• MDAT-GOG Issues West Africa Maritime Security Warning
• One Month Since 2019’s First Piracy Attack Off The Somali Coast

Reports from Hobyo district in Mudug region  indicate that Somali pirates and Galmudug security forces have clashed after heavy fighting erupted involving the two, locals and Galmudug officials confirmed.

The fighting started after Galmudug security forces attacked a pirate's base in a bid to detain some of the pirates who had landed near the coast. The pirates had brought a hijacked ship owned by the United Arab Emirates

"The pirates brought a ship near the Hobyo waters, late yesterday. Galmudug security forces learned of this and launched an attack on the pirates. A large number of Galmudug forces arrived from Galkayo for the operation," said Mahad Yusuf, a Hobyo resident, according to Somalia Report.

General Abdi weli  Hassan Hirsi (Fara badan), who is Galmudug's police commander in Hobyo has confirmed that they managed to arrest six of the pirates and others fled from the town.

We have captured six of the pirates, so we are transferring them to the main jail in Galkayo. Two of our soldiers, including my deputy were injured in the operation," he said.Read more.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has reported that maritime pirates have threatened a ship at the north end of the Strait of Hormuz. This is the closest-ever attack to the waterway, which is responsible for 20 percent of globally traded oil, commentsMaritime Executive.

The report details the attack as follows: Warning shots were fired by armed private guards onboard the container ship in an attempt to discourage three pirate boats chasing the vessel. Again, the incident occurred in the most northern area of the Gulf of Oman.

The reported February 25th pirate attack and activity in that specific area has many concerned that they are moving extremely deep into the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. This is the nearest attack to the Strait of Hormuz, according to an IMB review of the last three years’ reported attacks.

The European Union has not officially recorded this incident as an attack, as there was no exchange of gunfire. Also, the EU NAVFOR would not reveal the vessel’s name in accordance with military policy. Read more.

The cruise ship was safely towed to the Seychelles by a combination of French trawlers and Seychelles coastguard vessel. 

West Africa

 

An appeal against a judgment that stopped Kenyan courts from trying piracy cases failed to proceed due to the absence of one judge sitting in the five-judge bench, writesDaily Nation.

The court was informed that Mr Justice Philip Waki was out of the country on official duties and would be back next week.

“The matter is partly heard and can only be heard by the full bench of five judges. We have to wait for Justice Waki to come back,” said Mr Justice Samuel Bosire on behalf of three other judges.

The other judges are Justices Emmanuel O’Kubasu, Erastus Githinji and Joseph Nyamu.

Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko has appealed against a High Court ruling that Kenyan courts have no jurisdiction to try piracy cases.

Mr Tobiko maintains that Kenyan courts derive jurisdiction from International Law, which declares piracy an international crime and says suspected pirates can be charged in any country in which they are captured.

In November 2010, Supreme Court judge Mohammed Ibrahim, who was then High Court judge in Mombasa, dealt a blow to the country’s fight against piracy by terminating the prosecution of nine suspected Somali pirates.

He ruled that Kenyan courts were not conferred with powers to deal with matters which have taken place outside its territorial waters.

Italian Naval Guards

The outcome of the court case on Italian marines shooting Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast could become a landmark in international law, influencing the rules of ship security around the globe, legal experts feel - Telegraph India.

“Piracy is increasing around the world and it can be prevented only by having armed guards aboard ships,” said Bechu Kurien Thomas, maritime lawyer and member of the governing council of the Kochi-based Indian Institute of Maritime Law.

“This can be done by having private guards; or the naval forces of the respective countries can offer security. But then it can set off incidents like this again. Countries will have to sit together and find a way out.”

V.M. Syam Kumar, lecturer in international law at the National University for Advanced Legal Studies, said there already was a settled law on the subject but conceded that the presence of the marines did throw up a new point.

Kumar believes India is in an advantageous position in the row over the shooting although it occurred in the contiguous zone, the band of water just outside the country’s territorial waters.

