Weekly Pirate Activity Update - 13 January

Unlucky for many. Counter piracy forces success continues as pirates detained, mothership operations curtailed and MV Fairchem Bogey released, but aid workers sold to pirates. Nigeria and UN discuss progress, as Singapore and Japan consider cooperation. Belgium carries out first piracy prosecution. Armed guard contract goes ahead and Use of Force guide document is published. Study claims piracy boosts Puntland's economy to the astonishment of others. Institute says UK government rhetoric and actual action has distinct gap, whilst a columnist labels insurance industry as a profiteering racket. Cruise passengers fly out to avoid pirate zone. Somali pirates synonymous with piracy 'reported' in Nigeria attack.

Successful counter piracy forces' actions dominate the news this week. Thwarting the start of a potential 'mothership' operation and detaining 13 pirates after an attack in the Arabian Sea, RFA Fort Victoria, rescuers of MV Montecristo last year, has had great impact in the region. The EUNAVFOR flagship, which in pre-dawn light may resemble the profile of a freighter, had the clearest case of a pirate attack possible when 6 (or 7) pirates foolhardily attacked the Spanish warship. Spain will decide on prosecution. Danish warship, Absalon, was in on the act too, when it detained 25 pirates and freed 14 hostages on an Iranian vessel. The 14 suspected pirates, captured by US forces last week, were landed in Yemen and, this week, were handed to Puntland authorities. MV Fairchem Bogey was released this week after 5 months captivity. Although pirates claim an $8 million ransom was paid, official figures have yet to be stated. She is now en route to a safe port.

The ever-diverse operations by Somali pirates again moved away from the sea. It was claimed that the pirates 'bought' two Spanish aid workers from Al-Shabaab militants for $200,000, this week. Whilst the hostages have been reported to have been placed on the captured MV Albedo, itf ture, indicates that the aid workers are still alive after kidnap last October, but disturbingly, that the pirates and militants have some sort of relationship.

The UN Secretary General and the Nigeria Foreign Minister met to discuss security developments in the country, during a time when strikes over fuel were occurring, also saw news of an attack on Norway vessel, Spar Rigel. The crew hid in the citadel and the vessel avoided capture and was the second attack South of Bonny Island that day, however, the media highlighted that 'Somali' pirates had carried out the  Spar Rigel attack.

Singapore and Japan should coordinate anti-piracy measures in both Malacca Strait and off Somalia said a Japanese Minister.

Following the UK Members of Parliament call for clear guidelines and rules to be established on the matter of dealing with pirate attacks on British-flagged vessels, some criticism came about the gap between government rhetoric and actual action. A Union said that the government were not taking the piracy threat and its devasting impact on the supply chain seriously. In the meantime, the Times newspaper columnist, Matthew Parris, declares the insurance industry is "a profiteering racket" and actually encourages the Somali lawlessnes. The industry is blamed as the "hidden cause" behind the continued piracy in the region.

Belgium has affirmed the 10-year prison sentence handed to a convicted Somali pirate. This is the first successful piracy case in the country and follows a change in legislation.

The race to provide a standard armed guard contract continues as BIMCO and Ince & Co work on the details. Undoubtedly, there are many complex legal and liability issues to be resolved to present the draft contract for consideration. Along with a Rules of Force document being progressed at the same time, the plan is to present the documents to industry as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the International Association of Maritime Security Professionals (IAMSP), have also made great efforts to bring the maritime security industry into some semblance of regulation. They have issued a Use of Force guidance document but underline that it is a guide to address issues that challenge rather than a legal advice document.

A study by a UK think tank organisation has stated that Somali piracy has boosted the economy in Puntland. Using satellite imagery as part of the research, it indicates that economic growth is witnessed through the increased night time power output in the region. However, some commentators in the shipping industry are "almost speechless" and that "the lack of discussion and consideration to our seafarers in the report is frankly disgusting."

The crew from MV Leopard have reached a unwanted milestone. Held in captivity for [over] one year, but one year on, the families are still concerned that it has so far not been possible to negotiate the release. The Danish government continue to monitor the situation but do not intervene in negotiations.

The scourge of piracy continues to affect the leisure industry in the Indian Ocean. An American luxury cruise ship, en route to the Seychelles, was stranded in the Maldivian waters due to “piracy risk”, while the passengers departed to the Seychelles through airline flights.

Regional Activity                             

East Africa

At first light on 12 January 2012, having just completed the escort of a World Food Programme ship carrying food-aid into Somalia, and while operating close to the Somali port of Mogadishu, the EU NAVFOR Flagship, ESPS Patino, was approached by one skiff with a group of suspected pirates onboard.

The suspected pirates opened fire with light calibre weapons and tried to board the Patino. The ship’s force-protection team returned fire in self-defense and the ship’s helicopter was launched. Read more.

