Indian Ocean Piracy High Risk Area to be Further Reduced
THE SIZE of the ‘High Risk Area’ (HRA) for piracy in the Indian Ocean is to be further reduced effective from 1 May 2019, organisations representing the global shipping and oil industry have concluded today and issued new advice to merchant ship operators.
The reduction to the High Risk Area comes in response to the continued containment of pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean, but a group of shipping and oil industry organisations-BIMCO, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Intercargo, INTERTANKO and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) continue to stress that an ongoing, though latent, threat remains and that correct reporting and vigilance remains crucial to that containment.
The region previously classified as “high risk area” formed a part of the area called the Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) following the reduction in 2015. Ships entering the VRA are still encouraged to register with the Maritime Security Centre for the Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) and report to the United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO) to be monitored during transit.
As of 1 May 2019, the coordinates of the High Risk Area in the Indian Ocean will be changed. The new coordinates of the High Risk Area are:
In the Southern Red Sea: Northern Limit: Latitude 15º 00’N
In the Indian Ocean a line linking (See map image example):
From the territorial waters off coast of east Africa at Latitude 05º 00’S to 050º 00’E Then to positions:
Lat: 00º 00’ N Long: 055º 00’ E
Lat: 10º 00’ N Long: 060º 00’ E
Lat: 14º 00’ N Long: 060º 00’ E
Then a bearing 310º to the territorial waters off the Arabian Peninsula.
IOR High Risk Area Change (Click map to enlarge)
This change will take effect on 1 May 2019
The industry associations will continue to monitor developments to the security situation and will adjust the HRA again if and when the situation warrants it, states the Maritime Gobal Sevurity website..
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