Reporting period 15-21 August 2013
The NATO Shipping Centre has issued Weekly Piracy Assessment for Reporting Period from 15-21 August 2013.
Duringthe last week there have been no significant events. In the near term (early September) the overall forecast for small boat / skiff operations is unfavourable along the East Coast of Somalia extending from the tip of the Horn of Africa down through the Somali Basin. Longer term will see theLooking to the future, the transition to the inter-monsoon season around mid-September, will provide more favourable conditions for small boats and fishing activities in the Somali Basin / West Coast of Somalia. These conditions will last until theNorth East Monsoon begins, historically aroundMid-November.Small boat activity may be observed earlier than this in the more prominent fishing areas and Coastal waters.
It is requested that ships’ masters conform with the standard operating procedures for reporting possible acts of piracy as recommended in BMP4. A reminder that without providing this information in a timely manner, UKMTO, MSC HOA and NSC cannot pass data onto warships in the region. Delays in reporting incidents increase the search area and therefore decrease the likelihood of investigating and/or capturing possible pirates. It is recognized that the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el Mandeb is a very difficult environment in which to distinguish benign activity from that of potential pirates however a clear and timely flow of information is critical.