In a later update, EU NAVFOR stated that the political decision has been made to hand-over the evidence pack for consideration by the courts for prosecution in Spain.

The suspected pirates have all been given medical treatment for injuries sustained during their attack and two of the suspected pirates will require additional medical treatment once they have been landed. They are all currently stable and in no medical danger

Somali pirates were planning to use a hijacked ship called the Liquid Velvet to launch further attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, comments the UK's Telegraph.

The Liquid Velvet, a Greek-owned chemical tanker, which had a crew of 23, was hijacked in November. On Tuesday, the pirates began moving the ship towards the Gulf of Aden and into international waters.

Fort Victoria, which is operating as part of Nato’s Operation Ocean Shield in the Indian Ocean, cut off the vessel’s progress when it was 90 miles from the coastline and forced it to return to Somalia.

Fort Victoria approached the Liquid Velvet under cover of darkness, before circling the vessel at speed. The ship’s Lynx helicopter was also used. Fort Victoria then followed Liquid Velvet as she retreated towards Somalia.

The pirates usually use fishing boats as “motherships” for launching attacks on shipping from small speedboats.
The Liquid Velvet would have provided the pirates, who are armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, with a far larger range to launch their attacks.

Captain Gerry Northwood, commander of the UK counter-piracy task group, [commanded the rescue of Italian MV Montecristo last year] said: “Left unlocated and free to roam the shipping lanes, the Somali pirates in MV Liquid Velvet would have been a real threat to the safety of international shipping in the Indian Ocean.”

“Working with our Nato partners, this was a highly successful team effort, which permitted RFA Fort Victoria to disrupt the Somali pirates and return them to their anchorage empty-handed.” Read more.

A video report and interview with Captain Gerry Northwood OBE RN follows:

RFA Fort Victoria and a US Navy vessel, USS Carney, intercepted the pirates' boat, which had refused to stop despite warning shots from a Royal Navy helicopter, reports BBC News.

Naval Helo Snipers Fire Warning Shots - BBC

Royal Marines in speedboats approached the vessel and boarded it, capturing 13 pirates and seizing weapons.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the UK troops, part of a Nato-led force, could be "proud" of the success.

"The Royal Navy and Royal Marines are playing a crucial role in securing and protecting international sea lanes that are vital to global trade," the minister said.

Capt Gerry Northwood, who leads the counter-piracy operation on RFA Fort Victoria, said: "This firm and positive action will also send a clear message to other Somali pirates that we will not tolerate their attacks on international shipping."

The operation was carried out around dawn on Friday.

Capt Shaun Jones RFA, commanding officer on RFA Fort Victoria, said: "To manoeuvre such a large ship at speed in close vicinity of a nimble dhow takes extreme concentration and skill; my team were never found wanting.

"The 13 Somalis certainly found Friday 13th unlucky for them."

According to Somalia Report, two Spanish aid workers abducted in Kenya last year have been sold to a pirate gang by Al-Shabaab militants.

The two Spanish women working for Doctors Without Borders (also known as Medecins Sans Frontières, or MSF) were kidnapped by armed men in the Dadaab refugee camp in October.
Days later, Kenya invaded Somalia, saying it could no longer abide the threats to its security and tourism industry posed by Al-Shabaab.
The report of the sale of the hostages — if true — is interesting for a number of reasons.

First, it shows they are still alive, which will be a relief to both their families and to their Doctors Without Borders colleagues.
Second, it suggests that elements within the Shabaab may indeed have been behind the kidnappings that triggered Kenya's invasion, despite the group's repeated denials of any involvement.

Third, it reveals something about the links between the Islamists and the pirates who, while they may not work hand-in-hand, are clearly on good terms.

Somalia Report goes on to say that the pirates paid $100,000 for each woman, and they are now being held in the pirate town of Harardhere along with other hostages, possibly including American aid worker Jessica Buchanan, who was kidnapped from Galkayo in October while working for the Danish Demining Group.

Updated information passed to Somalia Report on the whereabouts of the two female MSF aid workers kidnapped from a Somali refugee camp in northern Kenya three months ago, and recently relocated to Harardheere in Somalia's Mudug region, states that the pirates have moved the two hostages to the Malaysian-flagged tanker MV Albedo, which is currently being held near Handulle, 28 kilometres east of Harardheere.
"The hostages were taken on on board the Albedo for security reasons" said a pirate, who lives in Harardheere.

Yemen's marine forces yesterday handed 12 Somali pirates over to authorities from Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland after they were captured by American naval forces last week, according to local officials, writes Somalia Report.

The pirates were seized when the US navy rescued 13 Iranian fishermen who had been held captive on their hijacked vessel for a month.
After arresting the pirates, the US Navy handed 12 of them, four of whom were wounded in the operation, to Yemeni authorities. The US also returned the bodies of three pirates who were killed when they tried to fight off the naval forces.

