Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has given his assent to the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Bill of 2019, in an unprecedented move to enhance security on the country’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
Companies, company security officers (CSO), ship security officers (SSO) and Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSC) of Panamanian flagged vessels should implement the necessary security measures described in the latest edition of the Best Management Practices before, during and after the transit through High Risk Areas.
Diaplous Maritime Services has produced a White Paper on the issue of the HRA border reduction in the Indian Ocean, which includes a detailed threat analysis on Somali Based Piracy after taking into consideration a number of variables. The official position of Diaplous is that shipping companies should not become complacent in matters of maritime security, in order to prevent a resurgence of piracy and that BMP 5 standards should be followed at all times for Somali Basin & GoA transits.
According to Ghana News Agency, eight pirates were arrested, when Togolese navy thwarted a maritime hijacking in progress in the Gulf of Guinea. The ones arrested were six Nigerians and two Togolese. The navy quickly responded by dispatching its patrol boats to investigate. The tanker was intercepted 25 nm from the anchorage area and forced to return to Lome.
The video, issued by One Earth Future’s Stable Seas, looks at the criminal activities that have historically taken place in the Gulf of Guinea and the recent strides being made in combating those illegalities. At the centre of efforts, the ‘Yaounde Code of Conduct’ brings together signatory nations from West and Central Africa.
A ceremony took place today in Rota Naval Base, Cadiz, Spain, to mark the relocation of the operation Headquarters of EU NAVFOR Atalanta Operation. The relocation comes in view of Britain’s planned departure from the EU.
In its weekly report for 5-11 February, ReCAAP ISC informed of three incidents that took place. Of the three incidents, one occurred on February 6, whereas the other two occurred in January. The incidents in January 2019 were reported to ReCAAP ISC by Contact Point Hong Kong after verification with the relevant agencies.
According to the Nigerian Navy, thirty-four pirate ship attacks were reported in 2018, stating that evasive manoeuvre from the legal regime have been the bane in the fight against oil theft prosecution. From January to December 2018, from the 34 reported pirate attacks, the 9 were successful, whereas the 25 were unsuccessful; 20 sea robbery attacks were reported in 2018, with 6 having success, in comparison to 14 being unsuccessful.
On January 31st, Sea Shepherd vessel the ‘M/V Farley Mowat’ was attacked by more than 50 assailants posing as fishermen on board 20 high speed boats while performing maritime conservation patrols inside the Vaquita Refuge in the Upper Gulf of California. A total of 52 skiffs were counted. The poachers threw molotov cocktails and projectiles, including lead weights and large stones, smashing windows and setting the side of the Sea Shepherd ship on fire.
On January 21, an anchored ore carrier that was in Jingtang Anchorage, China suffered a piracy attack when two robbers were approaching the vessel with an unlit barge. The two robbers run to escape and nothing was reported stolen. ReCAAP ISC reported that the number of incidents during the period 2007-2018 in Asia fluctuated, with the highest number being reported in 2015 (203 incidents) and the lowest in 2018 (76 incidents).
