Weekly Pirate Activity Update - 14 Oct

OCEANUSLive Weekly Pirate Activity Update 

Dramatic joint rescue mission and fewer attacks over the week but global attacks at an all time high. Crew safe after tanker released off West Africa. Arming ships and issuing counter piracy policy dominate talks, whilst ICS Chairman says “at the end of our tether”. British police are to launch Seychelles pirate-hunting base. Chinese seamen killed amidst drug gang protection money demands. MEPs call for fresh regulations. NATO warning of increased attacks post-monsoon, but austerity policies and other commitments raise concerns. No room for complacency. A ‘daring’ naval Captain.

Somali piracy did not land on us; we landed on Somali piracy, this week. The 36-hour operation to rescue the crew of an Italian bulk carrier certainly captured the attention of the world’s media; and bagged 11 pirates. Despite the protracted matter of seafarer safety in pirate-infested waters, the news of the successful mission has almost appeared to have brought about fresh awareness of piracy off East Africa. Add to that the release of the crew by West African pirates; the spotlight has been switched onto the seafaring community once more.

Following, but not as a result of, the rescue mission, Italy is to station military forces on its merchant vessels to guard against pirate attacks.

The UK government announces its response for tackling piracy. The Foreign Office Minister’s speech covered the humanitarian and military aspects, the UK’s contribution through chairing the UN Contact Group and tellingly, the temporary measure for private armed security on ships. An important point raisedis the legal process and how prosecution of pirates does occur. British police are to set up a ‘pirate-hunting’ base in the Seychelles.

The ICS Chairman continues his round of summits. In India he declares that abuse and killing of seafarers cannot be tolerated. As if to back his statement, MEPs call for fresh regulations on armed guards and tougher measures on piracy money laundering. Henry Bellingham (UK Foreign Office) said, he was wary that some providers were “cowboys”.

Chinese drug trafficking gang alleged to have killed 12 sailors as part of the effort to extort protection money.

Concerns have been raised on the austerity policies that many countries are to adopt and other commitments will see fewer naval assets on patrol.NATO gives a warning of increased pirate attacks after the monsoon season abates, but the global attacks are revealed to have reached an all time high.

The treatment meted out to seafarers held captive is told in harrowing detail by the master of Marida Margueritte, whilst the fate of the MV Albdeo crew remains in the balance as rumour the ship may be used as a mothership to launch attacks. 2 crewmembers from MV Bilda, held hostage by pirates, were landed to hospital in Djibouti. Transferred by the US Navy, both are in a stable condition, however, the ransom negotiations have worsened the situation with pirate negotiators being changed around.

The use of safe rooms, or citadels, is seen as the almost de facto solution to pirate attack; but any citadel must be appropriately setup to protect the crew.

The ‘daring‘ Royal Navy Captain behind the most recent successful rescue mission off Somalia.

Pirate Activity – East Africa

British and US Special Forces stormed an Italian ship hijacked by Somali pirates, reports OCEANUSLive.

MV Montecristo Rescue (Photo: Reuters/Daily Mail)

All of the 23-man crew from Italy, India and the Ukraine have been freed. A report states that 11 Somali pirates were detained.The Special Forces were operating under the NATO counter piracy mission, Op Ocean Shield. The 56,000-ton Italian-flagged and owned bulk carrier Montecristo was hijacked 620 miles off Somalia on Monday, October 10, by five pirates in a small boat, according to the owners. It was stated on other reports that an unarmed security team were aboard the vessel and had stayed in position as the crew retreated to the citadel, reports BBC News. The NATO forces picked up a ‘message in a bottle’, which included a stroboscopic light, that the crew had thrown out through a funnel.

When the attack occurred, the company, D’Alesio, said that “After 10 hours without news, we can consideer the ship hijacked”. The ship only joined the comnpany’s fleet in June [2011] and is the first time the Italian owner has been a victim of piracy – Tradewindsnews.com.

At least three people were killed, including two Somali pirates, and five other were injured as fighting between the security forces of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland and Somali pirates took place in Burtinle district of Nugaal region on Sunday night, an official said. The fighting erupted after pirates tried to enter the district forcefully, while the security forces resisted. The fighting affected the transportation and the business of the district.

"They were about 15 militias, who recently received a ransom from a ship the kidnapped; they wanted to enter our district and create insecurity, but we will never allow the pirates to settle here and attack foreign ships," said Ahmed Kalif Farah, chairman of Burtinle district,

Two pirates were also capture during the fighting, reports Somalia Report.

The US Navy has transferred two crew members of the MV Blida from the hostage ship to a hospital. One of the men had suffered multiple heart attacks. Both are in stable condition and receiving medical care. The Ukrainian and Algerian crew members released by pirates have safely arrived at a medical facility in Djibouti for treatment, says Somalia Report.

