OCEANUSLive Weekly Pirate Activity Update
No successful attacks in the week off Somalia once more, but hijack off Nigeria with 3 kidnapped. Pirate disruptions continue. SE Asia sees more vessels boarded as conferences call for greater collaboration and eradication of piracy. Pirates join with militias to fight police. Pakistani sailors released. Pirates’ trial begins in Paris and US court hears of German crew torture. An ex-hostage of Nigerian pirates answers questions about his captivity. US Bill strengthens action against pirates. The Netherlands and Germany form a joint team to investigate pirate financiers. Israel joins in on the side of Kenya. Lloyd’s List awards military for counter piracy efforts and IMO to present bravery award to Samho Jewelry Master.
It seemed that this week the focus would be more on the various conferences, both recent and planned for 2012, would be the main topic. However, a fishing vessel was reported hijacked during the previous week. However, Nigerian pirates put paid to that by hijacking an oil supply vessel with 3 men kidnapped.
Somali pirates have once more seen a lean time at sea, resorting to joining clan militias to fight the local police. They still found the time to produce another video parading the crew of Olib G. 11 Pakistani sailors were ‘fortunate’ in that their vessel had reached the end of its usefulness which saw them released without ransom.
Southeast Asia piracy has seen more attacks than Somalia and Nigeria combined this week, demonstrating that piracy remains a global menace.
The Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) released a communiqué saying, “We have committed to cooperate fully through sharing of information and technical assistance to jointly combat this (piracy) menace.” 19 countries have pledged to a consortium approach to support the initiative.
Britain’s Prime Minister states that a conference will be held in 2012 aimed at tackling instability in Somalia and protecting ships from pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
Taiwan, following the Chin Yi Wen crew recapture of their ship, is to send a task force to the Somali waters.
Six pirates are facing trial in France over an attack on a yacht in September 2008, in the first French prosecution of suspected Somali pirates. They face life sentence if convicted.
A band of pirates tortured the crew of a German tanker off the coast of Somalia to extract a higher ransom payment and to find information about the ship's fuel reserves, according to a US federal court filing.
Meanwhile, Jurica Ruic, held hostage in the jungle by Nigerian pirates in 2007, retells the circumstance of his kidnap and the consequences of captivity.
The potential for shipping companies to ‘re-flag’ to enable the embarkation of private armed security is raised in the Netherlands.
Holland and Germany are to combine to create a team to investigate criminal organisations, financers and negotiators involved in piracy.
Not directly related to piracy, but Israel’s offer of support to Kenya may have some bearing on the situation in Somalia, which will likely worry pirate clans.
Lloyd’s List honours international navies engaged in counter-piracy operations worldwide for their efforts in protecting ships from the threat of piracy.
The International Maritime Organisation has piracy high on the agenda of its 27th Assembly and will present the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea to Captain Seog Hae-gyun of the Republic of Korea, Master of the chemical tanker Samho Jewelry for his heroic actions to keep his vessel and crew safe, while suffering vicious assaults, following a hijack by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
Pirate Activity - East Africa
NEARLY 20 PEOPLE were killed and more than 25 others injured during ethnic fighting between two Majeerteen sub-clans - Ali Saleban and Ugas Saleban - in Rako-Raho, a remote area in Karkaar region in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland, according to witnesses.
"At least 19 people died from both sides while more than 25 others were wounded. They were taken to Rako General Hospital for treatment," Mohamed Dhere, a resident in Rako-Raho district, told Somalia Report.
The clash broke out when armed clan militias attacked another clan to seek revenge over previous killings and pirates and soldiers joined the fight.
Cise Yulux, a well known pirate from the Ali Saleban clan, battled against pirates from Ugad Saleban clan, according to local sources.
"Yes, fighting broke out again in the late afternoon and both sides used heavy weapons. At least 15 people were killed and many were injured," Farah Mohmed Ibrahim, the governor of Rako-Raho district, told Somalia Report.
A Puntland police officer also confirmed the casualties to Somalia Report.
"The people who lost their lives reached 19 and 25 were injured in the fighting this afternoon. Some pirates who are originally from these clan participated in the clash," said Abshir Hussein (known as Abshirayto), a police officer in Karkar region.
THE PRODUCT TANKER BW Danube came under attack by pirates in position 15:51.1N - 055:07.0E. Eight pirates in two skiffs chased the underway vessel.
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MV BW Danube (Photo: World Maritime News)
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The Master raised the alarm, ordered an increase in speed; took evasive manoeuvres and all crew, except the bridge team, mustered in the citadel. The security team onboard fired flares as a warning towards the skiffs.
The pirates fired upon the tanker and finally aborted the attempted attack and moved towards a mother vessel. The dhow mothership was reported to have been intercepted by naval forces and disrupted with the skiffs being destroyed. The pirates were removed and the dhow was no longer considered a threat to shipping.
A SUCCESSFUL OPERATION between a NATO warship, Danish warship Absalon, and a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft, on November 12, resulted in the location and disarming of a pirate skiff operating in the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden, reports NATO.