The prisoners were held overnight in the Bosaso port jail and then transferred to the central prison at noon today for processing. Two of the bodies were returned to relatives, according to family members, but whereabouts of the third body is unknown.

Ahmed Roos, a local pirate in Dhanaane area whose brother was among the prisoners returned, explained that the 15 pirates sailed from Garaad village earlier this month in an attempt to hijack vessels. His brother told him that once the US navy began attacking, 12 of the pirates threw their weapons overboard, but the three who were killed tried to fight back.

Puntland government officials have not yet commented on return of the prisoners.

The Danish navy says it has captured a suspected pirate mothership off the Horn of Africa and rescued 14 people who were being held hostage on it - Herald Sun.

The navy says its warship HDMS Absalon, which participates in NATO's Ocean Shield anti-piracy force, encountered the ship on Saturday and the crew boarded it.

They arrested 25 suspected pirates and freed 14 people from Iran and Pakistan.
Navy spokesman Mikael Bill said the hostages were most likely fishermen who had been held for around two months and the pirates were using their fishing vessel.

The hostages were transferred onto the HDMS Absalon, where they were able to call their families.

The Danish navy said, on Sunday, further investigations are needed to determine what will happen to the suspected pirates.

Dawn.com says, the crew of Pakistani and Iranian nationals on-board the Iranian flag-carrier had been held hostage by 25 suspected pirates since November last year. The vessel was hijacked between 7 and 10 November. The statement added that no one was injured during the rescue operation.

It appeared that the hostages were subjected to rough treatment by the pirates but, bearing in mind the circumstances, all are now in good shape. After applying warning shots and tear gas, the vessel was quickly brought to a halt, and the Navy Maritime Action Team took control of the ship.

A group of Somali pirates hijacked a trading dhow on 2 January 2012 moments after the dhow left the Port of Bossaso in Puntland State of Somalia - Garowe Online.

The dhow, Al-Safina Al-Salam, was transporting 3,620 heads of livestock to Salalah Port in the Sultanate of Oman, when it was hijacked by Somali pirates some 60 nautical miles from the Port of Bossaso.

Puntland government officials contacted NATO and shared information to coordinate the release of the hijacked dhow and to ensure the safety of 20-persons on board (16-crewpersons and 4-passengers). NATO contacted Omani Coast Guard, Omani Royal Navy HQ and all the international task forces operating off the coast of Somalia.

On 5 January 2012, the pirates became aware of the activities of international warships. The pirates moved over to another dhow (Al Qashmi) heading to the Port of Bossaso, where the pirates were surrounded and captured by U.S. Navy under NATO command. Puntland officials requested that the captured pirates, which included a pirate leader named ‘Mursal’, who is suspected for the kidnapping of a Danish family in February 2011, be transferred over to Puntland authorities.

The Puntland Government’s Ministry of Maritime Transport, Ports and Counter-Piracy welcomes the constant and close cooperation and coordination with NATO and other international forces, in a collective effort to tackle the piracy problem in Somalia.

However, it is unfortunate to learn that pirates were released by NATO commander without the pirates facing justice. This action emphasizes the need to support security and judicial institutions in Puntland State.

The Ministry appeals to international forces operating along the coast of Somalia to apply additional pressure on pirates who are currently holding hostage a number of hijacked vessels and crew persons along the coast of Somalia.

Released by Pirates            

Somali pirates released MT Fairchem Bogey yesterday [Thursday] afternoon, for an estimated $8 million. The ransom is on the higher end of the spectrum of usual payouts, particularly for a vessel carrying just a partial load of methanol.

Fairchem Bogey Released

Somalia Report says that sources told of a helicopter being observed hovering over the vessel yesterday in anticipation of making the ransom drop. The vessel had a crew of 21 Indians on board.

When hijacked, MT Fairchem Bogey was in an anchorage within the Salalah port limit waiting for berthing instructions from the port authorities after discharging at Al Jubail.

She had armed guards on board when she sailed through the Gulf of Aden on its way to unload at the Saudi port of Al Jubail on August 18, but was unprotected when she was taken by armed pirates on August 20 after dropping the security team off in Oman.

Bulgarian sailors rescued 18 hostages held in captivity by Somali pirates, The Standart learnt, according to Neptune Maritime Security.

The action unfolded in the ill-famed Gulf of Aden. A tugboat with Bulgarian crew joined in a rescue mission and helped to save the lives of 15 Georgians and three Turks. The men have been kept hostages for 16 months after Somali pirates hijacked their vessel, the Malta-flagged tanker Olib G. The Bulgarians were assured that the talks were over, and the hostages may board the Bulgarian towboat. However, when they mounted Olib G, they were met by heavily armed pirates on deck. The Bulgarians had to back off and wait till the pirates had got away with their boats.