MV Blida was seized by pirates near Oman south of Salalah on New Year's Day. The Algerian owned ship had a load of clinker and a crew of 27 including Algerian, Philippine, and Ukraine nationals. Algerian law forbids paying of ransom and the ship owners only had a small war-risk insurance policy, not the larger KRE plans that the pirates are used to plundering. The Algerian government clearly stated that no ransom would be paid.

Despite this hard public stance, private negotiations began between Garaad's pirate group and the owners. By August, the pirates were publicly demanding $7 million dollars. At that time, according to pirate spokesperson Mahamoud Haji Ismael, the pirates were prepared to kill all the hostages and were frustrated that the seemingly older crew was in such poor health.

They were additionally frustrated by the owner's stubborn refusal to move past a small ransom counter-offer. Most pirates request double their expected price, expecting owners to negotiate downward over a 90 to 120 day period. This normal tactic was not successful.

The pirates changed their negotiator because they were not confident in the original negotiator. During the negotiation he had demanded a final ransom of $4.5 million. Whereas he had actually told the owners that they demanded $2.6million. Read more at the above link.

Released by Pirates

Pirates released an oil tanker seized off the coast of Nigeria, an official said Friday, freeing the 20-member Eastern European crew unharmed after five days in captivity AP News.

MT Cape Bird Released (Phot: Uptankers.com)

The pirates left the MT Cape Bird late Thursday night, allowing the crew to sail away to safety from the spot 90 nautical miles off the coast of Lagos where they were being held, said a spokeswoman for Columbia Shipmanagement GmbH of Hamburg, Germany.

The spokeswoman said she could not give any information on whether a ransom had been paid or if any of the ship's cargo of oil had been taken. She spoke on condition of anonymity demanded by company policy.

A spokesman for the Nigerian Navy could not immediately be reached for comment Friday (October 14).

Pirates seized the vessel Saturday night, apparently targeting its cargo of either refined or unrefined crude oil. That's part of a growing trend to target oil shipments moving out of Nigeria in the region. Analysts say some of the targeted ships carry crude stolen from Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta, where thefts run into the hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil a day.

Pirate Activity – West Africa

Twenty Eastern European sailors have been captured by pirates who seized an oil tanker off the coast of Nigeria, the vessel's owner said Wednesday, repost ABC News.

The MT Cape Bird, hijacked about 90 nautical miles from Lagos on Saturday night, is still drifting there with the sailors and pirates onboard, said a spokesman for the United Product Tankers GmbH & Co. KG in Hamburg, Germany.

The spokesman could not comment on whether or not contact had been established with the vessel and did not know the nationalities of the sailors. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with company policy.

The Nigerian Navy has said it received reports that the vessel was carrying either crude oil or refined gasoline. The United Product Tankers spokesman said the cargo was an oil product, but that he did not think it was crude.

Nigerian Navy vessels have orders to stop the tanker if they find it and to arrest the hijackers.

Analysts expect the ship and its crew to be released within the next few days.

"We know that in some of the cases, they get a ransom, but that is a small amount compared to the main target," said Hans Tino Hansen, CEO of the Denmark-based security firm Risk Intelligence. "The main target is either to use the ship to transfer oil or to steal the crude or refined oil that is on board."

In BBC News, IMB Director Capt Pottengal Mukundan said, "This is an organised crime activity."

Last month, Nigeria and neighbouring Benin launched joint navy patrols to curb growing piracy in West Africa.

Nineteen vessels have been attacked off Benin's coast this year - eight of which were hijacked.

Capt Mukundan said the seized tanker was registered in the Marshall Islands.

The pirates were likely to siphon the cargo into a waiting tanker, he said, without specifying what the ship was carrying. He said the tanker is likely to be released after its cargo had been stolen.

Hijacked ships off the West African coast are usually released after about ten days, he said. Note: Vessel has now been released. See ‘Released by Pirates’ above.

Other Pirate Activity

China's Foreign Ministry confirmed that 11 Chinese were killed and two remain missing (later reported to have been killed) after their boats were attacked in the Mekong River four days ago, reports Xinhuanet.com.

Two cargo ships, the Hua Ping and Yu Xing 8, were attacked in the golden triangle area of the Mekong River on October 5, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Among the six Chinese on the Hua Ping, five were found dead and one was missing. Among the seven Chinese on the Yu Xing 8, six were killed and one was missing, according to the statement.

The ministry said it has asked Chinese embassy in Thailand and consulate general in Chiang Mai to investigate the incident immediately and spare no efforts to search for the missing.

It has also asked "relevant countries" to take effective measures to improve the protection of Chinese ships and sailors in the Mekong River, according to the statement.

