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Weekly Pirate Activity Update - 12 Aug

August 13, 2011 - 07:32:21 UTC
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Four unsuccessful attacks by Somali pirates, including a boarding and a 12-skiff swarm attack. West African piracy shifts international focus. The mystery of the missing crewmember, but pirates clash results in two deaths. Five pirates are jailed in Holland and three flag states sign a declaration condemning violence against seafarers. Somali 'Sea Wolves' are happy no can stop them, as  the world's weirdest stock market shows. Accused Somali pirate used cellphone alerts and internet to assess ransom demands. The hunt for an alternative pirate: a cultural advisor to EUNAVFOR. Copycat 'pirates' in the U.S. fail.

Despite the paucity of pirate attacks over the last seven days, the implications from one particular attack, in the Red Sea, where 12 skiffs approached a vessel with 2 skiffs carrying out a sustained pursuit which resulted in a 30-minute fire fight with the embarked security team, is worrisome. The third attack, further to the north of the Red Sea, saw pirates able to board the vessel whilst the crew moved to the citadel. Fortunately, a warship was in the vicinity and able to board the vessel but finding now pirates on board. An attack 40-45nm Southeast of the 12-skiff attack the previous day proved unsuccessful.West Africa piracy has received more attention as more attacks have occurred in the region than in Somalia over the last few months. Whilst crew members are rarely taken as hostages for ransom, the growing violence against the crew and the, in general, theft of fuel for the black market, has the potential to heighten concerns for the economy in the regions' oil companies. Not too far removed from the concerns for oil transportation through the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. In-fighting between pirate groups continues to result in the death of pirates, whilst the residents are growing more weary of the behaviour of said pirates, and are organising themselves to move them out of what used to be safe havens. The three flag states that have a 40 percent of the world’s commercial shipping tonnage, have signed an agreement condemning the acts of violence against seafarers by pirates and have agreed to pool information on mistreatment of seafarers by pirates. The world's weirdest stock market, despite extremely poor local economies and global market turmoil, is a sector rife with profits is enjoying unprecedented growth. After experiencing regional market expansion of 1500% in recent years, the Somali piracy sector looks ripe for IPOs, of a sort. The five pirates convicted of piracy involving the South African couple still held in southern Somalia, were sentenced in the Netherlands for between 4 and a half to 7 years. The Somali accused of piracy and kidnapping has revealed to have used the internet and cellphones to gain information on hostages and the value of ships. The debate continues over the legality of question that took place. The EU Naval Force headquarters has placed an advert on its website in search of its very own Pirate Cultural Advisor. Pirates need not apply; or would it be a case of set a thief to catch a thief? The U.S. has its own case of piracy, but in this case the signs were all too easy to spot - hence the failed attempt.

Pirate Activity

The unsuccessful attacks across all regions is covered in the summary below.

Somalia Report covered the matter surrounding the kidnapped crew of MV Leopard. The vessel was disabled by the crew when it was overpowered by pirates in January 2011, forcing the pirates to take the crew ashore as captives. The vessel had only previously landed a security team as they made their way to what was, at the time, considered to be a relatively safe sea area. Although a warship was in transit to assist the vessel, it was found disabled and abandoned by the Turkish warship, TCG Gaziantep, Leopard was towed to safe waters.

The mystery surrounds the fate of a Filipino crewmember believed missing, and according to reports, possibly killed during the hijack of the vessel taking place. Three 'versions' of what was likely to have occurred are put forward, however, the Master of the Leopard version is the most plausible. Read further details in Somalia Report website.At least two people have been killed and four others injured after two pirate groups fire upon each other in Hobyo, reports Somalia Report. Witnesses state "fully armed pirates started arguing for unknown reason and then started firing guns at each other."More and more towns are protesting the presence of pirates in the areas, and Hobyo has long been a pirate stronghold but the immoral behaviour of the pirates has offended many of the local residents, and this case is no exception.