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| (Photo: NATO-OTAN) |
MPA aircraft constitute effective assets to detect and disrupt piracy at sea by covering large areas of ocean visually and by radar searching and tracking suspected pirate vessels. This is the latest example of an aircraft working in co-operation with ships to identify and eliminate Pirate Action Groups.Following a boarding investigation all piracy-related equipment was confiscated by NATO to prevent the skiff from posing any further threat to international shipping. Along with several other nations the Japanese Defence Forces have committed Maritime Patrol Aircraft to counter piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
THE SPANISH PATROL ship 'Infanta Cristina', deployed on EU Operation Atalanta against piracy in the Indian Ocean, took part in the liberation of a dhow fishing boat that had been hijacked by a gang of pirates – La Moncloa.
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Infanta Cristina (Photo: Ministerio de Defensa)
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The Spanish ship received the order from the Commander of the Naval Force of Operation Atalanta to proceed and investigate a fishing boat that could have been hijacked by pirates and that had been used in acts of piracy.
Once located, the captain of the fishing boat stated that his vessel was under the control of a gang of pirates. The patrol ship proceeded to close in and prepared its marine infantry squad for action. The pirates then threw their weapons into the sea and the crew on board the fishing boat took the opportunity to subdue them.
LLOYD’S LIST HAS been trumpeting the failure of the “piracy perfect storm” to yet materialise - Shiptalk.The captain of the fishing boat 'Al Talal' sailing under the flag of the Union of Comoros with a crew of 21 Pakistani citizens on board, reported that they had been hijacked 12 days ago by nine pirates from two skiffs.
Compared to this time last year, they say, attacks and hijackings are down significantly, despite the end of the monsoon season.
It was feared that there would be a surge in piracy attacks this year – but it seems the message may be getting through to pirates that the increased measures by shipowners and crews, armed guards, more proactive military tactics and various international initiatives in Somalia are having an effect.
According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), in October 2011, there were 3 attacks in the Gulf of Aden and 14 in the Indian Ocean/Arabian Sea, with just one ship hijacked. This compares with October 2010 when there were a total of 25 attacks, of which six resulted in vessels being hijacked. The ratios look good, down to 17/1 from 25/6.
November has seen a number of unconfirmed attempted pirate attacks and one reported hijack, though the vessel managed to escape.
There has yet to be official confirmation of this positive view, and no clear reasons have been offered for seeming drop in attacks.
It is perhaps easy to see that commercial vessels are better protected now, but that doesn’t really tell us where the pirates have gone.
However, most experts warn that as long as the piracy business model still works – and it does, then the pirates are likely to re-emerge at some point.
The pirate attacks do appear to be down, but it seems we are still a way from “victory”. A recent Churchillian observation in the House of Commons perhaps best captures the current situation, “For too long there has been a rising tide of piracy which has threatened to swamp us, finally it seems that we are talking about solutions rather than problems. There is still a long way to go, but with the will of all parties to engage and work towards safeguarding seafarers and shipping perhaps we are seeing if not the beginning of the end, then at least the end of the beginning.”
Release by Pirates
ELEVEN PAKISTANI NATIONALS held hostage for ten months by Somali pirates have been freed, officials said on Tuesday.
Omar Guraye, the spokesman of the Himan and Heb administration, told Somalia Report that pirates freed the hostages after peaceful negotiations with local officials.
"Some of the pirates supported us in the negotiations and thanks to God the hostages are now free," he said. "They are in Adado now and arrangements are being made to transport them to their country".
He said that the hostages were taken captive ten months ago and their fishing boat was being used as a mother ship. The name of the vessel was not immediately available.
"They have been at sea for a long time, but they came to land after their vessel broke down 25 days ago," he said.
Mr. Guraye said no ransom was paid to the pirates.
Pirate Activity - West Africa
EIGHT ARMED MEN BOARDED an oil supply vessel contracted by U.S. energy company Chevron off the Nigerian coast early on Friday, shipping and security sources said - OCEANUSLive/Reuters.
"The MV C-Endeavour was off the coast, serving Chevron's Agbami field, when gunmen boarded it in the very early hours," one security source told Reuters. Two other sources close to the incident confirmed the details.
One of the sources said three men may have been kidnapped.
Chevron said it was investigating the situation but had no further comment.
THE JOINT MILITARY Task Force established by Nigeria and Benin to patrol the Gulf of Guinea has arrested eight suspected pirates, officials report – Neptune Maritime Security.
The Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor told Nigeria’s Daily Sun that the pirates were arrested off the coast of Benin.
Ogbor said that four of the detained pirates were handed over to Benin officials for prosecution while the other four have been handed over to Nigerian authorities.
“The presence of the Joint Task Force has deterred criminals within the waters and every thing within the area which hitherto had bothered that country has normalized. The good thing about this operation is that its not restricted to Beninois waters and they come out, they patrol up to Nigeria’s territorial waters and go back, it does not extend to territories within the Benin Republic, it also extends to Nigeria,” Ogbor said.