“Our basic document, which reflects the spirit of the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, is the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime Zones Act of 1976. But unlike the UN convention, which confers only immigration, sanitation, customs and fiscal jurisdiction on signatory states, the 1976 law also gives the Indian government the power to enforce security in the zone,” he said.

“The presence of Italian Marines, who are members of the security forces, does throw up a new point. Had it been a warship, the situation would have been totally different and we would not have been able to even arrest the sailors. Now the question to be decided is whether the soldiers would also enjoy some kind of sovereign status.”

V.J. Mathew, counsel for the Italian oil tanker Enrica Lexie, whose security guards were involved in the shooting, agreed.

“Many countries are now resorting to the practice of allowing their marines to guard private ships. But there is still no settled international law on what should be done if they are involved in crimes of similar nature in territorial waters or otherwise.” (Image: AP).

 

Eight months after SA-linked private military company Saracen International was fingered in a UN Security Council as the “most egregious threat” to peace and security in the failed state of Somalia, Saracen continues to run and train a private army in violation of UN Security Council resolutions - IOL.co.za.

Saracen, one of a cluster of shadowy private military contractors born from the ashes of the SA/British mercenary outfit Executive Outcomes, after nearly 18 months of military activity in the region, has yet to secure permission to operate as a security provider in a region so volatile Somalia has not had a functioning central government for upwards of 20 years.

Tlali Tlali, the spokesman for the National Conventional Arms Control Committee, confirmed that neither the SA arm of the Saracen operation, nor any of the individuals associated with the Somali adventure had applied for accreditation as legitimate security contractors.

UN Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group (SEMG) co-ordinator Matthew Bryden confirmed the company had failed to seek or secure authorisation from the international authority to operate as a private military contractor in Somalia after being fingered in the Monitoring Group’s June 2011 report.

We understand that the UN is in possession of compelling evidence that Saracen has continued with military training and deployment in defiance of the UN’s general arms embargo. The continuing violations of UN Resolutions 1973 and 1976 are expected to be addressed in detail in the SEMG’s forthcoming annual report at midyear.

Saracen’s operation in Somalia is headed by Executive Outcomes stalwart and – until the mercenary outfit was disbanded – holding company director, Lafras Luitingh. Luitingh is also a director of Australian African Global Investments (AAGI) the company primarily involved in logistical supply and procurement for the operation.

The Saracen operation, funded by anonymous donors in the United Arab Emirates, has also been linked to US private military contractor Erik Dean Prince, formerly head of the notorious Blackwater, now operating out of Abu Dhabi as Xe Services. A third shadowy connection uncovered in respect of the Saracen programme is to former Mogadishu CIA bureau chief Michael Shanklin.

Originally contracted under the auspices of Somalia’s fragile Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to train up an anti-piracy task force, and to take care of presidential security, Saracen has since early 2011 been exclusively contracted to the administration of Abdurahman Farole, “president” in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, and based near the Puntland port of Bossaso. Read more.

The increased success of armed guards reflects poorly on the international governments which should be protecting shipping off the coast of Somalia, Justin Stares writes for Defence Management.

Rather than protecting international trade, European governments have simply outsourced security to the private sector. How can we explain the sharp drop in pirate hijackings off the coast of Somalia? The latest figures from EU Navfor, the European Union's pirate hunters, claim the number of vessels held by pirates in Somalia has dropped to just seven. The estimated number of hostages, according to figures released on February 21, is down to 191. This compares with 33 ships and 733 hostages - mostly Asian seafarers - held in the same month last year.

These statistics are not universally accepted. Non-governmental organisation Ecoterra – the Global Society for Ecology and sound Economy - says Navfor deliberately underreports hijackings by counting only "high-value, often British-insured vessels". But even Ecoterra's count is on the way down: from "at least" 35 larger vessels and 18 smaller vessels in July 2011, to 26 large and 18 small ships in January of this year. Both EU Navfor and the London-based International Maritime Organization say the decline is proof of the success of their hard work. The piracy scourge is being "contained", an EU Navfor commander told a European Parliament seminar last year. The IMO hailed "relatively good progress" in a recent missive. European Commission president Jose Barroso said last month that EU Navfor "had proven successful".