West Africa

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Restore Hope, has been restructured and is now known as Operation ‘Pulo Shield’ - This Day Live.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Pulo is an Ijaw name for “oil”, meaning that the task force is also codenamed 'Operation Oil Shield.’

The JTF Spokesman, Lt. Col Timothy Antigha, disclosed this in a statement issued and made available to NAN in Yenagoa on Monday. Antigha noted that the composition of the outfit had also been expanded to include other agencies.

Some of the expanded agencies in the new structure are the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Others are the Presidential Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PICOMSS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Oil Producing Companies.

The operational scope of the task force which initially covers Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers, has been extended to cover the nine oil producing states. Antigha, who said that the states are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers, however, said the restructuring would further strengthen the effort of the outfit in tackling head-long illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalisation and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on Tuesday, met with Olugbenga Ayodeji Ashiru, foreign minister of Nigeria, and discussed recent developments in the region, particularly on piracy and the investigation of an attack at a UN house in 2011 in Abuja, capital of the West African country - PhilStar.com.

"The secretary-general and the foreign minister discussed recent developments in Nigeria as well as progress made in the investigation of the Aug. 26, 2011 attack against the UN House in Abuja that resulted in the deaths of 25 persons, including 13 UN staff members," said a UN readout released here by Ban's spokesperson.

In the UN readout, the two also exchanged views on how best to enhance the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Read more.

Asia/South East Asia

Singapore and Japan should cooperate in anti-piracy activities off the coast of Somalia, reports Channel News Asia.

That's the view of Mr Norifumi Idee, the Policy Adviser to Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

He is in Singapore under the Maritime and Port Authority's (MPA) Distinguished Visitors Programme.

On Wednesday, Mr Idee called on Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew and also met with MPA's senior management.

They discussed key maritime issues of mutual interest, such as the Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, piracy and armed robbery, as well as matters relating to the International Maritime Organization.

CEO of MPA Lam Yi Young said: "Japan is a notable player in the international maritime community and a vital strategic maritime partner to Singapore. Read more.

Pirates in Court                       

As a result of legislation change, Belgium has prosecuted its first pirate. He was captured by the Belgian frigate Louise-Marie in late November 2010, as his vessel prepared to attack the ship Petra. He was subsequently identified by three crew members of another vessel, the Pompei, as one of the participants in its seizure in April 2009 - Oceanuslive.

The pirate was transferred to Belgium, where he was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment by the Brussels Criminal Court in June 2011. In October 2011 the Brussels Court of Appeal confirmed the sentence in a decision rendered by default.

Private Security                       

A second round of discussions on the BIMCO standard armed guards contract took place in London at the offices of Ince & Co on January 5. A preliminary draft contract has been prepared and is currently the subject of a detailed review by the Sub-committee who will meet again on 16 January to complete the process, reports Neptune Maritime Security.

BIMCO plans to release a consultation draft to a number of international private maritime security companies as part of the development process. Comments from these companies as well as Documentary Committee members will be taken into account by the Sub-committee when they produce their final draft for approval and publication. The Sub-committee is working flat-out to develop and fine-tune the draft contract so that it can be released for use by the industry as soon as possible.

However, there are many complex legal and liability issues to be resolved, and it is not a task that the Sub-committee is undertaking lightly. Parallel work on a set of standard Rules for the Use of Force (RUF) is ongoing and the Sub-committee will be looking to tie the draft RUF to the work on GUARDCON at their 16 January meeting.

The Sub-committee members are Tor Langrud, Wilhelmsen (Chairman); Dan Carr, Stolt International; Stephen Askins, Ince & Co; Elinor Dautlich, Holman Fenwick Willan; Andrew Moulton, Ascot Underwriters; and Andrew Bardot and Chris South, International Group of P&I Clubs.

The International Association of Maritime Security Professionals (IAMSP) has issued a document on the Use of Force (UoF). It contains guidance with respect to the Use of Force by Private Maritime Armed Security Companies. It is intended to provide guidance and advice to those seeking to address issues regarding this challenge, but is not intended to provide legal advice. Available here (PDF).

The UK government is failing to take the threat of ocean piracy and the devastating impact it can have on supply chains seriously, a maritime union has warned, writes Helen Gilbert in Supply Management.

Nautilus International told SM that while incidents in Somalia had highlighted the growing problem, there is a distinct “gap” between government rhetoric and actual action.

The union’s comments follow publication of the Foreign Affairs Committee Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, in which the concerns of the union were also highlighted.

The organisation, which represents maritime professionals at sea and ashore, warned that the ease with which very large vessels were being hijacked served as an advertisement to terrorists and criminals and raised serious wider questions about the security of shipping and global supply chains.

UK House of Lords questions raised on Somali Piracy and what naval contribution the United Kingdom will make towards, and what advice they will give to British-registered vessels on, combating piracy near Somalia after the current monsoon season, is available here.