Pirates in Court

5 Suspect pirates (Img src: The Telegraph)
A court in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam has sentenced five Somali pirates to jail terms ranging from 4.5 to 7 years, writes Expatica.com. The men were arrested in November 2010 by a Dutch Navy patrol in the Gulf of Aden. They had been involved in hijacking the South African yacht off the Tanzanian coast. Two members of the yacht's crew, a couple from Durban, are still missing and may be being held somewhere in Somalia. A Dutch attempt to extradite the pirates to South Africa failed because authorities there did not want to prosecute them.

The Telegraph article provides a timeline of other key events in the battle against piracy off the coast of Somalia.

The Dailypress.com reports a government court filing is revealing new details about the arrest of a Somali man prosecutors have called the biggest catch in the U.S. battle against piracy. The revelations involve Mohammad Saaili Shibin, who is accused of piracy, kidnapping and weapons charges for his alleged role in the February hijacking of the Quest off the coast of Africa where four Americans were killed aboard the yacht. According to the court filing in Norfolk, Shibin used cell phone alerts to learn of hijacked ships off Somalia and conducted Internet searches about the Americans who were sailing the Quest. The details were contained in the government's response to a defense claim he was unlawfully questioned aboard a government plane. Prosecutors say their interrogation was legal and proper.

Private Security

Indian merchant ships may soon be allowed to have armed guards to counter pirate attacks, two senior government officials said, according to livemint.com. The Directorate General of Shipping plans to issue a draft notification allowing merchant ships to deploy armed guards on board, said Satish B. Agnihotri, who heads the regulatory agency. Agnihotri did not give any details. H. Khatri, nautical surveyor-cum-deputy director general of shipping, who is preparing the draft, could not be immediately contacted. Mint reported on 5 June that the government was considering allowing merchant ships to have armed guards to deal with the growing menace of piracy.

The International Maritime Organisation, a global overseer of operational and safety rules, in May approved employing privately contracted armed security personnel onboard ships transiting through the high-risk piracy area off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean. “In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before and they’re taking higher risks,” said Pottengal Mukundan, director of IMB. “This June, for the first time, pirates fired on ships in rough seas in the Indian Ocean during the monsoon. In the past, they would have stayed away in such difficult (weather) conditions.” Nine Indian ships have been captured since January and 86 crew members are currently held hostage, shipping minister G.K. Vasan said. Talks for their release are ongoing.

West Africa Piracy

The recently highlighted surge in piracy off the West African coast, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, has drawn international focus during the monsoon-induced lull of piracy off Somalia. Media is more concerned with the famine and the Islamic militants than Somali pirates right now. Nevertheless, the focus is warranted as a plethora of media articles on the "Emerging Market", "Piracy Threat Rising to Somali Level", "Benin, Nigeria in Moves to End Piracy", and "Piracy Levels 'Soaring' Off Benin" has shown.

In the maritime blog, gCaptain, it states that Somali pirates operate a ‘blue ocean’ form of piracy, attacking vessels in international waters, which in turn means their crimes are legally recognised as “acts of piracy”. The attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and off the coast of Nigeria occur in national or coastal waters, and therefore do not legally qualify as “acts of piracy”. Semantics aside, if armed men board your vessel and threaten your crew and cargo, it is hard to not call it an act of piracy. However, the law is the law.
A report on businessday.co.za suggested that, ‘insurance items due to piracy have doubled the costs of transporting goods past the Horn of Africa,’ and there is no reason to believe that West Africa and the GoG should be any different in terms of insurance risk.
In response to the recent spate of activity, Bloomberg carried a report on August 5, stating that The Joint War Committee, which represents Lloyd’s of London underwriters and other insurers, extended a war-risk zone for Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, and included waters off neighbouring Benin and listed the areas as higher-risk for shipping. The Nigerian risk zone now extends to 200 nautical miles (230 miles) offshore. Quoting David Rider, Neptune Maritime Security [Also published by OCEANUSLive].