Nigeria and Benin launched joint sea patrols on September 28. Around 100 military personnel from the two countries embarked on three patrol boats and four fast attack craft at the Cotonou’s naval base. Operation Prosperity is designed to last six months.
The joint patrols "are not aimed primarily at arresting the sea pirates but to prevent them from attacking the ships", Benin Navy Chief of Staff Maxime Ahoyo told AFP.
Other Piracy Activity
WITH ALL THE focus on piracy off the Somali coast and the Gulf of Guinea, it should not be forgotten that piracy is a globla menace.
Over the past week more boardings of merchant shipping has taken place spread across the Southeast Asia region that in both African regions combined. Although no hijack has taken place, or crew kidnapped, the robbers were largely successful in gaining access to the ships. The majority of attacks saw ships’ stores stolen but no one was reported to have been arrested.
The details of the attacks are below under Piracy Incidents.
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| Southeast Asia Situational Map |
Pirates in Court
THE TRIAL IN a Paris Juvenile court began behind closed doors as one of the six accused was under 18 when arrested off the Somali coast three years ago - Telegraph.
The group is accused of storming the Carré d'As yacht on September 2, 2008 and taking hostage Jean-Yves Delanne and his wife Bernadette – two experienced skippers who were sailing from Australia to France.
The pirates had asked for a $2 million ransom, but were captured by French Special Forces in the night of September 15 in an operation that ended in the death of one pirate.
The seizure of the Carré d'As came just five months after the first such pirate attack on a French vessel – the 288-foot luxury yacht Le Ponant, whose 30 hostages were held for a week before French commandos seized pirates and part of their ransom cash in a daring helicopter raid on Somali soil.
Six men held in the raid are due to be tried next May but their lawyers have taken the case to the European Court of Human Rights on grounds they were arrested on foreign soil.
THE FRENCH COURT trying six alleged pirates this week has struggled to grasp the reality of the men's lives in faraway Somalia, before Special Forces arrested them aboard a hijacked yacht, writes the Montreal Gazette.
French troops captured the men, today aged between 21 and 35, after they allegedly hijacked the yacht, the Carre d'As IV, off the Somali coast in 2008 and took a French couple hostage. A seventh suspect was killed in the rescue.
The Somali suspects now face life sentences in a French prison - a starkly different place from anything they have known - if convicted of hijacking, kidnapping and armed robbery, in the first such trial to be held in France.
A court psychiatrist noted the mental difficulties some of the detainees were having, thousands of kilometres from their families, while prosecutors have sought to show that the men were not driven to piracy by poverty.
Three days into their trial, on Thursday, the men appeared more relaxed about the proceedings, with three interpreters translating from and to Somali.
A BAND OF PIRATES tortured the crew of a German tanker off the coast of Somalia to extract a higher ransom payment and to find information about the ship's fuel reserves, according to a federal court filing - AP.
The revelation appears in a filing by the government explaining why it believes piracy charges against Mohammad Saaili Shibin should not be dismissed. Prosecutors say Shibin is the highest-ranking pirate the U.S. has ever captured and that he acted as a land-based negotiator who also researched victims' online to determine their worth and secure hefty ransoms. Shibin's attorney contends the piracy charge should be dismissed because he didn't commit robbery at sea.
Shibin has been charged with a litany of crimes, including hostage taking, for his roles in the May 2010 hijacking of the Marida Marguerite as well as the February hijacking of the yacht Quest, where all four Americans on board were killed.
In a filing Tuesday, prosecutors said the piracy charge should stick because the robbery of the Marida Marguerite continued after it was taken to Somalia, where the ship and its mostly Indian crew were held until January. A piracy conviction carries a mandatory life sentence in the U.S.
"Indeed, the pirates' desire to locate all the fuel onboard the ship to appropriate for their own purposes was so great that they resorted to torturing the crew members of the Marida Marguerite in order to extract information regarding fuel and water reserves, as well as communication capabilities," prosecutors wrote.
The filing goes on to say that the torture was used by Shibin and others to attempt to extract a higher ransom payment from the ship's owners. A message left with Shibin attorney James Broccoletti's office Wednesday was not immediately returned.
Private Security
FLAG STATES WHICH do not allow their vessels to take the protective deemed necessary by owners as going to lose tonnage - Shiptalk.
That is the stark warning as an exodus looks likely from those who do not allow owners to use armed guards.
The news that Dutch shipowner Seatrade Groningen is to set to flag out from the Netherlands flag is a clear indication of this.
Seatrade, which operates a fleet of some 90 vessels, mainly consisting of reefers, has reportedly, ”lost faith in Dutch government policy regarding the armed protection of vessels”. The Dutch government held a parliamentary debate on the matter last week, and they came down against the use of armed guards.