But attacks by pirates on merchant shipping have by no means disappeared. Indeed, they were running at historically high levels in January. What has changed is the pirates' success rate: it has fallen from 20 percent at the beginning of 2011 to a low single-digit figure. Why is this? The combined maritime forces of EU Navfor, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the United States no doubt make a difference. But the real reason is more disturbing: vessels transiting the pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean now routinely carry mercenaries. Commonly referred to by the politically correct term "armed guards", these mercenaries come at a cost of around $1,000 a day each. While they have on occasion been accused of shooting innocent fishermen, mercenaries have until now successfully scared off all pirates. Armed guards work. Read more.

The final draft of the GUARDCON contract is now in the hands of BIMCO's 60-strong Documentary Committee which is ultimately responsible for the vetting and approval for publication of all new and revised BIMCO contracts and clauses.  The Committee's primary task is to assess whether the draft agreement for the employment of security guards on vessels meets the standard expected of a BIMCO contract - Safety4Sea.

This is the third and final phase of development. It follows two months of intense drafting work by a specialist Sub-committee with legal, insurance, P&I and ship operation expertise. The second phase involved consultation on the draft with several reputable international private maritime security companies and a number of leading marine insurance underwriters. The whole development process has also been followed closely by the International Group of P&I Clubs.

BIMCO's Documentary Committee have been given until 7 March to review the draft contract. After that the GUARDCON Sub-committee will reconvene to consider any comments received and then prepare the draft for the approval for publication by the full Committee. Depending on the volume and extent of comments received, this means that GUARDCON may be available to the industry during the second half of March. Read more.

At a meeting held on 28 February 2012, the Industrial Working Group 3 under the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) almost finalized a document addressed at maritime security companies offering the services of civilian, armed guards to prevent acts of piracy on ships in the Indian Ocean - Danish Maritime Authority.

In addition, the working group almost finalized a document addressed at flag States on the implementation of best practices for preventing piracy.

Now, the documents will be submitted to the IMO (United Nations’ International Maritime Organization) in the hope is that the IMO can finalize the guidelines at a meeting in May 2012. Read more of entire meeting summary HERE. 

The UK government has made changes to the licensing rules for Private Maritime Security Companies (“PMSCs”) operating in the high risk areas off Somalia- Shiptalk.

Depending on who you speak to this will either make it easier or tougher for them to operate. Given that many were wrestling with the past requirements of the initial system of Standard Individual Export Licences (SIEL), Open Individual Export Licences (OIEL) and Standard and Open Individual Trade Control Licences (otherwise known as a SITCL or OITCL) then the changes should perhaps be seen as progress.

The “simplification” comes in the form of the Open General Trade Control License (Maritime Anti Piracy) – (“OGTCL”) aimed specifically at those providing armed guards on board ships.

The license came into effect on 23 February 2012 and covers UK PMSCs carrying out business in the UK, or maritime security companies which are run by UK persons to engage in the supply, delivery and transfer of controlled goods between overseas territories.

It imposes tight controls on the way in which PMSCs can conduct their business. Read more.

Ministers "agreed to extend the mandate of EU-NAVFOR Atalanta until December 2014", a statement said as talks focused on Syria and Serbia began in Brussels -Malaysia MSN News.

Diplomatic sources last week said discussions were being held on fine-tuning "an enlargement of the area of operations of the anti-piracy mission to the beach", but there was no mention of this idea in the statement.

Though no boots on the ground, European Union nations see a scope for extending their capacity to take action against trucks, supplies, boats and fuel stocked by pirates on the beaches.

Atalanta, typically consisting of a handful of surface combat vessels plus one or two back-up ships and two to three reconnaissance aircraft, is tasked with escorting merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Somalia while detering and disrupting piracy.

Since its launch it has arrested and sent for prosecution 117 suspected pirates and last year alone disrupted 27 pirate action groups.