HSV2 Swift (Img Source: BBC News)

Associated Press reports - Pirate attacks off West Africa's coast have increased to levels that rival those seen in Somalia, insurers say, prompting maritime agencies to discuss setting aside their rivalries to fight the rising threat. Officials from Nigeria's Navy, its maritime industry and other groups met this week with U.S. officials aboard the HSV 2 Swift off Nigeria's coast to discuss maritime issues, including formulating anti-piracy strategies. The U.S. and other Western nations have an anti-piracy armada patrolling the waters off East Africa, but there is no West African counterpart, leaving Nigeria and its neighbours to stop the growing swell of attacks on their own. A big problem, those involved say, has been a lack of cooperation. "Instead of interagency cooperation, what we have been getting is interagency rivalry," said Capt. D.O. Labinjo, who represents a Nigerian ship owners' association.The matter saw Benin President Boni Yayi meet with Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan and said pirates were threatening the security of his country’s ports and called for an Abuja-led action to fight it.“Boni Yayi had informed …Jonathan that pirates and bandits were threatening the security of ports in that country and the Gulf of Guinea coastline,” said a statement from Jonathan’s office in Abuja. Yayi, had during the meeting “called for concerted action, led by Nigeria, to check this menace,” the statement said, via Vanguard (AFP)

The BBC chimes in with - "The vessels are taken over by the armed pirates and then forced to sail to an unknown destination, where the cargo is discharged into a smaller tanker," Capt Mukundan told the BBC. "And then the vessel is brought back and released. In some case, two or three crew members have been kidnapped and are taken ashore and are held until a ransom is paid." He said the crew, although often roughed up, was usually freed, rather than being ransomed.

The Times of Sri Lanka puts forward the view that "Pirates Eye Share of Gulf of Guinea Riches". “Piracy in West Africa is fundamentally different to Somali piracy as the perpetrators are interested in stealing cargoes rather than demanding ransoms,” said Paul Gibbins of maritime security company Protection Vessels International (PVI).

“It is reasonable to assume that the problem is likely to escalate if there are no resources to help police and control the situation,” he added. Despite NATO and European Union operations to protect local shipping, there were 163 attempted or actual attacks by Somali pirates in the first half of this year, according to International Maritime Bureau. That compares with just 27 reported incidents in Gulf of Guinea states such as Nigeria, Benin, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Democratic Republic of Congo during the same period. But that may be only the tip of the iceberg. Because many of the attacks take place within national waters, they are not deemed “acts of piracy” under international law and so are not catalogued as such. Moreover, the fact that a distress call will not elicit a rescue by a Western warship is seen dissuading many ship owners from reporting an attack, fearing the unwanted side-effect of seeing their insurance premiums rise. “In Nigeria it is estimated that approximately 60% of pirate attacks go unreported,” said John Drake, a senior risk consultant with security firm AKE.

Pirates have operated in the Gulf of Guinea since the 1980s at least, but there has been a rise in attacks in the past year.

South East Asia & Congo Attacks
Call to Arms & Action

Three of the largest flag states, accounting for around 40% of the world’s commercial shipping tonnage, have signed an agreement condemning the acts of violence against seafarers by pirates. The flag states agreed to pool information on the mistreatment of seafarers at the hands of pirates, writes IMB (ICC). The flag states signed a Declaration in Washington on 3 August 2011, condemning the acts of violence against seafarers. The Declaration recognised that the increasing use of violence against captured seafarers was underreported and noted that there were significant sensitivities associated with such information. 

The Declaration affirmed their commitment to provide information on the levels of violence faced by seafarers to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) from reports received by them in accordance with their internal procedures. The IMB will collate and disseminate aggregated data of the levels of violence. The reports will omit their names, the names of the vessels, owners, operators and flag states to protect identities and privacy. The project is supported by the One Earth Future Foundation (OEFF) and the TK Foundation. IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: “This new initiative will help to publicise the human cost of piracy, which at times can go unnoticed amongst reports of hijacking and huge ransoms."

