The document has received approval from Round Table members
Industry has produced a set of guidelines aimed at giving guidance on the construction and use of citadels in waters affected by Somalia piracy. The document has received approval from Round Table members – INTERTANKO, BIMCO, ICS and INTERCARGO – as well as other industry associations. NATO, EUNAVFOR and the Combined Maritime Force (CMF) have also approved the document.
A citadel as defined in BMP4 is
“A designated pre-planned area purpose built into the ship where, in the event of imminent boarding by pirates, all crew will seek protection. A citadel is designed and constructed to resist a determined pirate trying to gain entry for a fixed period of time.”
Since January 2010, there have been 26 cases where pirates have actually boarded vessels, but have been unable to take control because the vessel’s crew have all successfully sought refuge in a pre-planned citadel. However, there have also been five cases where citadels have been breached – these may be attributed to a number of factors including poor construction and location of the citadel. With the use of citadels increasing, the pirates have similarly gained experience in defeating a citadel – this includes use of weapons, ship board tools, and attempts to smoke out the crew and/or setting fire to the vessel.
Originally it was envisaged that the guidance would be included as an annex to BMP4 but it was decided that this would make BMP4 too cumbersome and would compromise the integrity of the guidance. Instead, the guidance has been placed on the Maritime Security Centre (Horn Of Africa) (MSCHOA) website where the information will be more secure, and where it can be easily and quickly changed, should the advice on citadels need to be updated.
To view the guidance, visit the MSCHOA website at www.mschoa.org
Please note, the guidance is published in the secure part of the website which requires a security password. (Passwords are available by application to MSCHOA).
Source : Round Table Associations
