OCEANUSLive Weekly Pirate Activity Update
No successful attacks in the past week; late reported hijack of FV off Seychelles and an astonishing recapture by vessel’s crew. EU disruption but suspects are released. Mistaken pirates released. Pirate rumour mill grinds out confusion and MV Blida still in the news. Ludicrous ransom demand for aid workers and $130m paid in ransoms. Notion Kenyan incursion in Somalia helps reduce ransom demands is unfounded. France launches 3-year anti-piracy support to West Africa, whilst UN sends team to assess situation. Egypt reconsiders weapons through Suez Canal. Passenger ferry hijacked in Turkey. Solar-powered catamaran sailing into the pirate zone.
As the predicted surge in piracy attacks after the monsoon season ends fails to materialise, despite the record level of attacks in the 9 months of this year, there was very little significant activity seen by pirates at sea over the past week. However, a fishing vessel was reported hijacked during the previous week.
The crew of the Taiwan fishing vessel recapture their ship, dispatching 6 pirates in the process. EU forces disrupt PAG but are forced to release suspects due to lack of evidence. It goes to demonstrate the increased security measures adopted by the shipping community, military organisations and use of private security – no getting away from it.
Kenya releases fishermen originally suspected of being pirates in the sea area near Lamu, the location of recent tourist kidnapping. Notion that the Kenyan incursion into Somalia are driving down pirate ransom demands is too early to determine and are unfounded.
Pirate rumour mill goes into overdrive following Chin Yi Wen crew recapture of their ship and Liquid Velevet negotiations may well suffer.
MV Blida, although freed, remains in the news after heading towards Mogadishu.
As pirates demand the ridiculous sum of $10 million ransom for the kidnapped aid workers, the estimated total ransom haul so far nears $130 million.
As the Secretary General of UN sends a team to West Africa to assess the piracy situation, France launches a $1 million 3-year support package for anti-piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Having declared the intention to ban weapons through the Suez Canal, back in August, Egypt has a change of heart to let weapons and security teams with the proviso of Flag State letter of endorsement.
A passenger ferry with 18 people is hijacked in Turkey, believed to by a lone hijacker, from an outlawed Kurdish organisation, claiming to have a bomb. The hijacker is killed in an operation by Turkish security forces.
Private navy edges closer to being formed and private security continues to increase as a legitimate option as more companies place armed guards onboard.
Information sharing capability between piracy reporting centres continues to evolve as calls for greater cooperation increases [OCEANUSLive has advocated collaboration throughout its existence].
The cruise industry bemoans the effect of piracy as prices are slashed and the economic impact causes concern in Gulf States.
A solar-powered catamaran, Turanor Planet Solar, prepares to skirt pirate waters as it continues its record-breaking round the world journey.
Pirate Activity - East Africa
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| Chin Yi Wen (Photo: NATO Shipping Cen) |
THE TAIWANESE FISHING vessel, Chin Yi Wen, was hijacked by Somali pirates approximately 270nm Southwest of the Seychelles last week. The Taiwan News reported that the Taiwan-registered fishing boat may have been hijacked by Somali pirates, with 28 crew members aboard -- none of them Taiwanese.
As OCEANUSLive reported, the crew of the Taiwanese fishing vessel fought against the armed Somali pirates and managed to overwhelm the six armed pirates and retake control of their ship.
‘In my memory, this is the first time sailors of a fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates have freed themselves on their own,’ Tsay Tzu-yaw, spokesman for Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency, told AFP.
The Somali pirates fell into the sea, Tsay said, quoting the fishing boat owner, adding that details of the saga and the fate of the six pirates were not immediately clear.
Tsay said three sailors were slightly injured and the ship was heading for waters of the Seychelles. Reports state that the 3 injured crew were air evacuated by UK Royal Navy helicopter to the Seychelles for futher medical attention. A Seychellois armed vessel was sent to escort the freed fishing vessel.
THE GREEK-OWNED tanker, Liquid Velvet, hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden at the western end of the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor (IRTC) last week was caught in further controversy.
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Hijacked tanker, MV Liquid Velvet (Photo: MarineTraffic.com)
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The incident surrounding the retake of the Taiwan fishing vessel, Chin Yi Wen, prompted a whole lot of confusion as the pirate rumor mill went crazy, with many who had heard the story second- or third-hand saying that the incident took place aboard the MT Liquid Velvet, which was seized on October 31. It led to media reports of a second recapturing of a hijacked ship, however, military sources state that the Liquid Velvet, remained in its anchored position.
Some pirates claimed that the misinformation was spread about the Liquid Velvet for propaganda reasons in an attempt to get more money from the owner of the vessel in compensation for their murdered friends. What all this shows is that most pirates simply can't be trusted to tell the truth, says Somalia Report.
Indian Navy patrolling the Gulf of Aden Thursday thwarted a multi-boat attack by sea brigands on merchant vessels, apprehending 26 Somali pirates and confiscating arms and ammunition, in the fifth successful anti-piracy operation since September – DNA India.