Dutch justice minister Ivo Opstelten stated that the government has no intention of allowing armed guards on vessels flying the Dutch flag, which does rather leave owners with little option but to shift elsewhere.
Seatrade Groningen managing director Mark Jansen said, “This unwillingness to help on the part of the Dutch government leaves us little choice.”
MANX-FLAGGED SHIPS will be allowed to start carrying armed guards, in line with changes to the United Kingdom's ship registry - Manx Radio (via Neptune Maritime Security).
The moves were announced by Prime Minister David Cameron, and are designed to counter the threat of armed pirates operating off the coat of East Africa.
Manx vessels will also be allowed to have armed security guards on board after a spate of attacks in the region.
Director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry Dick Welsh says vessels flying the Manx flag have been targeted in the past.
Held Hostage
“AT THE MOMENT of the attack there were 78 people onboard and 1 million barrels of crude oil. I cannot imagine what could have happened if we did not surrender to the pirates. Human lives endangered and disastrous pollution; they had over 100kg of C4 explosive in one of the speed boats.”
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| Jurica Ruic Held Hostage by Nigerian Pirates |
Piracy off the coast of Somalia is big business but the increased production of oil in the Gulf of Guinea has encouraged more acts of piracy in the region during 2011.The role of the seafarer, however, has not changed much in the task of transporting goods across the sea lanes of the world. The scourge of piracy, thought to have faded in the pages of history, has seen resurgence that puts the lives of innocent sailors at risk. As greater international effort is called for to stem the spread of piracy, it is acknowledged that long-term economics will suffer, but in the short-term, it is the seafaring community that literally ‘pays the price’.
For 33 days he was held in the depth of the jungle not knowing whether he would see out each day as it came. As an officer of the watch of a tanker vessel, Jurica Ruic (left) was onboard a floating storage and offtake (FSO) vessel when it was boarded by Nigerian militants - Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) – in 2007. He gives a personal account to OCEANUSLive of the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping of himself and the crew, the actions of the pirates and those of the shipping company. Read more OCEANUSLive/MarEx.
Call to Arms & Actions
THE US HOUSE of Representatives has passed the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act, which covers the safety and efficiency of maritime transport - Neptune Maritime Security.
The bill, also called the Coast Guard Reauthorisation Bill, includes a section called the Piracy Suppression Act, which aims to protect cargo vessels against pirates, especially in the coastal area near Somalia.
Coast Guard Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo said: “Somali pirates have vastly expanded the range of their attacks on merchant vessels.
“But, even more alarmingly, the pirates have dramatically increased the number and viciousness of their attacks in recent months.”
The bill strengthens existing action against piracy, as well as improving training programmes to instruct seafarers on the acceptable use of force against pirates.
The bill strengthens existing action against piracy, as well as improving training programmes to instruct seafarers on the acceptable use of force against pirates.
They will also include information on high-risk waters, current threats and patterns of pirate attacks, defence tactics and procedures to improve crew survivability if taken hostage.
The bill authorises armed security on vessels carrying cargo for US agencies through high-risk waters. This includes vessels carrying US aid.
In addition, the bill authorises a General Accounting Office report on ways to track ransom payments paid to pirates and options to improve their prosecution.
THE NETHERLANDS HOSTS the UN Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia (CGPCS) will hold its 10th Plenary Meeting on November 17, 2011, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, reports Neptune Maritime Security.
The CGPCS aims to promote international cooperation towards the prevention of piracy off the Coast of Somalia. The 10th CGPCS Plenary Meeting brings together more than 100 countries, companies and international organizations working in this field. Issues to be discussed on November 17 are, among others, the prosecution of pirates and the protection of commercial vessels.
Since its initial meeting in January 2009, the Contact Group has nearly tripled in size − a testament to the global consensus that piracy poses a shared security challenge to maritime safety and to the need for further concerted and coordinated international action.
THE NETHERLAND AND GERMANY are to join forces to tackle Somali piracy. The Dutch Public Prosecutor's office has announced that the two countries have formed the Joint Investigation Team (JIT). It will focus on criminal organisations, financers and negotiators involved in piracy, reports Radio Netherlands.
The JIT will include Dutch military police and investigators, as well as the German state investigation bureau of Lower Saxony, Berlin’s federal police, Eurojust and Europol.
Both countries are involved in the trials of dozens of suspected Somali pirates. It has emerged that there are connections between some of the cases. Investigators have discovered that the same organisations and negotiators are behind some of the incidents.
SHIMON PERES, THE Israeli president, said his country is ready to "make everything available" to Kenya to secure its borders and boost its internal security as it continues its incursion into its anarchic neighbour, reports the Telegraph.
Details of the deal were not immediately released.
But Raila Odinga, Kenya's prime minister said that increasing internal security threats "called for more advanced and improved security measures".
Kenyan forces swept across the border into Somalia six weeks ago, with the aim of routing al-Shabaab, Somalia's al-Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents.
"Israel can help Kenya police to build the capacity to be able to detect militants, know what kinds of arms they have and pre-empt and destroy the networks that recruit youths and kill inside the country," Mr Odinga said in a statement.