The Maldives and Seychelles have agreed to combat piracy jointly, after two attacks in June off India’s Southern coast rang alarm bells for the two nations, reports the Asian Tribune. A protocol to combat piracy and other maritime security threats was signed during a meeting between Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed and Seychellois President James A. Michel. Although Maldivian territorial waters have not come under direct attack so far by Somali pirates, the two incidents off India’s Southern coast have now raised fears over the country becoming a target. The new protocol signed between the two countries on piracy is coming at a crucial time.

Piracy apart, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Fisheries Cooperation. Maldivian Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem and Seychellois Foreign Minister Jean Paul Adam signed the two agreements.

Marinelink.comreports Inmarsat, the satellite communications company, has announced the commercial availability of a new voice distress service on FleetBroadband. The free-to-use service ensures that, in the event of an emergency, all non-priority telephone calls underway on the vessel’s FleetBroadband are interrupted, connecting the caller directly to a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). The new voice distress service requires a simple software and hardware add-on, which provides a ‘red button’ for one-touch easy use.

A departure from the usual piracy news relating to the military standpoint was made when EUNAVFOR took the unusual step of advertising a career opportunity. To provide the Operation Commander (OpCdr) and OHQ staff with pirate cultural and religious advice and in particular to advise on pirate trends and weaknesses, including their perceived role in Somalia, a vacancy was advertised on the EUNAVFOR website for a Pirate Cultural Advisor. As EUNAVFOR has extended their access to the public by turning to using the social media tool, Twitter, posting the 'Tweet' is likely to receive plenty of comment. Although EUNAVFOR has yet to follow any users on Twitter.


Economics of Piracy

In a Reuters exclusive report, a $3.6 million (2.2 million pounds) ransom seized in Somalia in May was destined for a pirate boss subject to U.S. sanctions, an illustration of how a criminal enterprise that costs the global economy billions of dollars pays scant heed to policy directives from Washington. Documents obtained by Reuters and multiple sources in Somalia show the bungled payment was meant to free the Chinese vessel MV Yuan Xiang, and that a pirate gang working for kingpin Mohamed Abdi Garaad was behind the seizure of the ship. 
While this transaction did not go through, it shows how the ransom industry can operate efficiently despite the strong public stance taken by the United States to curb the financial flows that fuel the flourishing piracy business.The payment of ransoms to Somali pirates is a sensitive and delicate subject. Some $240 million was paid to Somali pirates last year to free ships and crew and as of July another 400 sailors remained hostage off the Somali coast.
Those in favour of ransoms argue they are the only safe way to free seafarers. Ransom payments are legal under British law, they are covered by marine insurance, and stopping them would lead to hostages being killed in an attempt to extract payment.Those against say that without taking concerted action to curb the rapidly escalating ransoms, the piracy business will inevitably become more sophisticated, more violent and more costly to the shipping industry and the global economy.
When U.S. President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13536 in April 2010, including two well-known Somali pirate kingpins on a list of people deemed to be destabilising forces in Somalia, it sent shockwaves through the shipping industry. But it soon become clear to lawyers that the order was limited in its ability to prevent most ransom payments.Obama's executive order prohibits transactions by U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or entities organised under U.S. law with the 11 people named on the list and Somalia's al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels, one of Washington's chief targets.Shipowners who have been involved in ransom payments, say they are a necessary evil and it's simply too late to stop them because the lives of hundreds of hostages would be at risk.
Per Gullestrup, a Danish shipowner who paid a ransom in 2009 to free a vessel held by Somali pirates, says for now armed guards aboard ships seem to be the most effective approach. Shipowners say armed guards have already reduced the number of successful hijackings.
But some analysts, diplomats and reinsurers fear pirates will simply adapt to the new threats to their business and fight fire with more fire. Some analysts worry the end result will be more violence: the pirates will get better weapons -- or perhaps sink a ship to make a point -- and captured seafarers are more likely to be abused or killed.
Piracy and its impact on world trade and the financial losses inflicted on shipowners and insurers will be fully debated in Paris next month when marine insurers from around the world gather for their annual forum, reports World Cargo News. More than 500 marine underwriters and senior representatives from many international maritime organisations are expected to attend the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) conference on September 18-21 at the Pullman Montparnasse Hotel.According to IUMI, although there has been a lull in Somali pirate operations because of the monsoon, the past few weeks have seen a worrying upsurge in attacks off West Africa, with a number of vessels successfully hijacked. It has been reported there are now 21 countries, in part or in whole, which are affected by piracy. But Somalia remains the critical threat. According to anti-piracy naval forces in the area, more than 400 seafarers are currently being held hostage on some 20 vessels. There have been murders and ill-treatment, with many stories of torture and seafarers deprived of adequate food, sleep and health care.