The Bangkok Post reports that a gang run by Nor Kham, a Shan drug trafficker, is thought to be behind the grisly murders of 12 Chinese boat crew members whose bodies were found in the Mekong River, says the army.

Maj Gen Prakarn Chonlayuth, commander of the Pa Muang Task Force, said the gang hijacks ships plying the river and demands protection money from them. If they refuse to pay, they kill the crew and take over the ships to deliver drugs from Burma to Thailand.

The 12 men are thought to have crewed two Chinese- flagged cargo ships—  Hua Ping and Yu Xing 8 Hao— which were hijacked and ransacked by traffickers in the river on Wednesday. Shortly after, the Pa Muang Task Force stopped the ships and clashed with the traffickers, who were still on board, in Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen district.

The bodies of three Chinese men, their hands tied and handcuffed behind their backs, were found floating in the river in Chiang Saen district on Friday and another nine bodies, also thought to be Chinese, were found on Saturday in the same district. Most of the nine bodies had also been handcuffed, tied and blindfolded.

Private Security

Governments have ceded control of the Indian Ocean to pirates and the small deployment of naval forces to the region is like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound – so says ICS Chairman Spyros M Polemis – Maritime Security.Asia.

(Photo: Maritimeaudits.com)

And in a damning indictment of western governments, Mr Polemis will controversially suggest they would be acting differently if the many seafarers held hostage off the coast of Somalia were “Americans or Europeans”.

Speaking at Maritime Cyprus conference in Limassol on Monday (October 3rd) Mr Polemis was to tell shipping professionals: “The fundamental problem is the lack of navy ships that are committed to protecting shipping - a band aid on a gaping wound, although the navies do an excellent job under the circumstances and we commend them for this.”

In a straight-talking speech Mr Polemis is set to tell delegates that “by their own admission, the military advise that no ship is completely safe”. He was to say: “Sadly, one can only conclude from the current response of many governments that those thousands of seafarers that have so far been captured have simply had the wrong nationality. If they were all Americans or Europeans, the governments’ attitude might have been somewhat different. It is really unacceptable that so many governments seem to feel that the current situation can somehow be tolerated and that a box has been ticked by making a relatively small number of navy ships available to police Somalia’s waters and the entire Indian Ocean.”

Members of the European parliament have called for fresh regulations on armed guards protecting vessels from piracy, as countries struggle to combat the attacks, kidnappings and ransom demands that cost global shipping an estimated $12bn a year – FT.com.

Shipping lines have increasingly turned to armed security as piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia turn more violent and extend as far as India, Sri Lanka and Mozambique. Armed guards have proved to be an effective deterrent against piracy but concerns remain about rogue security services.

MEPs at a hearing in Brussels on Wednesday said ships from member states should be able to carry private armed guards. Different states currently have different rules. MEPs called for tougher measures to ensure laundered piracy money does not end up in European banks.

UK foreign office minister Henry Bellingham said on Wednesday that the UK hoped to change a policy that “strongly discourages the use of private armed security on [UK-flagged] ships”. The shift in policy would be a “temporary measure” only, he said, adding that he remained wary that some providers were “cowboys”.

Economics of Piracy

Global attacks on ships rose to an all-time high of 266 during the first six months of 2011, up from 196 in 2010, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

More than 117 ships were attacked and 20 seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia alone since January 1, 2011, with 28 ships and 518 hostages held for ransom as of the end of April 2011.

These issues will be discussed by industry experts at the Middle East Money and Ships conference, scheduled to take place in Dubai on October 16, it has been announced, reports The Hindu Business Line.

The organisers of the Middle East Money and Ships conference, Seatrade, said the conference will review the current situation after global attacks touched an all-time high of 266 for the first half of 2011. The problem costs the industry up to $16 billion annually.

Industry professionals lined up to speak at the event include the Shipping Corporation of India Chairman & Managing Director, Mr Sabyasachi Hajara, and ABS Director Environmental Solutions, Mr Sean Bond.

According to a report last year by the Council on Foreign Relations, there is no quantitative research available on the total cost of global piracy.

Estimates vary widely because of a disagreement over whether insurance premiums, freight rates and the cost of re-routings should be included with, for instance, the cost of ransoms.

Some analysts suggest the cost is close to $1 billion a year, while others claim the losses could be as high as $16 billion, the Seatrade statement said.

“The difference of opinion arises because some experts prefer to add the actual cost of the ransoms to insurance premiums, freight rates and the cost of re-routing vessels, while others only account for operating expenses. However, all operators are looking for cost savings, especially during these trying economic times and any amount of billions is an added cost that ship owners and operators can do without,” Seatrade’s Mr Chris Hayman said.

According to the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre, in 2008, 47 of the 49 successful hijackings globally occurred off the coast of Somalia, although violent attacks against crew members were far more prevalent off the coast of Nigeria than anywhere else in the world.