International Response   

On Wednesday, 11 January, the UN Security Council received a briefing from Lynn Pascoe, Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, on the situation in Somalia, including a briefing on the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Read more.

As the government strengthens its navy capability to protect its territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone in the Indian Ocean, pirates have also developed new techniques to pursue their evil mission, reports Tanzania's IPP Media.

While previously the pirates used fishing boats and in most cases mounted direct attacks on the merchant ships, they now use the big ships as the shield, noted Maj General Said Omar, commander of the Tanzania Peoples Defense Force (TPDF) Navy when addressing reporters yesterday in Dar es Salaam.

“The pirates would hide when they spotted a ship coming, wait until they were quite near, then silently follow the ship and enter, take control and force payment or else take fuel,” the navy commander said adding: “sometimes they detain the crew and the ship is used for pirate activities.

Commander Omar said piracy had spread out from the Horn after nations sent navy ships to the area to protect their ships using the passage to the Far East. The pirates shifted towards India while others came nearer the East African coast.

Increasing number of pirates have been captured rising from 404 in 2009 to 600 this year, indicating that security and protection of the ocean has been stabilised.

In Tanzania ship attacks along the Indian Ocean has decreased from 30 events to approximately 8, he said, explaining that this was due to extensive supervision along territorial boundaries by the TPDF.

Commander Omar called on the people to be on the alert and to report suspicious strangers to relevant authorities as their contribution to fighting piracy.

Seychelles Foreign Minister, Mr. Jean-Paul Adam, has met with the African Union Chairperson, Mr. Jean Ping, to discuss the increased cooperation between the Indian Ocean Commission and the AU, as well as Seychelles and the AU, particularly in the area of piracy in the Indian Ocean, reports Neptune Maritime Security.

During a brief stop-over visit to Seychelles yesterday, the minister took the opportunity to thank Mr. Ping and the AU for the recent acceptance of the Indian Ocean Commission to official observer status within the AU. 

“The IOC is becoming an increasingly important voice in the region and the opportunity to engage with the wider African continent on such an important platform as the AU, particularly when it comes to piracy concerns whose effects are not exclusive to Indian Ocean islands," said the Minister.

Among other issues discussed, the increased engagement of the AU in fighting the scourge of piracy featured prominently.

India has advocated adoption of a comprehensive counter-piracy strategy by the international community to tackle the growing problem of maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia - Zee News India. 

Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Somalia here, India's Ambassador to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri termed piracy off the coast of Somalia a "serious problem" for the international community.

He said given the growing scope of the problem, "the international community has to think about adopting a comprehensive counter-piracy strategy," which should involve a "UN-led anti-piracy force to conduct naval operations."

This would help achieve greater coordination in anti-piracy operations by various naval forces.

The global strategy should also include enactment of national laws on priority to criminalize piracy and effective sanitization of the Somali coastline along with identifying safe corridors and buffer zones.

Piracy Costs                           

While certainly damaging to the international shipping industry, the fruits of Somali piracy are benefitting more than a handful of criminals—they’re being shared with the greater community, a new report based on satellite imagery has found - The Epoch Times.

“The international community should bear these results in mind when developing land-based strategies to resolve Somalia’s pirate problem,” stated Dr. Anja Shortland, the author of the report for British think tank Chatham House.

The context of the research was to shed light on the financial impacts of piracy in Somalia to help the international community develop a land-based approach to fighting the scourge of piracy on the Horn of Africa. It is estimated that in 2010, piracy cost the international community between $7 billion and $12 billion.

Somalia has been without a central government since 1989, making it difficult for analysts to obtain data on economic activity in the country.

Culture of Sharing - Shortland points out that Somalia has a deep-rooted, sharing culture, which means that wealthy people raise their status by sharing with members of their clan. “Significant amounts of ransom monies are spent within Somalia, but conspicuous consumption appears to be limited by social norms dictating resource-sharing,” says the report.

The weight of the cultural element is illustrated by a Somali proverb cited in the report: “The man who owns 100 goats, but his relatives have nothing, he is poor.”

According to the report, when he was questioned, pirate chief Abshir Boyah said, “It’s not like three people split a million bucks. It’s more like 300.”

Mohamed Abdi, another pirate boss, “laughed off the United Nations threat to freeze pirate assets,” according to the report in asking: “What assets?”

However, most of the investment by pirates appears to be occurring in the main cities of Bosasso and Garowe, rather than in the coastal areas, where the pirates are actually based. This has benefited casual labor and farmers in Puntland most.

To glean the situation on the ground, researchers took into account two types of data. One set, compiled from international non-government organizations, showed that large portions of the ransom money were being converted into the local currency, that cattle prices had gone up along side the rise of piracy, and that piracy earnings helped offset the impact of food price spikes in 2007-2008.