Despite extremely poor local economies and global market turmoil, a sector rife with profits is enjoying unprecedented growth. After experiencing regional market expansion of 1500% in recent years, the Somali piracy sector looks ripe for IPOs. Okay, obviously we don't mean legal IPOs, says the Daily Feed in Minyanville.com but the market indicators in the piracy "sector" put even the most buoyant of emerging nation industries to shame, according to a new report. 

The Economics of Piracy, a Geopolicity report from earlier this year, shows that income from piracy off the coast of Somalia (worth $238 million in 2010) “could rise to… $400 million by 2015 based on projections. Given the supply and demand for pirate services, and income disparity between pirates and non-pirates, there's plenty of room for expansion.” In an indication of the sector’s strength, operations were shown to become more frequent even as trade in the area declined. Some of the big players in the sector have definite potential to take their companies public -- in fact, some of them already have. Mohammed, a former pirate, told Reuters that “we decided to set up this stock exchange. We started with 15 'maritime companies' and now we are hosting 72. Ten of them have so far been successful at hijacking… The shares are open to all and everybody can take part, whether personally at sea or on land by providing cash, weapons or useful materials ... we've made piracy a community activity." Some investors are enjoying previously impossible wealth -- one 22-year-old divorcee reported making $75,000 in only 38 days since joining the company; her initial investment was a rocket propelled grenade she received as alimony.  

For reference, the average per capita GDP in Somalia is $600. A public offering on the NYSE might still be far away.


Sea Wolves

In a TIME article by Alex Perry, "Somalia's Sea Wolves", where he hired eight men with AK47s at $15 a day, he met up with a "pirate king" called Mohamed Noor, or Fingers as he is known, and wanted to ask Fingers why, when Somalia's pirates face an international armada at sea, when some 1,000 pirates have been arrested and scores more have died, piracy is still rocketing.

"One time there was this group I knew that ran out of food and a guy died — and the other guys ate him," Fingers says, speaking in Somali through an interpreter.

"They ate their friend?" I ask.Fingers laughs.

"It's not a crime if you're about to die," he explains.

He is squatting on the floor and is dressed like any East African deckhand: cheap thongs, a thin shirt and an old kikoi.

"Fingers," I ask, "where did all the money go?"

"Gone," he laughs.

"You spent it all?"

"I bought houses and cars. I bought a couple of Land Cruisers. I spent the money on friends. I enjoyed it. Now it's gone. That's why I'm still a pirate. I need the money. Besides, it's fun." 

Then Fingers shrugs and gives me a look that says: What did you expect from a pirate? Responsibility?

Perry tells how the crew of the fishing vessel, Golden Wave, were press-ganged into becoming a pirate mothership. He relates the tale of how the fishing vessel was used and at one point, finally, running low on fuel again, they ambushed a third boat. He also states that by [that] time, Amere, one of the vessel's crew said, he was a member of the boarding team, albeit one with a gun to his head.Somali pirates will often claim, as Fingers does, to be former fishermen who first attacked Asian fishing trawlers that were devastating Somali fish stocks. If that was once true, it isn't now: kidnapped crewmen report that many pirates can't swim, let alone sail, while the recovery in fish stocks engendered by piracy's deterrent effect has not been accompanied by a revival in the Somali fishing industry. Nevertheless, the notion that the world has dealt Somalis a cruel hand and that piracy will never be fixed unless some genuine Somali grievances are addressed is widely supported.