"Kenya's enemies are Israel's enemies so we should be able to help," Mr Netanyahu was quoted as saying after the meeting.
"We have similar forces planning to bring us down. I see it as an opportunity to strengthen our ties."
Israel has in the past helped Kenya following al-Qaeda attacks on the US embassy in the capital, Nairobi, in 1998.
IN A CEREMONY at NATO Allied Joint Force Command Lisbon (JFCLB) in Oeiras, Portugal, NATO’s Maritime Command Headquarters Northwood (MC Northwood) assumed operational control of NATO’s counter-piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield.
The handover took place during SACEUR's Commanders Conference, held in the Lisbon Headquarters. Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), Admiral James Stavridis, formally handed over the operational control from Lieutenant General Philippe Stoltz, Commander JFCLB, to Admiral SirTrevor Soar KCB OBE, Commander MC Northwood.
Passing the Operation Ocean Shield tin plate, Admiral Stavridis dedicated an “extraordinary well done to Lieutenant-General Philippe Stoltz and his magnificent team”. He continued, “Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, I am very honoured to pass this plate to a wonderful, professional naval officer”.
This change of command ceremony is one of the outcomes from the recent NATO Command Structure Reform. It was launched at the Lisbon Summit in November 2010 and the model and geographical footprint were approved by defence ministers in June 2011.
The implementation is expected to take at least one year and the handover from Lisbon to Northwood is the first step in the process.MC Northwood has considerable experience in counter-piracy operations at the tactical level already which it will be able to carry over to the higher operational level. Under the Command Review Northwood will become the Alliance’s single Maritime Headquarters in NATO, and as such will have responsibility for delivering command and control of the full spectrum of joint maritime capabilities and to act as NATO’s principal maritime advisor.
"THE LACK OF A coordinated international effort to uphold maritime security not only affects ocean-going vessels, but also the national security of coastal nations", stated Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (Nov 14). He expressed these view delivering the inaugural speech at the 'Galle Dialouge'- Maritime symposium at the Light House Hotel in Galle – MoD Sri Lanka.
"The Sri Lankan experience in combating the terrorist organisation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, better known as the LTTE, is instructive in this regard. During the period of the conflict in Sri Lanka, the LTTE smuggled in a formidable arsenal of weapons through its procurement and delivery network", he further said.
Existing international maritime laws and practices have proven ineffective in combatting the activities of the Somali pirates.
Because merchant vessels were traditionally forbidden to carry weapons, the protective measures adopted by them were often too weak to withstand the escalating sophistication of the pirates. In response to this situation, some countries such as the United States have adjusted their maritime laws to enable private security personnel to travel on board merchant vessels. Sri Lanka, too, provides such security services.
A few countries have even expressed an interest in sending personnel from their national militaries on board merchant vessels to provide protection for those ships, and have requested Sri Lanka's assistance during transit.
While the steps taken by ship owners have been seen to be largely ineffective, interventions made by individual nations in providing greater protection for merchant vessels have not been uniform. It is our belief that the lasting solution to threats of this nature cannot be undertaken by individual nations in isolation, but only through greater international cooperation.
The multilateral efforts undertaken through International Task Forces to contain Somali piracy are laudable in this context.
However, it is not enough. The risk posed by the Somali pirates is only one example of the threats facing maritime security. There are others. The best solution to all of them is greater cooperation between the maritime powers.
THE US AMABASSADOR to Mozambique has saluted an anti-piracy agreement signed between South Africa and Mozambique last week which presages an accord with Tanzania – IOL News.
South African Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu signed a memorandum of understanding with her Mozambican counterpart Filipe Jacinto Nyusi last Tuesday in Pretoria.
The two countries applauded successful patrolling activities off the central Mozambican coast and decided to involve Tanzania, north of Mozambique, in their activities.
“The Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania agreement is a very innovative accord,” said US ambassador to Mozambique Leslie Rowe on Monday.
“Though (Mozambican authorities) hesitate to allow the US and Europe in their waters, they work together with Tanzania and South Africa,” Rowe added on the sidelines of a maritime security seminar in the Mozambican capital Maputo.
Somali pirates struck the furthest south ever in December last year and hijacked a Spanish fishing trawler with crew of 24, the Vega 5, in northern Mozambican waters. The boat was used as mothership to attack cargo boats in the Indian Ocean.
Indian anti-piracy ships took over the Vega 5, arresting 61 pirates and 13 of the original crew members. The other crew members were presumed drowned in the attack.
In light of this threat the agreement between SADC countries was encouraging, said Rowe.
“Other countries like South Africa know, if they're in Mozambique, the next place to go is South Africa.”
South Africa's navy has been involved in patrolling the north of Mozambique's 2 470km coast during periods from January this year.
Notably the frigates SAS Mendi and SAS Amatola were involved in anti-piracy activities off the coast of Pemba, the country's northernmost city.
