Issued by International Naval Counter Piracy forces
As pirates attack a super tanker in the Indian Ocean, Naval Forces warn yachts to avoid the High Risk Area, issuing a new advisory.
As Safety4Sea reported last week, the fully laden super tanker was attacked by eight armed pirates on 11 October, 230 miles off the Somali coast, with the attack only being thwarted by the armed security team on board. Earlierthisweek, a large fishing vessel was approached by 2 skiffs in a nearby sea area. Both vessels employed self-protection measures and remained safe.
According to EU NAVFOR press release, it is highly likely that a similar attack on a vessel not able to implement self-protection measures, such as a sailing yacht or pleasure-craft, would have resulted in the vessel being pirated and the crew taken for ransom.
Because of their vulnerability, it is highly recommended that all sailing yachts, under their own passage, should remain out of the High Risk Area (Southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean).
In September representatives of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the Cruising Association, Ocean Cruising Club, Royal Cruising Club, Royal Yachting Association and the Royal yacht Squadron were invited to come to the EU Naval Force Operational HQ, to discuss the on-going piracy threat for sailing yachts in the Indian Ocean. This was the 5thsuch meeting between the naval forces, including NATO and Combine Maritime Forces and the Yachting Community. Following the meeting, a new advisory for yachts was issued. The key points of the avdisory are the following.
All sailing yachts under their own passage should remain outof the High Risk Area (HRA) or face the risk of being hijackedand held hostage for ransom. |
Maritime Patrol & Reconnaissance Aircraft took this image in September 2013. Skiffs are stored in remote locations all along theSomali coast. They can be readied to go to sea at a moment’s notice, and frequently deploy during the hours of darkness, usingroutine maritime activity to conceal their transit.
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ThisjointriskassessmentforthreatstosailingyachtsintheHighRiskArea(HRA)hasbeenundertakenin conjunction with the MaritimeSecurity Centre – Horn ofAfrica(MSCHOA), UK Maritime TradeOrganisation(UKMTO),NATOShippingCentreandUSMaritimeLiaisonOffice(MARLO).
The advisory can be found on theEU Naval Force website, as well as the website of theMaritime Security Centre Horn of Africa and on the websites of the participating yachting organisations.
According to EU NAVFOR,whilst it is recognised that the levels of piracy have dropped over the past 18 months, due in no small part to the successful coordination and cooperation between naval forces and the maritime community, it is clear from these latest incidents that the pirates are still able and willing to get out to sea.