At about 9:25 Thursday morning, navy personnel aboard warship INS Sukanya spotted a group of five suspicious boats speedily approaching the merchant vessels of her group.
"The warship immediately altered (its direction) towards the suspicious vessels and challenged them. On seeing the resolve evident in the warship's action and probably mindful of the reputation for resolute action that the Indian Navy justly enjoys in such deployments, the pirate skiffs reversed course and tried to flee the area," Captain Manohar Nambiar, Chief Public Relations Officer, Defence, said.
While two of them managed to escape, INS Sukanya successfully intercepted the remaining three boats and, in a well-practiced and professionally executed boarding-and-search action, nabbed 26 Somali pirates with six AK 47 rifles, 12 magazines and about 300 rounds of ammunition.
This is the fifth successful anti-piracy operation conducted by INS Sukanya in the course of her ongoing patrol mission in the Gulf of Aden that commenced in September, the navy said.
Warship Sukanya, currently deployed on anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden under the operational control of the Western Naval Command, was escorting a group of five merchant vessels through the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor when the incident happened.
FV ARIDE AND her two crew members were seized by Somali pirates on October 30, 2011 some 65 nautical miles west of Mahe, according to Seychellois maritime official Albert Nappier.
The vessel, now anchored off Harardheere in Somalia's Mudug region, was carrying tourists, according to a pirate who spoke to Somalia Report. No ransom demand has been made as yet.
A Spanish Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft is said to have confirmed the vessel’s position.
FOLLOWING A COORDINATED search and detection by a French Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance aircraft on November 4 2011, the
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| Pirates Jettison Equipment (Photo: EUNAVFOR) |
German warship FGS Koeln, operating as part of the EU NAVFOR, disrupted a pirate action group comprising a whaler and skiff, 50nm off the coast of Tanzania. On detection, the suspect pirates jettisoned their pirate equipment overboard (see right) and were detained without resistance. They have been transferred onboard FGS Koeln and the two pirate boats were sunk, preventing their use against merchant shipping in the area – EUNAVFOR.eu.
FOLLOWING DETECTION BY EU NAVFOR warships and aircraft working in close cooperation in the Somali Basin on November 8, the Yemen registered dhow, Al Jabal, which had been stolen for use as a pirate mother-ship, was stopped by the FGS Koeln. A group of 19 Somali men were onboard and surrendered to the boarding team; two Yemeni crew members were released.
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| Pirate Suspects Released (Photo: EUNAVFOR.eu) |
The dhow had been previously detected in the area of a number of failed pirate attacks and tracked to a position where an unopposed boarding (right) could be carried out. Regrettably, without sufficient evidence to prove piracy and the reluctance of the two crew members to testify against their captors, the 19 men were returned to Somalia. The dhow, with a crew of German sailors onboard, has sailed towards the port of Al Mukalla on the Yemen coast where it will be handed-over to the Yemen Coastguard for return to its owners and for the two crew members to be reunited with their families – EUNAVFOR.eu.
SOMALI PIRATES WHO are holding captive two Western aid workers of the Danish Demining Group (DDG) are demanding US$10 million in ransom money, Somalia Report reliably learned on Saturday.
Sources close to the pirate group told Somalia Report that the two hostages, an American and a Danish national, were in good health.
According to the sources, 32 year-old Jessica Buchanan and her Danish counterpart Poul Hagen Thisted, 60, are in high spirits and are doing well given the circumstances.
"The two hostages are good, they live with us and their health is also good," said the pirate man who did not want to be named.
"Since my friends kidnapped them, we have been discussing on a suitable ransom amount that they can demand and they finally agreed with each other to demand $10 million for a ransom. They got some contacts from the Danish Demining Group and we hope that the negotiation process will begin soon," he added.
The source declined to divulge details about the whereabouts of the kidnapped aid workers citing concerns over a possible military action against the hostage-takers.
"I can't tell you the exact place that they are holding the hostages now. We are fearing a possibility of a military attack as we have seen a number of airplanes on Mudug Region," said the pirate man.
The aid workers were seized by Somali pirates on October 25 in southern Galkayo in the semi-autonomous region of Galmudug state.
KENYAN AUTHORITIES RELEASED six fishermen who escaped Kenya military attack last week for being suspected to be pirates in Ras Kiamboni in southern Somalia - Coastweek.
The police said the six who narrated the tribulations on how they managed to survive from almost five hours fierce bullets attack by the Kenya Navy were released on Wednesday.
Last week, military spokesman Emmanuel Chirchir said the Kenyan Navy while on patrol duties last Friday sank a boat in the area of Ras Kiamboni in southern Somalia.
Chirchir said the boat was challenged to stop for identification but continued to approach the Kenya Navy at high speed, consequently they were fired at.
"We wish to reiterate that the Kenya-Somalia border is still closed and that any maritime operations in these areas are banned," Chirchir said.
Kenya’s officials had earlier said that Kenya’s Navy shot and killed seven fishermen at sea, though three survived the attack.