The US donated 17 coastal patrol ships to Mozambique in the past two years.
A CHINESE DIPLOMAT said here on Thursday that a fundamental settlement to the Somali piracy issue hinges on the country's political stability, economic development and social tranquillity – Xinhuau.net.
Military action can only mitigate the scourge of Somali piracy, said Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, when addressing the tenth plenary meeting of the contact group on piracy off the coast of Somalia.
"We call on the international community to remain focused on the situation in Somalia, continue to adopt a holistic and multifaceted strategy to provide support to the country, tackle both the symptoms and root causes of the problem, and follow through on its commitments to provide assistance to Somalia," the Chinese diplomat said.
TAIWAN IS PLANNING to send naval vessels to waters off Somalia for the first time to protect the island's fishing boats against pirates, media reported on Thursday - AFP.
A task force -- consisting of at least one warship and a logistical support vessel as well as a squad of Special Forces -- may depart as early as Saturday, the United Evening News paper said.
The mission, which will take around two months, will represent serious logistical challenges, since Taiwan has no diplomatic allies in the area, according to the paper.
When reached by AFP, defence ministry spokesman David Lo declined to comment. A foreign ministry spokesman also declined to comment.
The report came after a Taiwanese fishing boat was seized by pirates off eastern Africa earlier this month.
The 28 sailors on the 290-tonne "Chin Yi Wen" later recaptured their ship from the pirates. Three sailors were slightly injured.
Currently one Taiwanese fishing vessel is in the hands of Somali pirates, the fisheries agency said.
GAS SHIPPERS MUST tackle growing threats to trade as naval containment of piracy falters and surging global demand spurs traffic through high-risk waterways, the general manager of Yemen’s liquefaction plant said – Arab News.
“There have been incidents when pirates have boarded LNG carriers steaming at 20 knots with high freeboard,” Yemen LNG’s Francois Rafin told delegates at a conference in Rome, reports Reuters.
“The industry can no longer rely on the speed and height of LNG tankers,” he added.
LNG tankers are faster and sit higher in the water, known as freeboard, than other tankers, discouraging hijack attempts because of the added difficulties in gaining access.
Last year in the South China Sea six pirates armed with knives robbed the crew of a Qatari tanker carrying 216,000 cubic meters of fuel, without causing delays to delivery, according to the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Report 2011.
Rafin said some shippers had even imposed no-go areas in order to avoid trouble, adding that private armed guards are being used when naval escorts are not available.
Shipowners have confirmed using private armed guards in the last year as they struggle to protect trade as piracy escalates, they said.
Tanker traffic through hot-spots like the Gulf of Aden reached record levels last year, in part owing to more supply from Qatar and Yemen as trade with Europe and South America rose Over 885 LNG carriers sailed through the Suez Canal last year, up from 525 in 2009 and 429 in 2008, figures from the Suez Canal Authority show, while other tanker trade never fully recovered from the 2008/2009 slump, increasing the likelihood that LNG ships will start to draw unwanted attention from pirates.
Rafin called on the industry to properly address growing security risks.
Asked about recent sabotage on Yemen’s LNG plant, Rafin said preventative measures are being taken to deter repeat attacks.
“These issues are being addressed and we are reinforcing our protection and the government of Yemen is reinforcing our protection,” he said.
Conferences
BRITAIN WILL HOST an international conference next year on tackling instability in Somalia and protecting ships from pirates in the Gulf of Aden, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday - Reuters.
The prime minister described the east African nation as a "failed state that directly threatens British interests," citing attacks on tourists and aid workers, and radicalisation of young Britons by militant Islamist groups with roots in the region.
Cameron announced last month that British merchant ships sailing off the coast of Somalia would be able to carry armed guards to ward off pirate attacks, bringing it into line with many other countries.
"Somali pirates aren't invincible: they are violent and lawless men in small boats and it is time we properly stood up to them," Cameron said in a speech at a banquet to honour the new Mayor of the City of London.
"But there is a real and pressing need to pull together the international effort," Cameron said in the speech, traditionally a forum for setting out foreign policy priorities. "That is why Britain will host a major conference in London next year."
IN A SHOW of unity, 19 countries decided on a consortium approach to combat pirates on high seas by stepping up maritime security in the Indian Ocean, a region utilized by 70 per cent of the oil-liners to ship crude oil to ports across the world. On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) released a communiqué saying, “We have committed to cooperate fully through sharing of information and technical assistance to jointly combat this (piracy) menace.” – Deccan Chronicle.
Pointing out that the menace of piracy had assumed alarming proportions in recent years, the ‘Bengaluru communiqué’ said increasing cases of piracy off the Horn of Africa posed a threat to international and regional navigation, maritime commerce and safety of sea farers. “In this regard, we support the international efforts at the United Nations, initiatives at the regional level and the contact group on piracy off the Coast of Somalia, which is coordinating anti-piracy efforts,” it said.
The meeting also agreed on the association serving as an effective forum vehicle for sharing information, experience and best practices to combat piracy on the high seas in the region.