Maritime piracy occurrence has been gradually increasing on larger and higher values of the assets on which the alleged piracy occurred. These incidents have raised the maritime security awareness - Pinoy Maritime.

Incidents such as these are taking its toll on the shipping costs, and is even involving the gas and oil sectors. Not only that, reflective questions are also being addressed regarding the energy security in this globalized economy. This has raised minds to concentrate on tackling the problem on maritime piracy. The threats of maritime terrorism are still a possibility since terrorist groups see the likeliness in aiming targets that have the potential to explode. These variables are now the reason why the values on maritime security have increased.

Pirates find cargo ships easy to overcome especially when force is used because these ships are vulnerable to terrorism. This is essentially true; knowing that the maritime security lacks the budget for a full-pledged defence for all of their vessels.

There are a lot of areas that are riskier than the rest, and are required to be always on its highest alert. When a crew is preoccupied with anchoring the vessel, or has just finished doing it, the pirates attack the sea vessel, knowing that this is the most vulnerable moment of the ship.

The maritime industry was not spared with the bad recession.

Because of this, the industry as a whole have to be content with the restraints on defence budgets as it recovers from the said recession. As the saying goes, “tough times come with tough decisions…”

Another sad fact is not all piracy cases are reported. Why? Seafarers only account an assault if a member or members are hurt, or if a cargo is damaged.

Call to Arms & Action

Italy is to station military forces on its merchant vessels to guard against attacks by Somali pirates, shipping sources said on Tuesday, the day after another of its ships was attacked off the anarchic east African country, writes Reuters.

Many ships already carry private security contractors to try to prevent hijacks, but deployment of military forces on merchant vessels would mark a clear escalation in measures to combat piracy, which costs the world economy billions of dollars each year.

The sources said Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa would sign an agreement later on Tuesday with the confederation of Italian ship owners to put military guards on board vessels in the huge area of the Indian Ocean at risk from Somali pirates, who have hijacked several Italian ships.

The Montecristo, an Italian cargo ship, was attacked by five men in a small boat off the coast of Somalia on Monday, its owner the D'Alesio Group said. A pirate told Reuters by phone that it was under their control. The ship had 23 crew from Italy, India and the Ukraine.

Britain is to boost its fight against Somali piracy by creating a new intelligence cell with the job of tracking the multi-million dollar money flows generated by buccaneering "kingpins", reports the UK Telegraph.

Ministers plan to despatch officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Agency to staff a new Indian Ocean unit dedicated to hunting pirate financiers, who provide start-up cash for gangs in return for the lion's share of ransom proceeds.

A financier who offers as little $10,000 to equip a gang with skiffs, fuel and guns can easily expect a return of 10 or 20 times his money in the event of a successful hijacking.

But while such profits are now believed to run into tens of millions of dollars a year, relatively little is known about exactly where the cash ends up, beyond a widespread acknowledgement that it makes the gangs ever more powerful, and may also line the pockets of Somalia's al-Shabaab Islamist movement.

"Pirate financiers are the kingpins of piracy," said Henry Bellingham, Foreign Office minister for Africa, who announced details of the new centre in a speech to the Chamber of Shipping in London on Wednesday. "Effectively targeting them will have a huge impact on the ability of pirates to terrorise the high seas."

The new unit will be based in the Seychelles Islands, nearly 1,000 miles east of Kenya, which have now become a key forward operating base against pirate gangs as they spread their reach across the Indian Ocean.

A transcript of the outcome of Henry Bellingham’s speech is available on OCEANUSLive (via FCO).

“We have reached the end of our tether on piracy," ICS Chairman tells India Shipping Summit.

ICS Chairman (Photo Shipmanagementinternational.com)

“The world community cannot tolerate the abuse and the killing of seafarers,” ICS Chairman Spyros M Polemis (right) told seafarers and maritime industry professionals in India today (Oct 11th), adding that “India and its seafarers have truly been in the firing line”.

“This has to stop now. The pirates must get the message that we have reached the end of our tether and that any act of piracy will be severely dealt with,” he told delegates at the India Shipping Summit in Mumbai.

Warning that the piracy season was about to begin again with renewed vigour as the monsoon season ends, Mr Polemis acknowledged the high price India is paying, with some of its seafarers held hostage for more than 18 months. “India is a nation which is committed to maritime trade in a major way, while its geographical location means that it has been at the forefront of efforts to tackle piracy head on,” he said. “India is a major maritime labour supply country, providing thousands of Indian nationals, both officers and ratings, to crew the world fleet. Indian seafarers are widely dispersed amongst the international fleet, as well as serving on board Indian Flag tonnage. Sadly this means that Indian nationals have been especially exposed to the risk of attack and capture for ransom by violent Somali pirates,” he added. Read more on OCEANUSLive.