Secondly, they looked at nighttime satellite imagery to see where power output had increased, and found inland cities glowing in ways that the coastal Puntland towns, such as Eyl and Hobyo, had not. Read more.

However, industry commentators have said "the lack of discussion and consideration to our seafarers in the report is frankly disgusting."

Shipping Podcasts, remarks "almost speechless," that, "I do understand that the argument could be made that by understanding the benefit that the piracy industry has on the Somali economy that a solution can be negotiated for finance for the country that replaces their need for piracy. But to my mind that argument is well hidden in this report."

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister met the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, this afternoon. They discussed the European economy and agreed that urgent action is required to find a sustainable financing solution to the current debt crisis in the eurozone - Isria.com.

“They also agreed that improving competitiveness across Europe is the long term priority to tackle the causes of the crisis and that concrete action to boost growth should be agreed by EU leaders when they meet in Brussels at the end of January. They agreed to explore specific elements of a pro-competitiveness agenda, including completing EU trade deals with other countries; extending the single market in the areas of services, energy, IT and telecoms; and reducing regulation which stifles business and jobs.

“The Prime Minister also raised the situation in Somalia ahead of the international conference that he will chair in February. The leaders agreed that the international community should step up efforts to tackle the problems of state failure, terrorism and piracy in Somalia.”

An American luxury passenger line en route to the Seychelles was stranded in the Maldivian waters due to “piracy risk”, while the passengers departed to the Seychelles through airline flights - Minivan News.

Secretary General of Maldives Association of Yacht Agents (MAYA), Mohamed Ali, told Minivan News that the passenger line had arrived on December 29 and were scheduled to leave the same day after a brief stop near Male’.

However, he said the cruise captain had decided not to leave with the passengers on board due to “security reasons”, as there have been several attacks by pirates near the Seychelles.

“To avoid the risk, the 67 passengers on board were taken to Seychelles via Qatar Airways and Emirates last week,” Ali said.

As the passenger line is subjected to a daily fee of US$600 as long as it stays in Maldivian waters, he continued, “we are trying to send off the passenger line as soon as possible.”

He noted that the crew were taking the necessary security measures to ensure safety from a possible pirate attack. “There are some maritime security companies which provide security to large cruises or shipping vessels like these. So the passenger line is arranging security before departure,” he said.

Times columnist Matthew Parris has waded into the piracy debate – labelling the insurance industry as a profiteering racket which encourages Somali lawlessness to continue - Shiptalk.

Parris blames the insurance industry as the “hidden cause” behind the growth of Somali piracy. A supposition based on the “fact” that as the greater part of maritime insurance is British, but very few British merchant seamen will ever be affected, insurers see the risk of the occasional loss of a few Filipino crewmen as preferable to a substantial hike in the cost of every voyage and the danger that maritime insurance would be driven away from the City of London.

In assessing the report from the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee he states that piracy is funded by pirates and insurance companies, and the network of agents and middle men which have sprung up to process ransoms. “Many careers and many fortunes — all perfectly legal — are now founded upon this racket”, he says.

Parris also offers the evidence of increasing ransom payments and the laissez faire attitude of the insurance industry as proof of the preference for letting well alone. In short, he conclude, “the insurance industry is collecting the money from world shipping, facilitating negotiations with the thieves and helping organise the payments to them. It’s all nicely sewn up”. The “orderly arrangements” for the payment of ransoms, which insurers then collect from their shipping clients in the form of increased premiums is all the evidence he needs.

Parris sees insurers as middlemen, effectively (however unwillingly) working for the pirates as well as their policyholders; and creaming off their cut from the premiums.

Seafarers' Plight                      

A group of 15 Indian sailors who were in the captivity of Somali pirates for over 11 months returned to the country in the wee hours today, writes The Hindu.

Rahul Puranik, crew member of Savina Caylyn greeted by his daughter and wife in Mumbai  Photo: Vivek Bendre

They were among 22 seamen who had been held hostage by Somali pirates along with their vessel MT Savina Caylyn since February 8 last year. The crew was released along with the vessel on December 21. It was not known whether a ransom was paid for their release.

It was an emotional reunion for the sailors as they came out of the international airport here. They were received by their family members and peers from the sailors’ community.

Savina Caylyn, owned by the Italian shipping company Fratelli D’Amato was hijacked 500 miles off the coast of India while on a voyage from Sudan to Malaysia in February last year. There were 22 seamen on board when the vessel was taken hostage of which 17 were Indians and five Italians. All of them have been released. Two Indian sailors returned by a different flight, according to sources.

“A group of 15 sailors returned to Mumbai this morning from Dubai, where they had gone following their release last month. The remaining two have gone probably to other Indian cities,” National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) spokesperson Sunil Nair told PTI this afternoon.