EU nations believe beach operations launched from sea or air, and if agreed by the Somali government and the United Nations, would bolster the anti-piracy mission.

But Germany, which has troops active in the mission, needs further information on rules of engagement before Berlin can greenlight any operational extension, sources said.

The Indian Navy's action against the Somalian pirates off the Gulf of Aden has resulted in the seas on the Indian side being declared a safe area for merchant ships. "Many ships have been taking the route off the Indian coast after the Indian Navy's strong action against the Somalian pirates," said Captain Pottengal Mukundan, Director, International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) - Times of India.

Speaking to TOI, Captain Mukundan said that there have not been any incidents of Somali type hijacking in Indian territorial waters though in the last year (2011), 450 crew members have been taken hostage in Somali hijackings of 28 vessels. The IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre has been monitoring piracy worldwide since 1991. 

While refusing to comment on the recent killing of two fishermen off the Indian waters by two Italian navy men abroad the merchant ship, Enrica Lexie, Captain Mukundan said that the law of the flag state prevails on the vessel. It is also subject to the laws of the coastal state in whose territorial waters the vessel is in. These laws determine the carriage of armed teams and the rules under which they operate. Read more.

The UK and Dutch authorities have agreed to jointly fund a new piracy intelligence unit in the Seychelles - TradeWinds News.

The two nations are to fund the initial resources for a Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Centre (RAPPICC).

The UK is providing £550,000 ($873,000) to the RAPPICC, as well as its first director. The Dutch are chipping in EUR300,000 ($400,000) and two secondees.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague signed the statement of cooperation with Dutch counterpart Uri Rosenthal in London last week.

The RAPPICC will coordinate and analyse intelligence to inform tactical law enforcement options, including the turning of intelligence into useable evidence for prosecutions both in the region and further afield.

The UK and Dutch agreement comes in the wake of the London Conference on Somalia, which brought together over 50 countries and international organisations to agree a series of practical measures to support Somalia including further measures to tackle piracy and its root causes. Read more.

International shipping lines are seriously thinking about the safety of their vessels transiting East African waters as the threat of Somali piracy grows, says Defence and Military Veterans Affairs Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.

Speaking at a Parliamentary press briefing on Sunday, Sisuslu said the threat was growing with 17 incidents reported in Tanzanian waters during the past year - Business Live.

"As the international patrols off the Somali coast hamper the pirates' ability to operate there, then they move further down and away from the coast," she said.

Last year SA deployed one of its four modern German-built frigates into the Mozambique Channel and Sisulu signed an agreement with her Mozambique counterpart to allow the SA Navy to patrol offshore waters there.

Sisulu said the SA government's policy with piracy would be changing to deterrence from one of reaction, meaning that the fleet would have to mount a standing patrol of ships and aircraft up the east African coast rather than wait for an incident to happen and then respond.

"Because of this we want the Durban naval facilities to be returned to being a proper base," she said.

The SA Navy has had facilities on Salisbury Island in Durban Harbour since before World War 2. However, these were downgraded to a refueling and support station during the defence budget cuts of the late 1990s.

Chief of the SA Navy Vice-Admiral Refiloe Midumu has called for the refurbishment of the Durban facilities several times in the past and most recently at an SA Development Community Standing Maritime Committee meeting in the harbour city last week.

Last year cabinet agreed this should be done, however, Sisulu conceded that no budget had been allocated for this.

At Sunday's press briefing Sisulu bemoaned the limited funds available to the SA National Defence Force. Read more.

Last Thursday’s London Somalia Conference has been dismissed as having broken no new ground, and recycling the same tired old rhetoric. Wrong. The big story at the conference was precisely in the photo opportunities, and the actions that the regional players in the region took so that they could look strong on the world stage in London -Africa.No.

The pictures of the London meeting tell the story. The “high table” and front row in the photos was given, in addition to British Prime Minister David Cameron, to the regional power brokers in Somalia. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, the “big boys,” were always together to the right in the front. Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza, was often in a row or two back — by fact of his shyness, not lack of clout on Somalia. And to the left edge, the leader of one of the newer members of Amisom — Djibouti’s President Ismael Omar Guelleh.