NATO's counter piracy flagship, ITS Andrea Doria, following a visit to the Seychelles focused on NATO’s cooperation with the Seychelles Coast Guard and other key actors involved in combating piracy, as pirate activity is increases after the monsoon season. The commander of NATO’s counter piracy taskforce, Rear Admiral Gualtiero Mattesi, engaged in a series of meetings with the Seychelles Defence Forces and local authorities to discuss cooperation between Victoria and NATO in the field of counter piracy – NATO/OTAN.

While the NATO anti-piracy chief warns of renewed attacks and an post-Monsoon upsurge, Lloyd’s List has flagged the growing concerns that austerity policies and other commitments will see naval vessels removed from region - Shiptalk.

It is reported that the number of naval assets tackling piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean is set to drop sharply by the beginning of 2012.

As big reductions in military budgets bite and as continuing tensions in the Middle East see some warships pulled away from counter-piracy work close there are real concerns that the naval presence will be sufficient.

The Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina T. Wood, on Thursday suggested the use of multi-dimensional approach in the fight against maritime piracy – Ghana Business News.

She likened maritime piracy to international terrorism and observed that the problem of piracy which was previously feared, had taken a wider dimension.

Mrs Justice Wood was addressing the opening session of a two-day Seminar for Superior Court Judges in Accra.

The seminar organised by Ghana Shippers Authority and Judicial Training Institute would review laws relating to the sale and purchase of ships, carriage of goods by air, the genesis and consequences of maritime piracy and oil-based economy.

She noted that maritime piracy could result in high increases in insurance premium for vessels diversion of routes thereby impeding importation and exportation of goods and revenue loss.

Mrs Justice Wood said the mention of piracy evoked the memories of software piracy associated with the music industry.

Subsequently, the Chief Justice said Ghanaians were inundated with the news of maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia, saying with the oil find in Ghana, ”It should be anticipated that pirates will find the coast of Ghana a fertile ground for their activities”.

Citing the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report, Mrs Justice Wood indicated that training of navies, providing better equipment and strengthening law enforcement would not be enough unless West African countries tackled corruption and address endemic poverty, adding, if the criminals were to be denied an environment that was favourable to their illegal activities.

Mrs Justice Wood therefore, suggested strengthening of laws in the fight against unlawful acts against maritime navigation.

Previously the Standard Club has warned of piracy attacks off West Africa and Nigeria in particular. Previous advice has been to keep well offshore – over 50 miles has been given as a reasonable distance. This would now appear to be insufficient and pirates are ranging further offshore – Standard P&I Club.

Previous club advice has been that masters and companies should take anti-piracy precautions as appropriate. The latest version of the Best Management Practice (ver4) or BMP4 is a good guideline to base these anti precautions on.

Companies should also consider using secure communications with port authorities and agents when trading in these areas as the pirates also listen to unsecure ship communications.

Kenya has established six patrol bases near border with Somalia following the recent kidnapping of two tourists in Lamu, says the Daily Nation.

The bases at Manda, Shella, Kiwayu and Kipuni will comprise personnel from different security agencies in what analysts see as an attempt to assure of the government’s ability to contain Somali raids at the Coast.

Lamu West district commissioner Stephen Ikua said on Sunday Kenya was stepping up sea patrols “to guard our border territories and visitors and Kenyans should feel secure whenever they are around”.

Reports at the weekend said a speedboat suspected to be transporting pirates towards the Kenyan territory was bombed by foreign naval forces patrolling the Gulf of Aden.

Abandoned firearms - Local security sources said the attack was carried out near Ras Kamboni.

“The pirates were in shallow waters when they were spotted by foreign naval forces on patrol in the area.

“They sped off to the mainland and abandoned their firearms and the boat in waters,” said the Kenyan security officer.

A spokesman for the Department of Defence said the Kenyan military was not involved in the operation. “There are many foreign forces patrolling the Somali coast as a result of an increase in piracy incidents maybe one of them was involved in the attack,” a spokesman at DoD said.

The government last week set up a central command to coordinate security operations on the Kenya-Somalia border.

Tourism minister Najib Balala has called for intervention from the international community in war-torn Somalia as its conflict was affecting neighbouring countries – Kenya’s Standardmedia.

Balala told an international tourism conference in South Korea on Tuesday that instability in Somalia was impacting negatively on countries such as Kenya by posing security risks.

He told a ministerial roundtable meeting that the problem in Somalia requires an international solution that will permanently restore regional peace and security.

He said the recent kidnappings and killings of tourists in Kenya’s Coast Province were some of the threats that insecurity in Somali was causing to Kenya.

He said the incidents had affected cruise tourism but was optimistic the situation will normalize following increased security.