The Georgian captain of a cargo ship that was released by Somali pirates said Tuesday his Georgian-Turkish crew had suffered through "infernal torment" during its 18-month captivity - Neptune Maritime Security.

"We have gone through an infernal torment, starvation, thirst. All this time we have been on a leash, like animals," captain Memed Zakaradze told Georgia's Rustavi 2 television by telephone from an unspecified location. "But we did not lose hope for even a second," he said.

Armed raiders boarded the Malta-flagged cargo ship, Olib G, in the piracy-plagued area off the Gulf of Aden in September 2010 and seized the crew of 15 Georgians and three Turks.

The ship had been on its final voyage to India to be scrapped and its Greek owner had gone into liquidation, leaving the sailors effectively stranded while the pirates demanded $9 million (7.1 million euros) to release the ship.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said the sailors' release Sunday was secured through confidential negotiations whose details he could not disclose at this time. "Georgia will always fight for its citizens," Saakashvili said on Tuesday in televised remarks.

While refusing to provide any details, Georgian officials have denied suggestions that a ransom was paid. "No ransom whatsoever was paid to the pirates," Maritime Transport Agency spokeswoman Ana Gomarteli told AFP.

Writing in Lloyd’s List, the head of the Mission to Seafarers, the Revd Tom Heffer has marked the anniversary of the seizure of the crew of MV Leopard - Shiptalk.

The seven-strong Danish and Filipino crew are still being held, while progress in freeing them is shrouded in silence.

At various points videos have been released showing the hostages, but one year on, the families are still concerned that it has so far not been possible to negotiate the release.

According to Heffer, The Danish Foreign Ministry has spoken of their deep concern about the intolerable situation suffered by the hostages and their relatives.

The Danish authorities are following the case very closely, but will not intervene in negotiations.

There is real concern that the silence surrounding the Leopard is defeaning, and the Mission is hoping against hope that someone is working in secret for the release of the Leopard hostages and that they will be “Out of Africa” before this new year is very much older.

And Finally...     

Something very strange happened yesterday – the term “Somali Pirates” joined Hoover, Sellotape and Zipper and Escalator in breaking free from reality to become the generic, catch-all name for their “product”, comments Shiptalk.

The change came when some journalist in a dark room beavering away heard of an attack on the vessel “Spar Rigel” off Nigeria – it was a case of piracy, so guess what…yes, it must be “Somali pirates”.

At first industry wags joked that the Somalis may have been on vacation, or were perhaps vigorously expanding their business. The truth is far worse. The Somali pirates have become so well known, so virulent that anything which resembles their actions will be attributed to them.

The truth is, of course, that every stretch of sea is more than capable of having its own bogeymen – we don’t need to accredit the Somalis for attacks made by Nigerian, Malaysian, Indonesian or Bangladeshi pirates.

We do however look forward to seeing Johnny Depp high on khat and wearing a turban in “Somali Pirates of the Caribbean”.

Piracy Incidents                       

Hijack:

• Arabian Sea - An Iranian vessel carrying 30,000 tonnes of petrochemicals to an as yet unspecified North African country was reported as hijacked on Tuesday [Jan 10]. The chemical tanker was reportedly attacked in position 11:51N - 061:05E, by 8-15 pirates in 2 skiffs, launched from a 40-metre mothership. Initially reported via Iran Mehr News Agency. Separate source claims vessel is called Dayenot. The hijack has yet to be corroborated.

Unsuccessful Attacks (All Regions):

• Gulf of Guinea - (Late report) Around 10 pirates armed with guns boarded a drifting Panama-flagged chemical tanker, Tradewind, around 40 NM SSW of Lagos, Nigeria in posn 05:51.5N – 003:05.8E at 0130 LT. The pirates destroyed the communication equipment, stole ship’s cash, ship’s properties, entered the Master and crew accommodation and stole crew personal belongings and cash and escaped. One member of the crew was injured. Incident was reported to Nigerian Navy. Reported 3 Jan.

• South America (P) - 5 Jan (via IMB) Two robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored Liberia-flagged container vessel, Bahia Blanca, unnoticed at 2310 LT: in position 12:07.7S – 077:12.3W: Callao anchorage, Peru. They stole ship stores and escaped. The duty crew noticed the theft during their routine rounds and raised the alarm. The vessel was searched by the crew. Port control was informed and a patrol boat sent out to investigate.

• Gulf of Aden/BAM - MV Might Michalis was attacked by 6 heavily armed pirates in 2 skiffs, while underway in position 12:26N - 043:44.8E. All crew retreated to the citadel, and the security team onboard fired warning shots, which saw pirates move away. (Late report) Reported 6 Jan (via SR).

• South China Sea - Duty AB onboard a berthed Singapore-flagged, UAE container vessel, Sima Saman, noticed a small boat near the shipside with three robbers attempting to board the vessel at 0345 LT: Ho Chi Minh Container terminal, Vietnam. The duty AB raised the alarm resulting in the robbers escaping empty handed. Local security was informed. Reported 7 Jan (via IMB).

