For 10 – 16 July 2014
The NATO Shipping Centre has issued its Weekly Piracy Assessment for reporting period July 10-16 2014 as follows:
Masters are advised to remain vigilant at all times inside the High Risk Area (HRA) and follow the guidance and protective measures, as set down in BMP4.
Sailing Yachts
Sailing yachts should avoid transiting the HRA. Past activity has shown that pirates will attack both large and small yachts passing their way. Despite the fact that attacks on merchant vessels appear to have decreased, the possibility of attacks and the successful pirating of sailing vessels remains likely due to their vulnerability and the reduction of revenue sources from pirated merchant vessels.
Reporting
In accordance with BMP 4, following any piracy attack or suspicious activityit is vital that a detailed report of the event is provided to UKMTO and MSCHOA. The format of the report can be found at annex D to BMP 4. These reports constituteextremely valuable contributions to a better understanding of the pattern of life in the region and to the Maritime Situational Awareness, elements that are in the foundation of the advice that Counter-Piracy forces deliver to merchantmen.
When reporting, information should be complete, in particular reports to include any piracy related equipment / weapons (ladders / RPGs). Many of these incidents have been assessed as non-piracy related activity and are associated with common patterns of life in the area. These activities include fishing, small vessel trade, smuggling and other local vessel movements.
Fishing Activities – Possible Mix Up with Piracy
Fishing vessels may approach merchant ships to maximize fishing opportunities or to safeguard fishing nets which have been set. Furthermore fishermen in the region regularly carry small arms onboard their vessels, so the visual identification of a small arm is not a positive indicator of pirates. It is not uncommon for fishing vessels to follow merchant and large vessels in order to capitalize on the often increased numbers of fish in the resultant wake. Please note that, if the NATO Shipping Centre assesses an approach or incident to be piracy-related, we will issue relevant warnings.
Weather in the High Risk Area
The southwest monsoon continues to dominate the area with gusty winds and high waves. With waves off the east coast of Somalia up to 4 m and gusty winds up to 35 knots, unfavourable conditions from SW monsoon are expected to continue – single skiffs and whalers might find it difficult to operate.
Piracy Threat
Successful disruptions by Naval Forces, in conjunction with Masters’ adherence to and implementation of BMP4, have significantly reduced the pirates’ ability to capture vessels. However, pirates retain the capability of conducting acts of piracy against vessels of opportunity.
Pirate Tactics
In the past, it has been reported that Pirate Attack Groupsconducted”soft approaches” on merchant ships transiting the HRA. Skiffs have been known to approach vessels in order to probe the reaction of the crew and any possible Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) onboard. If the pirate approach does not elicit a response, the pirates may then proceed with an attack, using additional skiffs. However, the use of BMP4 and the reaction of PCASP have recently been effective in warning off any small boats which might otherwise have had close contact with the transiting vessel.
Continued Vigilance and the Use of BMP
It is imperative that merchant vessels remain vigilant at all times in transit and at anchorage and fully implement protection measures set down in BMP4 across the whole High Risk Area (HRA) as it can make the critical difference of being approached, attacked, or pirated. Masters are reminded that BMP4 highly recommends maintaining best possible vessel speed when transiting the HRA to deter pirate boarding.
Registration & Incident Reporting
As per Section 5 of BMP4, early registration with MSCHOA before entering the HRA and initial and regular reporting to UKMTO are highly recommended to ensure that military authorities are aware of a vessel’s passage and vulnerabilities
Source: NATO Shipping Centre