"The only real solution is on land," says Graham Westgarth, chairman of the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), a trade body.

It's a brave project. But standing in its way, I can't help but feel, is Fingers.

When I ask him if he's happy, he replies, "I am. I don't depend on anyone. When I want a woman, I give her money and she becomes my mistress. When I need a ship, I go out and take one. No one can stop me. The sea is as big as Somalia. No one can control Somalia. And no one controls the sea." Ending piracy will require building a better Somalia for tomorrow. Trouble is, Fingers and thousands like him are already living their Libertalia [mythical pirate heaven] today.


"Enemies of the Human Race"

Pirates, says The Lawyers Weekly, whether it is Errol Flynn playing the part of Captain Blood, or Rob Reiner’s take on the Dread Pirate Roberts, or most recently Jerry Bruckheimer’s depiction of Captain Jack Sparrow, is portrayed by Hollywood as a sexy, swashbuckling hero of the ocean main. Piracy is said to be humanity’s third oldest profession — medicine being the second.

The term “piracy” is frequently misused. An act of maritime piracy under international law cannot be committed landward of the outer limit of the territorial sea; in effect, less than 12 miles off-shore. In the 1600s, the clear distinction that we have today between the territorial sea and the high sea did not exist and so then it would have been quite proper to describe illegal acts in port or coastal waters as acts of piracy.

Piracy is defined by the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention as an illegal act committed on the high seas, outside the jurisdiction of any state. The rationale for this definition is that pirates, described as “enemies of the human race,” are seen as posing a threat to the shipping and commerce of all maritime states quite indiscriminately. Accordingly, international law recognizes that all states, regardless of their flag, may exercise an extra-ordinary jurisdiction over pirate vessels. They may arrest such ships on the high seas and deal with the attackers before their own courts, but they may only do so if an act of piracy has been committed. In all other cases, jurisdiction lies with the flag state.

But what if there is no flag state? What if the flag state, like Somalia is today due to its internal political situation, is unable to police its own citizens and waters? Armed robbers operating on small boats in coastal waters are not pirates in the true sense of the term. But backed by larger “mother ships” that can extend operations out into the high seas, these same attackers can be regarded as pirates. If they are not pirates, what are they?

Is the act of hijacking a commercial ship, such as an oil tanker, an act of piracy, an act of commercial malpractice or an act of a terrorist? In the event that a coastal state cannot police an adjacent waterway, should the “world” take on that obligation? In some states the payment of money as a result of an illegal act is in and of itself an illegal act. No one likes paying a ransom but sometimes it is necessary. And then there are the human rights issues. Even pirates have rights.

This year’s CBA Conference offers a session that will look at these and other outstanding questions on this fascinating subject that is infused today with lots of misplaced romanticism.

Simon Barker is an admiralty lawyer practising in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.


Seafarers Plight

The US, August 13, offered an ex gratia payment to the family of late Taiwanese captain Wu Lai-yu, who died in an exchange of fire between a US warship and pirates off the coast of Somalia during a NATO anti-piracy operation on May 10.

An undisclosed sum of ex gratia payment, made without legal acknowledgment of fault or liability, was taken to his family in Greater Kaohsiung by American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director William Stanton, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang told reporters.

Yang said he received a call yesterday morning from Stanton, who said he wanted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to arrange for him, on behalf of the US government, to meet with Wu’s family to hand over the ex gratia payment - Taipei Times.

And finally...