Fishermen’s relatives said the boat was full of innocent people, though officials said they were treating the surviving men as possible insurgents
Release by Pirates
MARITIME AND DIPLOMATIC sources confirmed to Somalia Report Monday evening that a private security team has boarded MV Blida, recently released by Somalia pirates, while at sea and she is now steaming out of Somalia heading to Kenya's Mombasa port.
Maritime sources told Somalia Report Monday afternoon that the crew members had threatened to disembark from MV Blida and board MV Queen Arrow II, her sister ship, after their master and chief officer asked them to sail the ship to Mogadishu whereupon a security was waiting for them. After eleven months in captivity at the hands of Somali pirates, the crew refused to return to Somalia, with no chance of a naval warship to escort the released vessel. The sources further said that the vessel, under the escort of the Panama flagged cement carrier MV Queen Arrow II, was sailing smoothly but as of 1015am (local time) Monday while in position 0153 north-04607 east the main engine of the ship stopped forcing the master of MV Queen Arrow II to alter course of the vessel. Military sources said that following the disagreement of MV Blida crew, the Queen Arrow II abandoned her and is now underway heading to port Salalah, Oman. Sources at the Mombasa port said that MV Blida was expected to have reached dock in Mombasa on November 10, 2011. The Algeria-flagged and -owned bulk carrier was released on Thursday afternoon after the ship owner paid US $3.5 million ransom.
MV Blida was hijacked January 1, 2011 while approximately 130 nautical miles southeast of Salalah, Oman as she transited to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania carrying clinker.
Meanwhile, the ransom has created a major rift amongst the pirate group responsible. Read more at Somalia Report.
SO FAR, ESTIMATED ransom payments in 2011 amount to $128.5 million for the release of 27 vessels and 25 hostages released independently of their ships. Please see the table below for the breakdown of how we arrived at this updated figure (note that since many of the figures quoted were given by pirates, who can exaggerate the ransom paid to drive up prices, the likelihood is that the real figure is smaller).
Table of Ships Released and Ransoms Paid - Somalia Report
KENYA’S OPERATION AGAINST Al Shabaab in Somalia has helped reduce ransom demands on captured ships as pirates seek to close deals before a battle between the militants and Kenyan forces at Kismayo, according to Business Daily Africa.
Shipping experts said that the amount of ransom demanded by pirates for vessels had dropped by about 50 per cent and could fall further in coming days once “Operation Linda Nchi” (Defend the Country) is completed.
“Initially, the pirates holding captive the Algerian flagged MV Blida were demanding $6 million to release the vessel and her multi-national crew. But a package of $3.5 million was delivered on the vessel and they freed it,” said Andrew Mwangura, the Seafarers’ Assistant Programmes (SAP) coordinator.
It is believed that the militants offer protection to pirates in exchange for cash, arms and logistics in a pirate value chain estimated to be worth between $4.9 billion and $8.3 billion.
MV Blida with its 27 crew was hijacked on January 1 on her way to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania from Salalah in Oman.
The turn of events comes as a relief to shippers who are shouldering the commercial burden of piracy along the gulf of Eden.
Maritime sources privy to ransom negotiations in Mombasa said the military campaign had tilted negotiations in favour of vessel owners as pirates rush to close deals.
London and Mombasa are cited in various reports as among the towns where negotiations for ransom are conducted.
“Pirates are keener than before to make sure that negotiations for the release of at least nine vessels held in Somali are completed,” said a manager at a Mombasa-based shipping agents, who wished to remain anonymous. “It is clear the trend is due to the military operation in Somalia.”
However, some commentators believe that such an assessment of the Kenyan incursion in southern Somalia is influencing ransom amounts seems too premature and not well supported by the facts.
Pirate Activity - West Africa
FRANCE HAS LAUNCHED a three-year plan to train local forces and provide surveillance for anti-piracy operations in Benin, Togo and Ghana as part of international efforts to curb insecurity from spreading in the oil-producing Gulf of Guinea - Reuters.
French aid comes after the United Nations Security Council last month pledged to look at ways of tackling the problem, which has long affected Nigeria's Niger Delta region but has spread, hurting Benin's shipping industry in particular.
"The increased number of kidnappings and the escalating costs for commercial shipping and extraction of resources are clearly a threat to the growth, development and therefore the stability of countries in the Gulf of Guinea," Jean-Paul Monchau, France's ambassador to Benin, said on Thursday.
France has pledged to spend 5.2 billion CFA francs [approximately $1 million] on training local forces and buying two surveillance aircraft from French firm LH Aviation, the ambassador said.
The Gulf of Guinea, a stretch of West Africa's coast spanning more than a dozen countries, is a growing source of oil, cocoa and metals to world markets.
While piracy has not touched the scale of the attacks off Somalia, it is on the increase and navies in the region lack the means to counter it.
London's marine insurance market has added Benin to a list of areas deemed high risk due to an escalation of pirate attacks, driving up shipping costs and dissuading firms from stopping at the country's ports.