In most of the photos, Museveni wears the arrogant bored look of someone who has nothing to prove. It was his moment of vindication.

The June 2011 Somalia Conference in Kampala that extended by one year the life of the Transitional Federal Government, and from which Abdiweli Mohamed Ali emerged as the new prime minister, was definitely more important than the London meet. So was the April 2011 9th Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community heads of state in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, that signalled a shift to a more aggressive posture toward the Al Shabaab militants, and was the first high level group anywhere to suggest that the TFG should get an extension.

Nevertheless, the London Conference was significant, because for the first time it brought together all the international players who have a stake in Somalia, but have been hiding their hand. Read more.

The President has acted selfless towards Somalia, even in his intervention last week in London, he has called for solutions to the political and humanitarian crisis in that poverty-stricken country, and as a result, he said, the way out will put an end to piracy. With their problems solved, the Somalis will not be a setback to his country’s growing economy and that of other countries of the Indian Ocean region.

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has called for global efforts to uproot the threat of piracy. Inaugurating the Annual National Maritime Foundation Conference here today, Shri Antony said India has already submitted certain proposals at the United Nations.  “If ever there was a need for consensual and cooperative effort, it is in relation to piracy and India has put forward certain proposals at the United Nations.” - Marine Insight.

The Defence Minister pointed out that the Indian Navy has made significant contribution to the global anti-piracy efforts in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) since 2008.  “What is significant is that more than 85 percent of the ships escorted by the Indian Navy are of foreign flag.”  Shri Antony said that the challenge of piracy is yet to be effectively quarantined.  “There is a consensus that while the pirates can be neutralized at sea, the real solution lies in addressing the root causes, which are complex and are actually located on land.”

The Defence Minister also voiced concern at the military presence of world’s major powers in the IOR despite the waters being far from their shores.  “Unlike the Atlantic and Pacific, few of the major powers are geographically contiguous to its waters and yet they have maintained a certain military presence and abiding politico-diplomatic interest in these waters,” Shri Antony said.  “In the Indian Ocean Region, the net outcome is a constant turbulence of intense diplomatic activity and substantial military investments by the major powers,” he added. Read full address HERE.

"India stands ready to contribute to international efforts aimed at increasing effective cooperation among States in the region to tackle the threat of piracy and armed robbery at sea," India's Permanent Representative Hardeep Singh Puri told the UN Security Council Monday - Two Circles.

Piracy off both coasts of Africa shows the instability prevalent in the regions and the reach of organized terrorist and criminal groups, he said noting pirate attacks are adversely affecting the emerging oil industry of the region as well as the commercial shipping and mariners.

India has been at the forefront of highlighting the menace of piracy off the coast of Somalia and stressing the urgent need for the international community to work towards a comprehensive counter-piracy strategy, Puri said.

India is also concerned about the surge in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, including its economic and social cost," he said.

"While the two situations are quite different in proportion at this stage, it is quite possible that the failure of the international community to act decisively against piracy off the coast of Somalia could have spawned a new surge in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea," Puri said.

"Time has now come for the Council to translate the attention it has been paying to the problem into a concrete plan of action."

The Indian envoy also stressed that this being a regional problem, it is necessary that action should involve full cooperation of the international community, led by the United Nations, with the countries of West Africa and regional and sub-regional organizations.

The Chinese Navy is once again sending forces to Somalia to target piracy in the Gulf of Aden. China first began patrolling the waters along with an international flotilla in 2008. Since then, it's undertaken ten such missions - protecting some 4500 ships - China.org.

The farewell ceremony is becoming more and more familiar to the Chinese navy these days. A fleet left the port Qingdao on Monday morning, ready to carry out its orders.

Yang Junfei, fleet commander, said, "Fleet 113 ready for duty." Ding Yiping, deputy commander of Chinese navy, said, "Set Sail!"