Highlighting the progress that Kenya had made in tourism in the past years, Balala said the threats posed by the neighbouring Somalia was threatening to bring down the gains that the tourism industry had made and this he said needed to be reversed.

His sentiments were echoed by African ministers from Mozambique and Tanzania who have also been affected by rising cases of piracy by suspected Somali pirates.

Balala is attending the conference organised by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) which has 154 member countries.

Failed state conditions which spawned piracy in Somalia are present in the "Arab Spring" disorders sweeping the Middle East, and will likely create a breeding ground for more pirates, particularly in Yemen, say Israeli defence analysts, reported in the Economic Times.

"While instability in Yemen would not lead inevitably to increased piracy, it is a distinct possibility, says a paper by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at Tel Aviv University.

"Egyptian authorities arrested 26 people for planning to attack ships in the Suez Canal and oil pipelines in 2009," said INSS researchers Yoel Guzansky, Jonathan Schachter and Gallia Lindenstrauss.

Piracy, terrorism, and the growing threat from Iranian weapons smuggling and naval muscle flexing around the Horn of Africa are compounding problems for international shipping, said the paper.

"Iran is taking advantage of piracy to justify its increasing naval presence in the Red Sea vicinity," they said.

"These Iranian efforts to project power have turned the waters around the Horn of Africa into another area of maritime friction.

The result is that other navies operating in the area are now combating both piracy and Iranian weapons smuggling," said the paper.

"Tactical measures have reduced - that is, displaced - the number of pirate attacks in the Red Sea in recent years. But Yemen has been racked by sectarian and tribal violence, and in the last two years, it has become the home of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.”

A new task force from Russia’s Pacific Fleet, which comprises the Admiral Panteleyev missile destroyer, the Butoma supply tanker and the Fotiy Krylov salvage tugboat, arrived in the area on September 28 – News.Az.

“Upon the arrival, the task force carried out scheduled maintenance, replenished water and fuel supplies, and after forming its first international convoy of nine commercial vessels started escorting it along the designated safety corridor,” Pacific Fleet’s spokesman Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said on Tuesday.

Martov said the convoy is heading toward the Suez Canal via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Russian Navy has maintained a presence off the Somali coast since October 2008, with warships operating on a rotating basis.

Admiral Panteleyev carried out its previous anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden from late April to early June, 2009.

The destroyer also held joint anti-piracy drills with the Republic of Singapore and Indonesian navies in May 2011.

Kuwait has presented a plan to protect marine sailing routes, fight piracy and combat armed assaults, says Gulfnews.

"The Kuwaiti work plan proposed various means to confront possible hazards in the water of the Arabian Gulf," Lt Commander Shaikh Mubarak Ali Yusuf Al Sabah, head of marine operations of the Kuwaiti Coast Guard, said.

The plan was presented to the Third International Symposium for Marine Disaster Management, held in the coastal city of Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported.

 Citadels - Good and Bad

Safe rooms, safety zones, safe muster points or citadels; whatever the viewpoint, they are becoming the de facto reaction to pirate attacks off Somalia in East Africa and the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa.

Military authorities and shipping associations have resolutely stated that citadels – let’s stick with that moniker - "should be complimentary to, rather than a replacement for, all other Ship Protection Measures set out in the eponymous Best Management Practice (version 4), BMP4" booklet.

The recent successes in the use of citadels have only gone to further endorse their reputation. Italian vessel, MV Montecristo, almost hijacked by Somali pirates, which was then rescued by UK and US Special Forces under NATO command, is one such good example. The other noteworthy case is the Norwegian product tanker, Northern Bell, which was boarded off Cotonou in Benin. The crew locked themselves in the engine room and contacted the Company Security Officer. The pirates left the ship and the crew were able to regain control the following day. Read more at Somalia Report.

Seafarers’ Plight

For 21 days, Mahadeo Makane was tied to a wooden chair in the motorman’s cabin, deep in the belly of the ship he once captained, without food, water or light, and wearing just an unclean vest and shorts. Read more on OCEANUSLive.

Waiting for death, Makane had begun to hallucinate when, he said, he drew inspiration from Papillon by Henri Charrière, a convicted felon who later crafted a legendary escape. “Papillon never lost hope. I had to keep the faith,” Makane, 53, says of the 21 days of “pure torture” at the hands of Somali pirates.

On World Maritime Day, Makane, captain of the German chemical tanker Marida Marguerite, told members of the shipping community about the ordeal he and his crew faced during the ship’s eight-month hijacking and the trauma that continues after their release. Makane, one of many sailors who have lived such a nightmare, was chosen by the Directorate of General of Shipping to bring up the need for stress management, to beef up ships’ defences, and for governments to provide security to ships rather than rely on private agencies.

