘Aidin Panama’ alerted Benin's naval security forces of an armed attack," Navy Commander Maxime Ahoyo told Reuters.
"When we arrived on the scene we succeeded in chasing off 10 pirates, all Nigerians, who managed to break in but hurt no one," he reportedly said.
He also said the 54 crew aboard the two ships, were able to hide after the pirates boarded and fired their weapons.