Analysts say the spike in piracy is partly due to Nigerian gangs moving into neighbouring countries due to pressure at home.
Nigeria, Spain and the United States are also involved in helping Benin try and control the sea gangs.
WEST AFRICA MILITARY and political officials met Tuesday in Benin to discuss strategies to combat a surge in pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea that has raised alarm in the shipping industry - AFP.
The three-day meeting of officials from Benin, Ghana and Togo was to focus on attacks that have seen pirates hijack tankers off the west African coast and steal fuel or oil cargo to sell on the region's lucrative black market.
Experts from the United Nations, European Union and the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States also took part.
"We are putting an emphasis on pre-emptive strategies," Benin chief of defence staff Mathieu Boni told journalists.
General Bruno Clement-Bollee, head of security cooperation with the French foreign ministry, said the meeting was aimed at "bringing together national and international experts to define concerted strategies between regional states to combat this phenomenon."
Benin has seen at least 20 piracy incidents off its coast this year, compared with none last year.
In September, it launched joint patrols with its giant neighbour Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer and where piracy has long been a problem.
Other Piracy Activity
NOT DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE to piracy, however, worthy of mentioning here; China and its south-east Asian neighbours are to launch patrols to protect ships along the Mekong River, after 13 Chinese sailors were murdered on its upper reaches last month - Guardian.
The crew members of two Chinese cargo ships were attacked on 5 October in the "Golden Triangle", an area where the borders of Burma, Thailand and Laos meet, that is notorious for drug smuggling.
The deaths triggered a public uproar in China, where the safety of nationals abroad has become an increasingly sensitive topic, and Beijing demanded that its neighbours capture the perpetrators and strengthen safety along the river.
Nine Thai soldiers later turned themselves in over the killing.
The Chinese government has bought five ships that will be refitted for the patrols, said a report on the website of the People's Daily citing Fang Youguo, general secretary of an association of Chinese shipowners whose vessels use the Mekong.
The boats will "patrol key areas along the Mekong river, offering protection for legal cargo ships from China, Laos, Burma and Thailand", Fang said, according to the report.
China's growing presence in Asia, Africa and other parts of the world has prompted attacks, kidnappings and hijackings, and the issue has become a sensitive one for Chinese officials, who do not want to appear weak in protecting nationals.
The 3,050-mile (4,900km) Mekong snakes from China into south-east Asia, where it forms the border between Burma and Laos, and then Thailand and Laos. In 2001, the four countries signed an agreement to regularise shipping on the river.
TURKISH SECURITY FORCES have killed a hijacker who seized a ferry off the coast east of Istanbul on Friday, reports BBC News.
Anti-terrorist commandos stormed the vessel at dawn and shot the lone hijacker dead.
All 24 passengers and crew are safe after being held hostage for 12 hours, officials say.
The hijacker claimed to be carrying a bomb, which was later said to be fake. He is believed to have belonged to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
One report said some passengers jumped into the sea as the raid began.
The decision was taken to carry out a joint security forces operation at 05:35 local (03:35 GMT), Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu told reporters.
"Shortly after the start of the operation, the vessel was boarded and the assailant was killed," Mr Mutlu said.
"It was clear that the assailant was a terror group member," he said, a reference to the Kurdish rebel group.
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| Turkish Security Forces Storm Hijacked Ferry (Photo: Reuters/BBC) |
No demands
The hijacker was about 30, according to Mr Mutlu.
"A mechanism made of bottles and wires, which was designed to look like a bomb, was found," governor of the north-western Kocaeli region Ercan Topaca told local media.
The hijacker did not have a gun, the AP news agency reports.
One of the freed hostages told local TV that the operation only lasted about 10 minutes.
"We didn't see them [killing the hijacker], but we heard three shots first, and then three more," Ceyhun Tezel told the NTV news channel.
Transport Minister Binali Yildirim had told reporters in the capital Ankara that the hijacker had not made any concrete demands and had only sought fuel, food and drink.
Earlier reports said the passenger ferry, named Kartepe, had been seized by up to five hijackers.
The ferry had been on its way from Izmit to Golcuk when it was hijacked at around 17:45 local time (15:45 GMT) on Friday in the Sea of Marmara off north-west Turkey.
There were 18 passengers and six crew members on board.
The captain was allowed to give a brief interview to Turkish TV in which he said there were several hijackers, who claimed to belong to the HPG, the armed wing of the PKK.
The hijacker had threatened to detonate explosives if attempts were made to intercept the ferry, the ship's captain told a local news channel.
There had been speculation that the ferry was to be taken to Imrali island in the Sea of Marmara, said the BBC's Jonathan Head in Istanbul.
Former PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan has been in jail on the island since 1999.
Before the ferry was stormed, it was running low on fuel and had to anchor off the coast near the port of Siliviri, on the outskirts of Istanbul.
The PKK guerrillas are seeking greater autonomy in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated south-east.
Violence between the PKK and the army has increased in recent months as the government has carried out an offensive against it.
Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict since 1984.
Private Security
IN AUGUST 2011 the Egyptian Ministry of Defence announced a prohibition on the carriage of armed guards, weapons and ammunition on vessels transiting the Suez Canal. However, the requirements were not enforced at the time due to discussions with other Egyptian authorities regarding the possible negative impact of such regulations on the volume of shipping using the Suez Canal – West of England P&I.
It has been advised by Egyptian Marine Insurance Consultations and Services (EMICS), Alexandria that the regulations have since been amended. Vessels are now permitted to transit the Suez Canal with armed guards, weapons and ammunition on board, provided a letter endorsed by the vessel’s flag state is submitted to the Suez Canal Authority prior to transit.
The letter, which need not be in any particular format, must contain the following information:
- The quantity and type of weapons and ammunition on board,
- The number of armed guards on board,
- Details of the armed guards’ employer, and
- Confirmation that the weapons will not be used while the vessel is in Egyptian territorial waters.
RESPONDING TO THE move to permit UK flag vessels to carry armed guards, ITF general secretary David Cockroft said: “Somali-based piracy has been allowed to become so successful, savage and wide-ranging that seafarers’ and seafaring organisations’ worries about armed guards have had to be set aside. However, guards can never be anything but a supplement to the sorely tried existing naval presence, which is now trying to cover an entire ocean” – ITF Seafarers.
“The ITF, like the International Shipping Federation and International Chamber of Shipping, would like to see on-vessel detachments made up of the ship’s flag state forces whenever possible.”
ITF seafarers’ section chair Dave Heindel added: “Until more countries are prepared to patrol, arrest and prosecute, and to take the fight to the pirates and their bases … the world will continue to be held to ransom, and innocent seafarers to risk imprisonment, torture and, ultimately, death.”
THE SHIPPING COMPANY Clipper Group has armed guards on all of its cargo ships in the mission of fighting off pirates – Danish Maritime Magazine.
This is possible because the ships are not sailing under the Danish flag.
"We have an employee who does not do anything except monitor the situation around piracy. And we take no chances. All ships have armed guards on board, mostly British, with a military past," says Per Gullestrup, CEO of Clipper.
PLANS FOR A Convoy Escort Programme (CEP) for the High Risk Piracy area look like going ahead despite funding concerns - Shiptalk.
The alternative to armed guards is set to launch in the first quarter of 2012, and according to Lloyd’s List the service will include the escort service, insurance cover and an audit of the vessel’s Best Management Practice 4 and compliance during the transit period.
The programme had initially been pushed out as an insurance industry initiative; however the scheme is now proceeding on a fully commercial basis.
CEP is facilitated by Jardine Lloyd Thompson and the company hopes to have the investor backing secured to purchase the first set of patrol boats in due course.
The first phase roll out will see the deployment of seven bespoke rigid-hulled inflatable boats, each with a crew of eight. Phase two will see the purchase of an additional 11 RHIBs, bringing the total number to 18.
It is understood that Cypriot company Dobson Ship Management will look after the RHIBs, Moore Stephens has been appointed as the accountancy group, while law firms Ince & Co and Holman Fenwick Willan are advising on legal matters.
IN CASE YOU haven't noticed, all of a sudden maritime security contracting seems to have turned a corner in gaining both industry, and more importantly, governmental approval. The latter is more important because without governmental approval for carrying weapons aboard ship, PSCs face daunting legal and administrative obstacles.
Although the debate over whether and how to use private security contractors to protect commercial shipping against the threat of piracy, notably Somali pirates, has been brewing for years, all of a sudden a number of events seem to signal that the debate is largely ended and the PSC industry has emerged victorious.
The biggest sign was when Somali Report reported on Nov. 4 that it had obtained an unclassified document from the U.S. State Department that orders American embassy staff to promote the use of armed security guards on commercial vessels around the coast of Somalia.
An increasing number of shipping companies, such as the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), Danish Torm A/S, as well as Maersk Tankers, have announced that they will start hiring armed guards to protect their vessels from pirates.
Perhaps most tellingly some ship insurers would like to see an increase in the use of PCASPs to protect merchant vessels. A recent article in Lloyd's List stated that although not directly confirmed by insurers, "some form of discount" was applied.
The bottom line seems to be that the use of PCASP remains controversial and several aspects have to be considered, including legal aspects and the safety of seafarers. The IMO emphasizes that the circulars it approved are guidelines and "are not intended to endorse or institutionalize the use of armed guards" or to replace Best Management Practices. According to the IMO, while traveling through high risk waters, BMPs should continue to guide initial steps before any other measures are considered. The majority of shipowner associations such as the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Shipping Federation have made it clear that they prefer to use international military personnel over the hiring of armed guards to protect their ships and cargo.