The fleet brings a destroyer, missile frigate, support ship, 2 helicopters and special forces to bear on the region - a total of 800 naval personnel are involved. Read more (includes video interview with EUNAVFOR Chief of Staff, Capt Haslam).

The success of Somali pirates from 2008-2010 drew rapid reactions from the shipping industry as vessel owners and operators tried to find ways to safeguard their vessels from attack. However it was quickly apparent that for every measure the shipping industry implemented, pirates adapted quickly, and successful attacks would continue, says MUSC analysts - Link2.

By 2010, there had been many innovations in ship security, some successful and some not. Fire hoses spraying over the rail could be replaced with expensive systems designed to perform the same function in a more effective manner. Hardening became widely utilised and to this day remains a key tool in preventing a boarding, and citadels had been a tactic imported from Nigerian security operations to keep crews out of the hands of pirates until help could arrive on the scene in the form of naval forces.

The armed guards turning point - However, in 2011 there was a rapid rise in the number of vessels employing teams of armed guards on board while transiting through the High Risk Area. This represented a significant shift in attitudes, as until 2010 the majority of companies and flag states were openly hostile to the use of armed guards in ship security. Many published articles labelled security operators ‘mercenaries’ and ‘guns for hire’ and focussed on the heavily negative image of private security firms operating onshore in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Many of these questions remain open to interpretations, but the fact remains that at least 1 in 10 vessels transiting through the High Risk Area carries a team of armed guards, and that number is rising. Read more.

The international community is well aware that the continued disintegration of Somalia encourages piracy and extremism, which is exported around the world. The continuing scourge of piracy in the Arabian Sea, and the ghastly possibility that Yemen may slip into a similar situation, has concentrated people's minds to help find some kind of answer for Somalia - Gulf News.

A thoughtful policy briefing on Somalia published last month by the International Crisis Group, makes clear that the next six months offer a window of opportunity, "as the mandate of the feeble and dysfunctional Transitional Federal Government [which only controls the suburbs of the capital Mogadishu] expires in six months". Read more. 

• Gulf of Guinea - LATE Report: Five robbers in a canoe approached an anchored guard vessel during heavy rain at 0230 LT: Posn: 04:45S – 011:48E, Pointe Noire Anchorage, The Congo. ne of the robbers boarded the vessel and stole ship stores. C/O on watch noticed the robber with a long knife on the main deck and raised the alarm. Crew mustered and shouted at the robber who jumped overboard and escaped with his accomplices. Incident reported to the local police and port authorities. Reported (via IMB) 30 Jan.

• Gulf of Oman - A Singapore-flagged container ship, Kota Hakim, underway noticed three skiffs at a distance of 2nm approaching her at high speed at 0315 UTC: position 26:08.9N - 056:42.1E, Northern approaches to Stratis of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman. Master raised alarm, activated SSAS, altered course, non-essential crew mustered in the citadel and the onboard armed guards took their position. The armed guards fired warning shots when the skiffs closed to a distance of 1nm resulting in the pirates aborting the attack and moving away. Reported (via IMB) 25 Feb.

• Arabian Sea - Pirates in three skiffs with ladders doing around 20 knots chased a Singapore-flagged container ship, Kota Arif, underway at 0500 UTC: in position 20:19.6N - 059:23.4E, around 30nm east of Masirah Island, Oman. Non-essential crew took shelter in the citadel and security team deployed. Master informed UKMTO who advised ship to alter course towards a coalition warship. After chasing for around 30 minutes, the skiffs aborted the attempt and moved away. Reported (via IMB) 25 Feb.

• Singapore Strait - An unlit speed boat approached a singapore-flagged tug, Crest Gold 1 towing a barge at 0100 LT: in position 01:16.1N - 104:17.6E, 11nm from Horsburgh Lighthouse, Singapore Straits. The speed boat came alongside the tug and four robbers boarded the tug while two remained in the boat. the robbers wearing masks and armed with guns and knives took hostage Chief Engr & Third Engr who did not know the robbers had boarded. The 2nd officer on bridge noticed the robbers and raised the alarm. All crew except the bridge crew, who were guarded by some robbers were taken hostage. They then stole crew and ship properties and cash and escaped in the waiting boat. The incident was reported to Singapore Coast Guard. Reported (via IMB) 26 Feb.