In those eight months, Makane told the audience, only prayers helped him remain positive. “Prayers, prayers and more prayers... I felt closer to God.”

Marida Marguerite, its crew comprising mostly Indians and including a Ukrainian, set sail in April 2010 from Mumbai along a route that included “Pirate Alley”, the Gulf of Aden. It was hijacked on May 8, 120 miles south of Salalah, Oman. Six pirates started to fire from a skiff, and alerts were sent to navies, but within minutes a pirate had climbed aboard and started banging on cabin doors.

“We did not understand their language. But then fear needs no language,” says Makane. An aircraft came hovering but had to pull back as the pirates were already in. The pirates had GPS and satellite phones and guided them to the Isle of Somalia, where they dropped anchor alongside other hijacked vessels.

Ten Filipino seafarers abducted by pirates in the Gulf of Oman were reunited with their families in the Philippines Saturday (October 8) after spending more than six months in captivity - Gulfnews.

The Filipinos were welcomed by their families at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Saturday, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said. They were part of the 19 Philippine nationals who comprised the crew of the Panamanian-flagged, Greek-owned MV Dover.

Aside from the Filipinos also released were three Romanians and a Russian who served in the ship. The remaining Filipino crew of the MV Dover were expected to arrive in the Philippines in the following days.

Time is running out for Captain Jawaid Salim, now being held hostage by Somali pirates onboard the MV Albedo along with 22 of his crew members.

Somali pirates who hold the vessel, which had left for Kenya from Jebel Ali, and the crew captive are demanding a ransom of $2 million for their release. Negotiation efforts over the last ten months have failed as the pirates have issued a deadline to meet their demands.

Captain Salim’s daughters, Nareman Jawaid and Mishal Jawaid, are desperate to help and support their rescue.  “They have less than five days now and we hope the negotiators will be able to save the lives of my father and the other hostages. It is a desperate appeal for help,” said Nareman.

“The crew is running low on food supplies and there is no electricity onboard the cargo ship. Most of them are in a very bad condition now.”

Captors of the ship are reportedly planning to use it as a mother vessel to further their piracy operations. Andrew Mwangura, Maritime Editor for Somalia Report, confirmed the incident as he shared first-hand information.

“Some of the crew members of the vessel are being held captive onshore while the others are still onboard. The vessel is running out of stores, fresh water supply and some of the hostages are very sick,” Andrew told Khaleej Times.

Ahmed Chinoy, chief of the Citizens Police Liaison Committee of Pakistan, is spearheading negotiation efforts on behalf of the families. However, Nareman is losing hope, as the captors are showing no restraint.

And Finally...

THE Royal Navy chief who led a daring rescue to free a hijacked ship from the clutches of pirates last night told how they got there “in the nick of time”, writes UK Daily Mirror.

Capt Gerry Northwood RN (Photo: Portsmouth.co.uk)

When troops, including 40 marine commandos, boarded the vessel the gang, armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, had ripped apart steel doors and frames, wrecked cabins and blasted an RPG round through the bridge.Captain Gerry Northwood’s team sprang into action after finding an SOS message in a bottle from the bulk carrier MV Montecristo that had been seized by Somali thugs.

And after spending 24 hours scouring the decks for the 23 crew, the thugs were about to smash into the engine room where they were hiding.

Capt Northwood said: “We basically just smothered the Montecristo. It was only then the 11 pirates realised the game was up and surrendered.

“They were close to breaking down the door to the engine room. This was a wild, ­unpredictable gang. None of us would want to have been captured.”

The workers had fled in terror to the room as the pirates swooped. But in the rush they forgot to take their hand-held radios and were left with no communication to the outside world.

One managed to throw out the distress message in a bottle through a funnel. It was picked up by an American frigate USS De Wert patrolling the Somali basin off the coast of Oman.

The Royal Navy RFA vessel Fort Victoria and the US ship backed by an Australian aircraft and navy Lynx helicopter attacked the Italian-registered Montecristo to bring the 24-hour siege to an end. The rescue came at the end of a 36-hour operation, including a dash across 550 miles of ocean.

OCEANUSLive can reveal that Capt Northwood is one of the Royal Navy’s most experienced counter piracy officers. He has been involved in high profile operations in the Arabian Gulf region for a number of years, including missions as part of the UK’s contribution to the US-led Coalition Maritime Forces based in Bahrain; he was a senior planner as part of the UK Maritime Battle Staff – the military planning department, capable of commanding large multinational naval and marine task groups anywhere in the world - and was one of the key staff members that quickly initiated, commissioned and established the successful EU counter piracy operation, Op Atalanta. After a spell working in the MoD media department in Whitehall, Capt Northwood returned to a sea command.