But, ultimately, given the current situation for ships traveling through pirate-prone areas, certain provisions have to be made. As Kiran Khosla, ICS Director of Legal Affairs and secretary of the ICS' maritime law and insurance committees said, "to engage armed guards, whether military or private, is a decision to be made by the ship operator." Based on the growing trend for the use of armed security guards and success in deterring pirate attacks, it seems that more countries are contemplating a change in legislation to allow armed security guards. Read more at Huffington Post.
Information Sharing
THE PIRACY INFORMATION-SHARING infrastructure covering Asia and the Indian Ocean has been significantly enhanced with the signing today (11 November 2011) of an important agreement in Singapore - IMO.org.
The agreement, signed by the three Information Sharing Centres (ISCs) set up under the IMO-led Djibouti Code of Conduct and the Singapore-based ReCAAP ISC, establishes a set of standard operating procedures for communicating and exchanging piracy-related information and will result in a major expansion of the reporting area of such incidents. Under the Djibouti Code of Conduct (The Code of Conduct concerning the Repression of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, signed in Djibouti on 29 January 2009), three ISCs have been established, in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, Mombasa, Kenya and Sana’a, Yemen. The three ISCs were declared operational during the first half of 2011 and have since actively collected and disseminated piracy-related information.
ReCAAP (The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia) entered into force on 4 September 2006 and established the ReCAAP ISC in Singapore. The roles of the ReCAAP ISC include exchanging information among Contracting Parties on incidents of piracy and armed robbery, supporting the capacity-building efforts of Contracting Parties and facilitating cooperative arrangements.
The move to forge closer ties between the ISCs comes against the background of the continuing threat posed by piracy to maritime trade and the safe passage of ships through the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. Piracy attacks have been reported close to the western coast of India, a ReCAAP Contracting Party, and many ships with flag or crews from ReCAAP Contracting Parties are being affected. Pooling resources between Djibouti Code of Conduct and ReCAAP ISCs will ensure vital piracy information can be shared across as wide an area as possible.
Continued dialogue between the ISCs is fully supported by IMO, as part of its wider aim to promote closer cross-regional collaboration through sharing best practices, information exchange and capacity-building efforts.
MARITIME SECURITY, ANTI-PIRACY measures, freedom of navigation and maintaining the security of Sea Lanes of Communication to facilitate unhindered trade by the sea routes-are some of the issues that dominated the India-Japan Defence Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo last week, reports Public Information Bureau, Government of India. The delegation level talks, led by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony and his Japanese counterpart Mr Yasuo Ichikawa, recognized the importance of sea lanes and decided to 'actively pursue consultations and cooperation in the field of maritime security both bilaterally and in association with all other countries in the region'.
The Indian delegation included the Defence Secretary Shri Shashi Kant Sharma, the Indian Ambassador to Japan, Shri Aloke Prasad, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral RK Dhowan and GoC-in-C, Central Command, Lt Gen VK Ahluwalia.
The two sides exchanged views on regional and international security and decided to step up defence cooperation and exchanges between the two countries. Shri Antony said India-Japan defence cooperation is 'geared towards peace and prosperity of the region and is transparent'.
Discussing specifics of exchanges and defence cooperation, the two sides expressed satisfaction at the planned activities based on agreed annual calendars. The Japanese Defence Minister will visit India early next year. Both sides will implement the Japan-India Defence Policy Dialogue in Tokyo, also early next year. Both sides will implement Staff Talks between the Japan Ground Self Defence Force (GSDF) and Indian Army in 2012. Staff Exchanges between Japan Air Defence Force (ASDF) and Indian Air Force will be held in 2012 and be developed to Staff Talks at the earliest date.
Call to Arms & Actions
PRESIDENT JAMES MICHEL cannot allow any more Seychellois fishermen to be taken hostage by Somali pirates, when this happens it affects him, the families, the Seychellois nation and the country’s economy. He has come out strongly in an interview after meeting with the families (right) of the two fishermen who are now in the hands of the pirates somewhere in Somalia, and declared that his country is prepared to invest and go the extra miles to get reinforcement to provide security to Seychellois fishermen and on inhabited outer islands where there are also tourism activities – The People/OCEANUSLive.
Seychelles which has always been pro-active with this crisis is playing its part, the President has launched another appeal to the international community especially the United Nations (UN) to react in order to put an end to the scourge of piracy that if it continued to be ignored will transform into terrorism.
Seychelles is seeking concrete actions that will turn piracy into a past problem. It is no longer enough to sit in forums to discuss piracy when nothing tangible is being done by the international community to make the problem go away.
Seychelles is a small country which economy has to put up with the consequences of any instability of the world therefore there’s not much it can do. And right now the President is prepared to take actions to deal with pirates there and then when it happens at sea, just like some nations are doing.
“If the international community can go into Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya etc., they can also enter Somalia and put an end to Al-Shabaab and this will also put an end to piracy.
If Somalia is left without help, some day it will become the nesting ground for terrorists, then it will not only be Seychelles to face the bad consequences”, the President said.
SECRETARY GENERAL BAN Ki-moon has deployed a team to assess the scope of the piracy threat in the Gulf of Guinea and make recommendations for possible United Nations support in tackling this scourge, reports UN.org.