Australian foreign minister Kevin Rudd, who took over as vice-chair of the 15 year-old organization, said around 185 ships were attacked by pirates during the last nine months on the high seas in the region.
THE INDIAN OCEAN is a region of growing strategic significance. The nations of this region are home to 2.6 billion people, almost 40 per cent of the world's population, accounting for 10 per cent of global gross domestic product -- and rising rapidly. Its sea lines of communication are among the world's most important -- 40 per cent of global trade passes through the Indian Ocean, including 70 per cent of the total traffic of petroleum products.
South Asia is witnessing extraordinary growth, led by the rising great power that is India. As energy security becomes a preoccupation for an ever increasing number of countries, the influence of Gulf States is growing. East Africa's economic significance is also expanding. And the nations of Southeast Asia, led by Indonesia, are on a strong growth path.
Australia understands all this implicitly. Our engagement with countries to our west is firmly on the upswing, said Kevin Rudd.
We are as much an Indian Ocean nation as we are a Pacific Ocean nation. Australia has the largest maritime jurisdiction of any Indian Ocean country and the longest Indian Ocean coastline.
As a measure of the importance we attach to the vast and diverse region to our west, Australia recently convened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, our national gateway to the Indian Ocean, and to the opportunities -- and challenges -- that it contains.
THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS’ Meeting of the 11th Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) an 18-member body that was set up for promoting greater economic, security and cultural cooperation, held in Bangalore, saw many countries demonstrating their commitment to tackling the scourge of piracy in the Indian Ocean.
India pitched for a collective global strategy and a joint naval task force to fight the scourge of piracy, that could also include other powers like the US and China, and pushed for greater trade among countries surrounding the Indian Ocean.
"There are number of issues that seem to bother us. Piracy on sea is one of them. It is necessary that all the nations in the region collectively work out a strategy to fight the menace, which cannot be fought by a single country," External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters, according to Prokerala.com.
Oman will join fellow members of IOR-ARC in calling for greater co-operation in combating piracy currently engulfing the Gulf of Aden and wider Indian Ocean.
Mohsin bin Khamis al Balushi, Adviser at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and head of Oman’s delegation at the Working Group’s meeting in Bangalore, said the issue of combating piracy is a priority concern for the IOR-ARC bloc – Oman Daily Observer.
“Piracy is a phenomenon whose impact is not limited to the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean region, but the wider world. By attacking merchant shipping plying vital trade routes linking this region with the rest of the world, the pirates are causing great harm to the trading interests of local economies. The Indian Ocean Rim states should work collectively to combat this menace,” he said.
THE “HORROR” OF PIRACY have dominated the first year of Meridian Marine Management Managing Director Alastair Evitt’s first year in his role as President of InterManager, the international trade association for the shipmanagement industry Ship Management International.
Summing up his first year representing the world’s third-party and in-house ship managers, Mr Evitt told the InterManager Annual General Meeting today (November 15th) that the fight against global piracy is a priority for his presidency and praised the way the shipping industry has united to fight it.
“With 273 seafarers held hostage at this time, I feel it is appropriate to acknowledge the horrors of international piracy,” Mr Evitt said. “This issue has brought the shipping industry together.” He praised industry initiatives, particularly the Save Our Seafarers campaign and the work of the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme, and highlighted InterManager’s campaign urging Flag States to allow ship owners and managers the “freedom to choose” whether they wish to deploy armed guards onboard during transits through piracy zones like the Indian Ocean.
Mr Evitt, who has completed the first year of his two-year term of office, said: “Our sea staff are the backbone of our industry and their safety and well being are a primary concern for InterManager.” He also described the process of releasing pirates captured by naval forces as “appalling” and stressed the importance of “reducing the effectiveness of motherships” and of the international community putting in place credible measures to trace and criminalise the financiers of international piracy.
Seafarers' Plight
A SENIOR RESEARCHER on African Peace and Security at the Institute of Security Studies based in Nairobi, Andrews Atta-Asamoah has agreed with the government on rejecting to pay ransom for the release of Ghanaians held hostage by Somali pirates - Peacefonline.
Government has faced criticism from the masses after it stated that it will not pay the one million dollar ransom to the Somali pirates.
According to the government, paying the ransom will serve as a precedence to other terrorist groups to attack Ghanaians elsewhere.
Speaking to Citi News, security expect, Atta Asamoah said although it may put the government in the bad light with the masses, it is the right thing to do in the immediate context.
He however stated there are implication for this action as much as there is for agreeing to pay the ransom.
And Finally...
LLOYD’S LIST HAS honoured the international navies engaged in counter-piracy operations worldwide as part of the Lloyd’s List Middle East and Indian Subcontinent Awards 2011 held in Dubai - Shiptalk.
There were also calls for governments to redouble their efforts to protect shipping from the threat of attack.
The “Newsmaker of the Year” trophy was handed to representatives from Nato, the EU Naval Forces and the Combined Maritime Forces in honour of their continuing operations to protect shipping from piracy.