A 30-year-old Gloucester man and 37-year-old Ipswich resident, piloting a small motor boat while flying the "skull and crossbones" flag of pirate ships of old, allegedly boarded and tried to rob a sail boat moored in Gloucester's Inner Harbour, only to be turned back by the boat's occupant and cornered by the U.S. Coast Guard in, coincidentally, Pirates Cove, reports GloucesterTimes in Gloucester, MA, USA. According to police, the incident played out in the East Gloucester coves and Inner Harbour, where sailboat owner Douglas Campbell of Beverly had taken a transient mooring for his vessel for the night. Police said Campbell was awakened when the two would-be robbers pulled their vessel alongside his, then boarded the sail boat. But when he confronted the two men, the pair retreated to the outboard and sped off. Campbell told authorities that the motorboat was flying the traditional black-and-white pirate flag of the "skull and crossbones." The boat was located in Pirates Cove by the Coast Guard on one of the city's Homeland Security surveillance cameras.

Piracy events

Hijack:

  • None.

8 Unsuccessful Attacks (All Regions):

  • Red Sea - August 6 at 1515 UTC: in position: 13:02N - 043:07E, Around 20nm East by Northeast of Assab, Eritrea, Red Sea. A Liberia-flagged German-owned bulk carrier, Vogebulker, underway was attacked by 12 skiffs with 5-8 suspected pirates on board each one. Shots were fired at the vessel which returned flares and warning shots by the security team. The vessel evaded the hijack attempt. The swarm tactic, used in 2009, has seen an increase of late.
  • South China Sea - August 6 2130 LT: Posn: 02:11.56N - 109:15.52E, 12nm from Pulau Merundung. Eight pirates armed with knives boarded a tug underway. They stole ships stores and crew personal belongings. Pirates left the ship after one hour. All crew safe (via IMB.
  • Atlantic (off Congo) - August 7 at 0050 UTC: 04:45.9S - 011:46.7E: Point Noire Anchorage, Congo. Ship watchman onboard an anchored Liberia-flagged container vessel, Hansa Flensburg, spotted four armed robbers on the main deck. He immediately informed the duty officer who raised the alarm, alerted all crew members and informed the port control. Seeing crew alertness the robbers jumped overboard and escaped in a long wooden boat with stolen ship stores (via IMB).
  • South China Sea - August 8 at 0200 LT: Posn: 01:08N - 103:27.58E, Approximately 7.2 nm Southeast of ‘The Brothers’ beacon, Indonesia. Four robbers armed with long knives boarded an anchored Singapore-flagged LPG tanker, Gas Bataam. They entered the engine room, tied up the duty oiler and 3rd Engineer, stole engine spares and escaped. The oiler managed to release himself and raise the alarm. Authorities informed (via ReCAAP).
  • Gulf of Aden - August 9 at 0249 UTC: in position: 13:08N - 048:14E, in the Gulf of Aden, near the IRTC. One skiff with 5 pirates attacked an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged, German-owned general cargo ship, Greta, underway. The pirates fired RPG and guns at the vessel. The embarked security team fired warning shots in return, which resulted in the pirates aborting the attack. The vessel managed to evade the hijack attempt.
    (Img LAPhot Stuart Hill/MOD-
    Crown Copyright    )
  • Red Sea - August 11 at 1120 UTC: in position 15:09N - 041:55E, approximately 65nm North by West of Al Hudaydah, Red Sea, a Malta-flagged, Greek bulk carrier, Caravos Horizon, (right) came under attack. The vessel noticed a mother ship at a distance of 0.5nm. Suddenly three skiffs appeared from behind the mother ship and approached the the bulk carrier at high speed - one from portside, one from starboard side and one from astern. The vessel commenced evasive manoeuvres. The pirates were able to hook on their ladder and board the vessel. The Master ordered all the 23 crew to retreat into the citadel and called the CSO, who informed the navies in the region. Later a warship, HMS Monmouth, arrived and marines boarded and searched the vessel. No pirates were found but they had ransacked the vessel prior to escaping. The crew and ship are safe after what is the second attack the vessel has had in 3 months.. See the Combined Maritime Force report. 
  • South China Sea - August 12 at 0230 LT (1930 (11 Aug) UTC)in position: 01:42.27N - 101:28.70E, Dumai, Indonesia. Three robbers boarded an anchored Liberia-flagged chemical tanker, Cape Banks, via the poop deck. Alert deck crew spotted the robbers and notified the duty officer who raised the alarm. Seeing crew alertness the robbers escaped. Port control was contacted but no response received. The crew are safe and nothing was stolen.
  • Red Sea - August 12 at 1427 UTC in position 14:34n - 042:23E, Liberia-flagged, Greek-owned LPG tanker, Gas Price, came under attack by 2 skiffs with 3 and 4 pirates on board respectively. The vessel is declared as being safe, having evaded the hijack attempt. Sources report that the pirates boarded the vessel but left whilst the crew had remained in the citadel. The attack comes a day after a 12-skiff attack Northwest of this position.