The assessment mission is being sent to the region in response to a request from President Boni Yayi of Benin, according to Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.
It is co-led by Sammy Kum Buo, Director of the Africa II Division in the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA), and Mariam Sissoko, Country Representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria.
The mission will visit Cotonou, Benin, from 7 to 16 November; Abuja, Nigeria, from 17 to 19 November; Libreville, Gabon, from 20 to 21 November; and Luanda, Angola, from 22 to 24 November.
It will meet with representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission, as well as Government officials and relevant national counterparts in each country.
Last month Mr. Ban urged States and regional organizations in the Gulf of Guinea to develop a comprehensive and integrated strategy to combat maritime piracy, which he said was threatening to hinder economic development and undermine security in the region.
The Security Council too encouraged the development of such a strategy, which will entail the drafting of domestic laws and regulations – where they do not exist – that will criminalize piracy and armed robbery at sea and develop a regional framework to counter piracy and armed robbery, including information-sharing and operational coordination mechanisms in the region.
DELIBERATIONS ON PIRACY in the Indian Ocean topped the 18th Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOC-ARC) debates here reports IBN Live.
"We are trying to explore avenues to check piracy in the Indian Ocean with the help of member-countries. We are working out a strategy to combat the menace," IOC-ARC Sectretary General Murtaza Sarmadi told reporters after the deliberations.
The meeting also deliberated on the problems relating to fisheries exploitation in the Indian Ocean and improving trade and investment among member-countries. Sarmadi said the IOC-ARC committee would chalk out a strategy to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean after compiling suggestions from member-nations. "The participating countries have given their valuable suggestions in this regard," he added. Sarmadi said piracy, especially in the high seas off Somalian coast, has become "a lucrative business in Somalia". However, some efforts have been made to politically stabilise the worsening situation in Somalia so as to cut down such incidents in the Indian Ocean, Sarmadi said. He said problems of over-population and declining populations of fish were discussed. "In fact Australia have proposed to conduct a workshop on problems relating to fisheries exploitation in Indian Ocean," Samradi said.
THE GOVERNMENTS OF Mozambique and South African have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the fight against maritime piracy, state news agency (AIM) reported Thursday - Coastweek.
According to AIM, the signing ceremony took place in Pretoria on Tuesday during a meeting of the Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security between the two countries.
The delegations attending the meeting were headed by Mozambican Defence Minister Filipe Nyussi and his South African counterpart, Lindiwe Sisulu.
Quoting a statement from the meeting, the agency said that that joint naval and air patrols between Mozambique and South Africa have significantly reduced piracy in the Mozambique Channel.
This follows an agreement signed by the two defence ministers in June to join forces in the fight against Somali pirate gangs off the Mozambican coast, which is almost 2,500 km long.
The threat from piracy to Mozambican interests became graphically clear on Dec.28 last year, when Somali pirates hijacked a Mozambican fishing vessel, the "Vega 5".
They travelled with the vessel into Somali territorial waters, turned it into a pirate "mother ship", and used it to attack merchant shipping in the Arabian Sea.
According to the statement, the career of these pirates was cut short when two Indian anti-piracy vessels engaged the "Vega 5" in a gun battle on 12 March, during which the "Vega 5" caught fire, and the pirates and crew members alike jumped overboard.
The Indian ships picked up 74 people from the "Vega 5", 61 pirates and 13 members of the original crew, 12 Mozambicans and one Indonesian.
A further seven Mozambicans and two Indonesian were missing, presumed drowned, according to AIM.
The Defence and Security Commission stressed the need to involve Tanzania in the anti-piracy patrols.
RUSSIA AND ITALY began on Monday the Ionex-2011 naval exercises in the Ionian Sea with the focus on joint anti-terrorism and anti-piracy operations, reports Ria Novosti.
Russia is represented by the Smetlivy patrol ship and the Epron rescue boat from the Black Sea Fleet, while Italy has sent the Espero and the Aviere frigates.
The Smetlivy is carrying a naval infantry unit to take part in the drills and to ensure the ship's safety during the voyage and visits to foreign ports.
The Ionex joint exercises in the Mediterranean are held on a regular basis to enhance interoperability between the Russian and Italian navies.
In 2010 the Ionex exercises off Sicily involved Russia’s patrol ship Ladny and the rescue tugboat Shakhter and the Italian frigates Artiglieri and Aliseo.
THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA Bureau of Maritime Affairs has issued a Maritime Security Advisory (05-2011) (PDF), which states:
The threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has continued to grow.
New cases of piracy and armed robbery aboard vessels along the West African coast are being regularly reported.
Due to the continuous increase in the number and intensity of piracy, robbery and armed attacks against ships operating in coastal waters and calling the ports in Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon, ships are advised to implement increased security measures and operational precautions. It is advisable to ensure that the transit along shipping routes between Ghana and Nigeria, as well as to the south toward Cameroon and Angola, is well planned and supported by adequate security. Vigilance, crew preparation, watch rotations and other relevant security measures are all recommended when approaching ports in this region.
