Warning to all merchant vessels transiting the piracy high risk area
The three major anti-piracy naval forces – the European Union (EU) naval force Somalia – Operation Atalanta, NATO and the Combined Task Force – have called on the international shipping industry to continue to take anti-piracy measures, despite a recent apparent downward trend in incidents involving Somali pirates.
“It is of utmost importance that pressure on Somali pirates and their business model is maintained and even increased as the strategic context, the situation in Somalia allowing for pirates to act, has not yet changed,” said deputy operation commander rear admiral Gualtiero Mattesi.
He warned all merchant vessels transiting the piracy high risk area to remain vigilant and continue to support the fight against piracy, including the need to continue to educate and train their mariners in the threat and how to mitigate it.
Despite the recent encouraging news of the fall in pirate attacks, “now is not the time to lessen the efforts of all stakeholders in this area”, said the naval forces in their joint statement.
To underline the need for continuing action against piracy, there are reports that Somali pirates have adopted a disturbing new tactic and have killed a hostage in order to speed up ransom payment. The reports suggest that pirates have killed a Syrian seafarer from the United Arab Emirates-owned, Panama-flagged Orna, hijacked 400 miles north east of the Seychelles almost two years ago in December 2010.
Meanwhile, concerns about the increasing danger to shipping off West Africa have risen with the hijacking of a third vessel in just over two weeks. The Singapore-owned tanker Abu Dhabi Star and its 23 crew were seized by heavily armed men on 5 September while the vessel was anchored off Lagos, Nigeria. It was later released after the Nigerian Navy intervened and the pirates fled. The crew were unharmed and the tanker undamaged.
The attack follows the hijacking of the Greek-owned, Isle of Man-flagged Energy Centurion and 24 Russian crew, which was released on 28 August following a gunfight between pirates and the Togo Navy, and the capture of a tanker off Lome, Togo on 18 August, which was released six days later. To date, West African piracy has not involved the capture of hostages for ransom, but tends to focus on robbery and theft. In the Energy Centurion attack, pirates stole a reported 3,000 metric tons of fuel, and in the previous incident they stole cash and property.
Figures from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) worldwide piracy reporting centre show that Somali pirates still hold captive about 11 vessels and 212 hostages, including 24 held ashore in unknown locations and conditions. Hostages continue to include seven Indian seafarers from the Asphalt Venture and four South Koreans from the Gemini, still held captive despite the payment of ransoms.
The latest recorded incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea include the following:
- Four robbers boarded a chemical tanker berthed in Kabil, Batam, Indonesia on 4 September, but escaped after the alarm was raised by a duty motorman in the engine room. He had challenged the pirates, who then hit him.
- Five robbers boarded a bulk carrier anchored at Muara Berau, Samarinda, Indonesia on 2 September, broke into store rooms, stole ship’s stores and property, and escaped after the alarm was raised.
- Three robbers armed with long knives boarded a vessel anchored at Dumai, Indonesia on 31 August and took a crewmember hostage. The alarm was raised and the onboard security personnel negotiated the release of the hostage. No crew were harmed or property stolen.
- Four masked robbers armed with guns and knives boarded a tug towing a barge off Selat Durian, Indonesia on 19 August, tied up the crewmembers, stole the vessel’s and crew’s cash and property, and escaped.
- Robbers boarded a supply ship anchored at Pointe Noire, Congo on 16 August, stole ship’s stores and property, and escaped.
All attacks and suspicious sightings should be reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, Tel: +603 2031 0014 (24 hours), Email:[email protected]