Suspect Activity:

  • Sporadic acts of piracy may potentially continue to occur at any time in the Gulf of Aden area as the weather conditions in the Arabian Sea and northern Somali Basin continue to preclude the operations of pirate skiffs, but the pirates may still risk attempts to seize vessels.
  • The Red Sea and Bab al Mandeb Strait remain areas of high threat despite little activity in the area recently. Two suspicious events were reported to NATO Shipping Centre but further details were not provided. The NATO Shipping Centre said it (and other counter piracy forces) remains sceptical about reports from Masters of approaches being 'swarm' tactics by skiffs in the region being pirate activity.
Weather (via ONI) 
  • Gulf of Aden - Southwest winds 18 – 22 knots with higher gusts will continue through 18 Aug.  Overall, expect western vs. eastern GOA disparity to continue with regards to sea heights, with maximum heights persisting in the eastern half.  Based on sea heights for forecast week, the most conducive areas for piracy within the Gulf of Aden will be the western portion and some areas in the central GOA through 18 August.
  • Somali Basin/Arabian Sea - Southwest winds 24 – 28 knots with higher gusts will continue through 18 August in the Somali Basin.  Winds in the North Arabian Sea will continue from the west-southwest 22 – 26 knots with higher gusts through 18 August.  Expect a slow and small decrease (1 – 2 feet) within the Somali Basin and North Arabian Sea to occur by 15 Aug.  Severe winds and sea heights will continue to create conditions non-conducive for small boat/piracy operations through forecast period. 
  • Indian Ocean - Conditions within the regions will continue through 18 August.  Expect the most conducive areas for piracy to be waters within the Mozambique Channel and the waters around the Maldives through 18 August. 

At least 19 ships and an estimated 377 seafarers remain captives of the Somali pirates. Particular concern was highlighted for the South African couple, Bruno Pelizzari and Debroah Calitz (SY Choizil) who are being held in southern Somalia, an area severely affected by the humanitarian blight of famine.

Somalia Report's Weekly Piracy Report provides a round up of vessel held and additional insight into pirate activity in the region.

Piracy DVD Poster

Vessels are reminded that the coalition forces' warships may not be in the vicinity of a pirate attack, subsequently, it is emphasised that seafarers can greatly reduce their chances of being pirated if they follow precautions as recommended in the Best Management Practices, increasing speed and carrying out evasive manoeuvres is a proven deterrent to piracy attacks. BMP version 4 is expected to be released, including a DVD, Piracy: The Menace At Sea. The Loss Prevention Team at Steamship Mutual have prepared a DVD entitled "Piracy - The Menace At Sea". This can be pre-ordered for non members of this P&I Club using this link. The trailer can be downloaded at these links (via Steamship Mutual):

Trailer in PowerPoint format;

FLV Format.


Vessels are advised to exercise extreme caution when navigating in the vicinity of any reported positions of attacks and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously. Additionally, registration of vessel movement with MSC(HOA) prior to transiting the region is recommended.

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Any suspicious activity should be reported to UKMTO in Dubai in the first instance (UKMTO or Telephone+971 50 552 3215) and on entering the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) bound by Suez, 78E and 10S.


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