The Administration recommends owners, operators and Master’s implement the following procedures to further enhance the security and piracy deterrence in addition to the procedures required by setting the MANDATORY SECURITY LEVEL 2 for all Liberian flagged vessels when calling on ports, and operating in the coastal waters of Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon.
Cruise Industry
LEADING TOUR OPERATORS are beginning to slash prices on winter holidays to Kenya, as the threat posed by Somali pirates persuades some long-haul travellers to look elsewhere, says the Yorkshire Post.
Although the Lamu archipelago, close to the northern coast of Kenya, is seen as the area of greatest risk, Kenyan authorities fear the country’s entire tourism industry is threatened by the attacks, blamed on militant Islamist groups.
At the World Travel Market this month, Kenyan Tourism Minister Najib Balala will assure visitors that Kenya remains a safe destination. The Government has already deployed helicopter surveillance around the Kenya-Somali border and extra police to guard hotels.
Meanwhile, upmarket operator Abercrombie & Kent has announced savings up to £1,000 per couple on nine-day safaris that include visits to the Samburu National reserve and the Masai Mara, until mid-April. Prices start at £2,998 per person, though these reduced prices don’t apply in the Christmas/New Year peak period.
Bob Atkinson at travelsupermarket.com says: “Although British Foreign & Commonwealth office warnings only urge people to avoid the northern Kenyan coastline within 100 miles of the Somali border, and a specific distance inland, there is obviously a tendency to avoid Kenya altogether, even though areas around Mombasa remain fairly safe.
“Demand for beach holidays has dropped, with alternatives emerging, such as the Caribbean, Maldives, Goa, Seychelles, and Mauritius”.
HIGH SECURITY COSTS incurred because of piracy are holding back the growth of the cruise industry in the Gulf – World Footprints.com.
The cruise sector is an increasingly important part of Dubai’s and Abu Dhabi’s tourism growth plans. But sailing to the region involves passing through high-risk areas, as cruise liners must navigate the waters of the Gulf of Aden, which are patrolled by pirates.
“It is a challenge for future growth in the region,” said Craig Milan, the senior vice president, land operations, for Royal Caribbean. “You have ships that are already dedicated to the region, but it’s just an additional impediment to putting additional capacity in the region, where you could put the ship elsewhere and don’t have to deal with the security costs.”
And Finally...
TURANOR PLANET SOLAR, the extraordinary solar-powered yacht making its way around the world, is just about to cross the deadly Pirate Zone - now swelled to include most of the West Indian Ocean - hoping to reach the Red Sea and thence to the Mediterranean.
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| Turanor Planet Solar, Solar-Powered Catamaran (Photo: Sail-World Curising) |
The craft had been a year at sea when it arrived in Singapore for maintenance, which has now been carried out, and Raphaël Domjan, Founder & Expedition leader of the huge vessel, takes the story from here:
After a stopover for almost a month, we continue our journey to Monaco. The crossing of the Strait of Malacca was another premiere for solar energy. It went well and we had good conditions: we benefited a lot from the supporting winds and sunny days. Read more at OCEANUSLive.
Piracy Incidents
Hijacks:
2 Unsuccessful Attacks (All Regions):
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Caribbean Sea - November 8 (via IMB) at 2100 LT: in position 10:27.1N - 064:39.3W, Guanta Outer Roads, Venezuela. Robbers in a boat came alongside and boarded a drifting Liberia-flagged container ship, Hansa Arendal. Duty watchman spotted three robbers on the main deck and informed the OOW who raised the alarm. The bridge crew directed searchlights towards the boat. Upon hearing the alarm, the robbers jumped overboard and escaped in their boat. Upon inspection one container was found with a broken seal and the door opened. However nothing was stolen. For safety Master sailed further out to sea.
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Somali Basin - November 11 (via NSC/MSCHOA) at 0824 UTC, merchant vessel in position 04:02S - 047:38E came under attack by one skiff with 6 POB. The merchant vessel was fired upon by pirates using RPG but managed to evade the Hijack attempt. The PAG remains operational in the area.
At least 16 ships (9 commercial vessels, 7 fishing vessels) and an estimated 304 hostages are in the control of Somali pirates, as well as an unknown number of small dhows.
In an disturbing shift from piracy to kidnapping, just over 10% (41) of these hostages, including crew members from MT Asphalt Venture, MV Orna, SY Choizil, MV Leopard and tourist Judith Tebbutt are being held on land or on board other vessels. See the Somalia Report Weekly Piracy Report for details of ships held.
IMB figures:
Worldwide Incidents: updated on 7 Nov 2011
Total Attacks Worldwide: 386
Total Hijackings Worldwide: 39
Incidents Reported for Somalia:
Total Incidents: 217
Total Hijackings: 26
Total Hostages: 450
Total Killed: 15
Current vessels held by Somali pirates:
Vessels: 11
Hostages: 194
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 Pirate Activity
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
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