THE 27TH ASSEMBLY of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will meet in London at IMO Headquarters from 21 to 30 November 2011. high on the agenda during the biennium has been piracy, the escalation of which, in recent years, has been a matter of great concern and has prompted IMO to make combating it a central theme of its work in 2011.“Piracy: orchestrating the response” was chosen as the theme for World Maritime Day 2011, emphasising the crucial role of IMO and other entities - including the United Nations, Governments acting collectively or individually, political and defence alliances, shipping companies, ship operators, ships’ crews - in tackling this criminal activity and maintaining the integrity of strategically important shipping lanes.
The Assembly will be invited to endorse the decision of the IMO Council in June to elect Mr. Koji Sekimizu (Japan) as IMO Secretary-General, to start his four-year term on 1 January 2012. The current Secretary-General, Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos (Greece) ends his term on 31 December 2011.
On the evening of the opening day of the Assembly, on Monday 21 November, the 2011 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea will be presented to Captain Seog Hae-gyun of the Republic of Korea, Master of the chemical tanker Samho Jewelry. Captain Seog was nominated by the Government of the Republic of Korea for his heroic actions to keep his vessel and crew safe, while suffering vicious assaults, following a hijack by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
Certificates of Commendation will also be presented to a number of other nominees and special certificates will be presented to the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centres of Falmouth (United Kingdom) and Stavanger (Norway).
Piracy Incidents
1 Hijack:
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Gulf of Guinea – November 18 approximatley 70 miles off Bayelsa, Nigeria, Chevron oil supply vessel, Endeavor, boarded by armed gunmen. Vessel believed hijacked with 3 men reportedly kidnapped (See above).
8 Unsuccessful Attacks (All Regions, includes 1 late report):
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South China Sea - October 24 (late report via ReCAAP) at 0315 LT in position 01:35N - 106:20E, off Pulau Pengibu, Indonesia, Malaysia-flagged tug Ever Commander, six robbers armed with long knives and a gun, wearing masks boarded the tug while en route from Sarawak to Pasir Gudang. The robbers tied up all crew except the Master, who was left to steer the tug boat. On October 26, the robbers detached the barge, loaded with palm oil, from the tug boat. The robbers stole the tug's cash and crew's personal belongings and escaped.
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Southeast Asia - November 14 (via IMB) at 0045 LT: in position 01:22.46S - 116:56.9E, Balikpapan Anchorage, Indonesia. Alert duty crew on a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, Eria Colossus, noticed robbers on the forecastle deck attempting to rob ship stores. The duty crew informed OOW who raised alarm and sounded the fog horn. Seeing alert crew, the robbers jumped overboard and escaped in a waiting boat. Nothing stolen.
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Southeast Asia - November 14 (via IMB) at 0350 LT: Posn: KPO Terminal, Sandakan Port, Sabah, Malaysia. Four robbers armed with long knives boarded a berthed Panama-flagged chemical tanker, Sun Diana. Duty A/B noticed the robbers, shouted at them, ran inside the accommodation and informed the duty OOW who raised the alarm. Upon hearing the alarm, the robbers escaped in a small wooden speed boat. Crew mustered and checked the ship and reported ship stores stolen. Marine police informed.
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Arabian Sea - November 15 Product tanker BW Danube came under attack by pirates in position 15:51.1N - 055:07.0E. Eight pirates in two skiffs chased the underway vessel. The Master raised the alarm, ordered an increase in speed, took evasive manoeuvres and all crew, except the bridge team, mustered in the citadel. The security team onboard fired flares as a warning towards the skiffs. The pirates fired upon the tanker and finally aborted the attempted attack and moved towards a mother vessel.
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South China Sea - November 16 (via IMB) at 0330 LT: position 03:56.2N - 098:47.5E, Belawan Anchorage, Indonesia. Robbers boarded a chemical tanker at anchor. Stole ships stores and escaped unnoticed. Master reported the incident to port authority.
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Bay of Bengal - November 16 (via IMB) at 2100 LT: position 22:12.3N - 091:42.2E, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Five robbers boarded an Antigua and Baruda-flagged container ship, Ellen S, at anchor. Master raised alarm and flashed search lights. Robbers escaped with ships stores.
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South China Sea - November 17 (via IMB) at 2010 LT: in position 10:13N - 107:04.2E, Mui Vung Tao Anchorage, Vietnam. Two robbers armed with steel rods boarded an anchored oil tanker. Duty watchmen spotted the robbers and alerted the OOW on the bridge. Alarm raised and crew mustered. On seeing crew alertness the robbers jumped overboard and escaped with stolen stores.
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Red Sea/Gulf of Aden - November 18 (via MSCHOA) at 0450 UTC in positions 12:33N - 043:33E, Bab Al Mandeb Strait, more than one MV reports being attacked. All vessels are safe but the PAG remains in operation.
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 the 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.
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.
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
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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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