• West Africa - Three robbers in a canoe, armed with knives, boarded from the port side main deck an anchored Offshore Supply Ship at 1522 UTC: Position 05:16N – 004:01W, Abidjan Inner Anchorage 9, Ivory Coast. One robber threatened the watch man with a knife while the other two took the pressure washer and ran away. The alarm was raised. Port control was informed. After a short while the harbour police patrol boat came and returned the stolen item. No injuries and no damage to the vessel. Reported (via IMB) 26 Feb.

• Red Sea (BAM) - Malta-flagged bulk carrier, Happy Venture, underway at 0430 UTC in position 12:29N - 043:41E, noticed nine skiffs approaching aggressively at starboard side and one skiff at port side. The master raised the alarm, increased speed and began evasive manoeuvres. One skiff with 10-15 pirates onboard closed in to a distance of less than one NM and the security team fired warning shots. The skiff stopped its approach for a moment and began to chase the ship again. The security team fired more warning shots, resulting in the pirates aborting the attempted attack and rejoining the other skiffs. Coalition warship arrived at scene. Reported 27 Feb.

• Red Sea (BAM) - MV came under attack in Bab-el Mandeb Strait (BAM) at 0700 UTC in position 12:34N - 043:30E. Six POB in 2 white skiffs came within approx 1nm of MV. Shots fired at vessel, but vessel is SAFE. Reported (Via NSC/NMS) 28 Feb.

• Arabian Sea - Panama-flagged chemical tanker, MV Pacific Horizon II, approached by a skiff w/ 3 pirates at approximately 120nm south of Omani coast at 0550 UTC in position 16:03N - 058:58E. Boarding ladders were sighted, and skiff closed to distance of 2 cables. Master raised the alarm, evasive manoeuvres were made, fire pumps activated and the armed security team provided help. Later the skiff stopped its approach and the tanker continued its passage. The mother vessel was seen in the vicinity. The MV is SAFE. Reported (via NSC/NMS) 28 Feb.

  Arabian Sea - Marshall Island-flagged bulk carrier, Spiliani, followed by a skiff with POB sighted carrying AK-47 automatic weapons at 1130 UTC in position 14:56N - 054:54E. Attempted attack was averted through a combination of BMP measures, including crew mustering in a citadel, and a coalition forces helicopter on the scene. Reported 28 Feb.

• Gulf of Guinea -  Eight pirates armed with guns in a wooden boat boarded and started firing towards the bridge and galley on an anchored Curacao (Netherlands) refrigerated cargo ship, Breiz Klipper, at 1510 UTC: in position  04:12N - 006:56E, 3nm from Fairway Buoy Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The pirates ransacked the ship and stole crew cash, personnel effects and ship cash and properties. They took hostage the Master and C/E and escaped. The ship informed the local authorities through the agents and sailed to a safe distance without the presence of Master and C/E onboard. One crew wounded and one crew unaccounted for. Reported (via IMB) 28 Feb.

• Gulf of Guinea - Seven to eight armed robbers in a boat chased and fired upon a chemical tanker underway at 2110 UTC: in position 04:20.0N - 005:47.0E, around 5nm off Baylesa, Nigeria. Alarm raised, crew mustered on bridge and all access to accommodation secured from inside. The robbers chased the tanker for around an hour before aborting and moving away. All crew safe. Ship sustained gun shot damage. Reported (via IMB) 29 Feb.

• Arabian Sea - Panama-flagged MV, Royal Grace, belived to have come under attack by 1 skiff in position 21:27N - 062:37E, approximately 185nm SE of Sur, Oman at 1219 UTC. Reported (via NSC) 2 Mar. No confirmation on whether the vessels has been hijacked has been received to date.

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.