Awarded the honour of the OBE for his efforts during time as part of the Maritime Battle Staff, Northwood, a keen windsurfer, is what many would term a ‘dashing naval officer’. Read his account of events in The News.

Piracy events

Hijack:

• None – see Montecristo report above.

9 Unsuccessful Attacks (All Regions, including 1 late report):

• Gulf of Aden - September 24 (Late report) at 0300 LT in position 13:06N - 049:05E, Marshall Islands oil tanker, Fairchem Bronco, chased by pirates in several skiffs. Vessel was part of a convoy at the time. The pirates aborted the attack and escaped.

• Caribbean Sea – October 4 at 1720 LT: in position 10:18.26N – 064:34.47W, Guanta Port Pilot Boarding Area, Venezuela. Five robbers in a high speed boat approached a container ship awaiting pilot boarding. One of the robbers attempted to board the ship with a hook attached with a long pole. Crew saw the boat and rushed to the location. The robbers in the boat threw stones at the crewmembers while one of the robbers attempted to climb onboard. As more crewmembers arrived at the location the robbers aborted the boarding and moved away.

• South China Sea - October 5. At least 12 Chinese sailors were killed when their two cargo ships, the Hua Ping and the Yu Xing 8, were attacked with gunfire on the Mekong River in the northern province of Chang Rai. One of the sailors from the Yu Xing 8 is still unaccounted for. Local authorities are releasing few details, saying they are in the early phases of the investigation, but have said they cannot rule out the possible involvement of drug gangs in this attack

• Gulf of Guinea – October 8 at 2040 UTC: in position 04:55N-003:16E, around 90nm south of Lagos, Nigeria. Pirates boarded and hijacked a German chemical tanker, MT Cape Bird, drifting whilst awaiting orders. The vessel with a crew of 20 was sailed to an unknown location.

• Pacific Ocean (E) – October 7 (late report via IMB) at 2200 LT: in position: 02:21S-079:59W, Guayaquil river, Ecuador. Fifteen robbers armed with guns boarded a French container vessel, Marfret Douce France, underway during river pilotage. Robbers opened and stole contents of two containers. Master raised alarm and searchlights switched on. Seeing crew alertness, the robbers aimed their guns towards the bridge and then escaped with stolen cargo.

• South China Sea – October 10 (via ReCAAP) at or about 0335 hrs LT, in position 01:02.80N - 103:38.30E, approximately 3nm southwest of Racon D in the Phillip Channel, Singapore-registered tug boat, Britoil 71 towing a Singapore-registered chemical tanker, Titan Vision was underway when five masked robbers boarded the tug boat. Armed with parangs and a handgun, the robbers took away a laptop, mobile phones and cash from the crew before they escaped. The whole episode lasted about 10 mins and the 15 crew onboard the tug boat was uninjured. Local authorities were contacted.

• Arabian Sea - October 10 at 0450 UTC in position 12:31N - 061:48E, approximately 432nm East of Socotra Island, Italian flagged and owned bulk carrier, MV Montecristo, was attacked by 10 pirates armed with RPG in a single skiff. They fired one shot before boarding the vessel. All crew members went into the citadel except unarmed security guards who remained behind trying to protect the ship and her crew. Crew of 20 composed of 10 Indians, 7 Ukrainians and 3 Italians and was en-route to Vietnam. Following receipt of a message, UK and US boarding teams conducted a successful rescue resulting in 11 pirates being detained.

• South China Sea – October 10 (via IMB) at 2220 LT: position 10:09.1N-107:13.4E, Vung Tau Anchorage, Vietnam. Robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored Saint Vincent & the Grenadines bulk carrier, Kalitihi Sea. They threatened the duty watchman with a knife, stole ships’ stores and escaped.

• Indian Ocean - October 11 at 0923 UTC, bulk carrier came under attack by pirates in position 11:26S - 042:34E, Mozambique Channel. 2 skiffs approached vessel (in ballast following WFP delivery in Mombasa); weapons were sighted. Evasive manoeuvres were carried out and no shots fired. A security team were on board but the chase was aborted after 30 mins. PAG remains operational in the area.

NATO Shipping Centre reports Yemeni Dhow and Kenyan Fishing vessel have been reported as missing. These vessels may have been pirated. If the vessels have been pirated, they may be used as mother-ships. The Yemeni Dhow has a red hull and a white superstructure.

At least 15 ships and an estimated 303 hostages remain captives of the Somali pirates. See the Somalia Report Weekly Piracy Report for details of ships held.

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 available at the link above; a high resolution version can be downloaded here.

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.

Horn of Africa Piracy Activity (Arabian Sea attack in insert)

OCEANUSLive.org permits the reproduction of this image providing source and link are published (Map ToU)

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

OCEANUSLive.org

Information, Security, Safety; Shared