• South China Sea - About 7 armed robbers boarded an anchored Germany-flagged container ship, Sarah Schulte, off Jakarta Roads, Indonesia at 2215 LT. Duty watchman found the steering gear door was open and he went to investigate. The robbers threatened the duty watchman, took him hostage, covered his eyes with plastic and stole his walkie talkie. Then entered the engine room. After 20 minutes, exited engine room and escaped. The duty watchman ran to the bridge and raised the alarm. Reported (via IMB) 7 Jan.

• Gulf of Guinea - About eight pirates armed with AK47 in a fishing trawler chased, fired upon and attempted to board a Liberia-flagged container ship, Nedlloyd Teslin, underway in position 03:00N – 007:28E, around 85nm South of Bonny Island, Nigeria at 1622 LT. The Master increased speed, took evasive manoeuvres and the crew mustered in the citadel. Pirates aborted the attempted attack and moved away. Reported (via IMB) 9 Jan.

• Gulf of Guinea - Armed pirates boarded a drifting Bulk Carrier at 2015 LT: posn: 03:21.4N-007:12.9E, Usan Oil Terminal, Nigeria. The Master and crew retreated to the Citadel and maintained control the ship. After about 12 hours, the crew emerged and found no pirates onboard. However, the pirates had taken cash and ships' stores. All crew are safe. Reported (via IMB) 9 Jan.

• Gulf of Guinea - Two robbers armed with long knives boarded an anchored Liberia-flagged container ship, Hansa Cloppenburg, off Abidjan Outer Anchorage, Ivory Coast, in position 05:13.11N – 004:02.59W at 0001 LT. They took the duty watchman hostage, stole his VHF set and ship’s stores, and escaped. The watchman informed the bridge which then raised the alarm and the crew were mustered. Port control was informed. Reported (via IMB) 11 Jan.

• Unknown position - Six pirates in two skiffs attacked an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged, German-owned general cargo ship, MV BBC Hudson, underway. The location of the attack is yet to be identified. Embarked security team fired warning shots, which forced the pirates to abort the attack. Reported 12 Jan (via SR).

• Gulf of Oman - Panama-flagged, Japanese-owned crude oil tanker, MT BM Breeze, came under pirate attack in position 24:44N - 058:33E. The Master called regional counter piracy forces for assistance. The pirates launched the attack from a white-hulled fishing vessel. The Master later confirmed that the vessel and crew were safe. Reported 12 Jan (via SR).

• Indian Ocean - MV Rebecca Schulte was approached by a fast skiff with 5 armed POB in position 13:27.9N - 074:04.1E, approximately 25nm West of Indian coast (East of Lakshadweep) at 0845 UTC. The skiff approached from the port bow within 1.5nm and on seeing MV preparations and armed guards, ceased the approach and moved away. Vessel is safe. Reported 12 January.

• Arabian Sea - MT Happy Bird came under attack by pirates in 2 skiffs in position 14:51N - 056:03E, at 0943 UTC. The Isle of Man (UK)-flagged LPG tanker evaded the hijack attempt and is safe. PAG remains operational in the area. Reported 12 Jan. After the pirates first ceased their attack, they came up in speed and approached the vessel a second time before ceasing pursuit. The PAG was disrupted by naval CP forces am 13 Jan.

•  Red Sea - 8 gunmen in one skiff chased and fired upon Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, MV Harmony, while she was underway in position 14:56N - 040:28E. A security team aboard the 38,888 dwt bulk carrier fired warning shots, forcing the pirates to abort their attack. The pirates retreated without firing at MV Harmony. Reported 12 Jan (via SR).

• South China Sea - Five robbers boarded the forecastle of a Bulk Carrier at anchor at 0240 LT: in position 01:41S-116:38E in Adang Bay Anchorage, Indonesia. The robbers boarded the vessel during cargo operations and stole ships' stores. When the Duty watchman returned to the forecastle, the two robbers pushed him, taking the stores and escaped. All crew are safe. Reported (via IMB) 13 Jan.

• South America (P) - Six robbers armed with long knives attempted to board an anchored bulk carrier via the anchor chain at 1940 LT: Callao Anchorage Area No.12, Peru. The alert crew noticed the robbers, raised the alarm and the crew were mustered. Upon hearing the alarm, the robbers aborted the attempted boarding and escaped. Port authorities informed and the coast guard was despatched to investigate. Reported (via IMB) 13 Jan.

EUNAVFOR figures state 5 vessels and an estimated 155 hostages held captive here (Updated 16 Jan). Somalia Report indicates 15 ships (8 commercial & 7 fishing vessels) held with 268 hostages. See the latest report.

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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