Tag: anti piracy measures

The leaders are due to meet next month in Kenya at an anti-piracy conference Marine safety concern, BCB International, has warned world leaders to consider the dangers of using armed guards on board vessels, which may have tragic and unintended consequences.The leaders are due to meet next month in Kenya at an anti-piracy conference.Some commentators believed that the use of armed personnel could spark a dangerous escalation of violence, the company said.BCB International's marine projects manager, Jonathan Delf, said: "We call on world leaders to consider, in detail, the potential dangers associated with the use of armed guards on commercial ships. With lethal armed guards comes increased responsibility for the lives of a ship's crew."Ultimately the use of lethal force should be selected as a 'last resort' because it could lead to an escalation of violence, which can have tragic unintended consequences."Indeed, in his evidence to the Commons' Foreign Affairs Select Committee the respected Dr McCafferty, head of counter-terrorism and UK operational policy at the UK Ministry of Defence, said; 'Like everywhere else, the more guns there are around, although there is a deterrent effect, you also have the increased opportunity or potential for the wrong people to be shot.'""We ...

Proposals to modify the operational rules of EU NAVFOR Meeting behind closed doors shortly before Christmas, the EU's Political and Security Committee (EU PSC) discussed how the fight against piracy could be improved.No official statement on this has yet been released by the PSC. However, prompted by intensive coverage in the German media, the German Ministry of Defence has said that, among other things, the EU PSC has been asked to make proposals to modify the operational rules of EU NAVFOR in order to allow for shore-based missions against pirates. Following a request for information by INTERTANKO, this has now also been confirmed by a spokesperson for EU NAVFOR.While the mandate for EU NAVFOR remains unchanged and still entails only operations in the high seas and in the Somalian territorial seas, the developments in the EU PSC could mark a paradigm shift in the EU's, as well as the global, fight against piracy.The EU PSC monitors the international situation in the areas covered by the European security and defence policy (ESDP) and the common foreign and security policy (CFSP). It plays a central role in the definition of, and follow-up to the European Union's response to, a crisis.The EU PSC, ...

Extending activities to the beaches of Somalia The European Union's anti-piracy naval force, Operation Atalanta, is reflecting deeply on extending the range of their activities to the beaches of Somalia, where the piracy developments are deemed to be the most intensive.The EU committee has requested the force's commander to develop plans for revising the rules of engagement between EU forces and Somali pirates. According to the German Foreign Minister Spokesman said the topic of discussion is the limited destruction of piracy logistics on the beach and not a full deployment of forces on land.Directing the Horn of Africa's anti-piracy mission to the beaches would enable EU forces to destroying the pirates' equipment on the beaches of Somalia instead of just patrolling the seas off the coast.The spokesman added that no certain decisions have been made however the talks are evolving.Source: Naval Today

AFP The EU is considering ramping up its anti-piracy mission Piracy off the Somali coast remains a huge problem, despite international efforts to combat the scourge. Now, the EU is considering expanding the scope of its operation to include attacks on onshore infrastructure such as weapons depots. German politicians are warning of the dangers of mission creep.Attacks by Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa may have fallen recently, but the barefoot bandits continue to pose a significant threat to international shipping. According to the European Union's anti-piracy naval force, pirates are still holding at least 200 hostages in Somalia or off its coast. Just this week, pirates hijacked an Italian cargo ship with 18 crew on board off the coast of Oman.Now the European Union is considering expanding the scope of Operation Atalanta, as the anti-piracy mission is officially known. But the proposal has prompted strong criticism from German opposition politicians, who are wary of mission creep.On Thursday, the German Foreign Ministry confirmed a report in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper that the EU's Political and Security Committee had recently assigned Operation Atalanta's commander to draw up plans for how the EU's forces could attack the pirates' onshore infrastructure, ...

The PEV is designed to provide escorts for up to 20 ships Trawlercat Marine Designs of New Westminster, British Columbia, is seeking joint venture partners to join in building the first purpose-designed anti-piracy personal escort vessel (PEV).The PEV is designed to provide escorts for up to 20 ships proceeding in a convoy. Trawlercat envisages two models. The first type, the Visual Enforcer, comes in bright yellow or safety orange to ensure 'would-be pirates' see them and stay well away from any ship or ships they're escorting. The second model, the Stealth Interceptor, is in a navy grey 'stealth' colour to surprise would-be pirates.Trawlercat president and lead designer Captain Graham Pfister believes twenty-ship convoys escorted by five PEVs would be more economical than having four armed security personal on each ship. Five PEVs wouold require only thirty crew to guard twenty ships, compared with eighty for individually guarded ships. The cost per ship in convoys of up to twenty ships would be a lot less for each ship and five PEVs would provide better coverage due to the high speed and manoeuvrability of the armed and armoured, 20-metre catamarans.Having made several day and night "convoys" through the Suez Canal himself Captain ...

New anti-piracy project - the MASE (Maritime Security) project Eastern and southern Africa, and Indian Ocean region countries have initiated a new anti-piracy project with a startup grant of $2 million from the European Union.The MASE (Maritime Security) project, which has been under development since May 2010, was signed last week by regional economic blocs including Comesa, EAC, Igad and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in Mauritius.This is a major development for countries affected by piracy, especially Kenya. In October, the IOC set up Anti-Paracy Unite in Seychelles. The MASE project is meant to develop national and regional capacities at three levels.First, it will support legal and legislative capabilities to countries willing to prosecute pirates; second, it will assist the region address economic impact of piracy among them the impact of money laundering; and, thirdly, will enable exchange of information to promote maritime security.The first regional ministerial conference on maritime piracy was held in Seychelles in May 2010. Since then, Mariani Alexandrio, the head of EU delegation in Mauritius, who is in charge of Indian Ocean Islands argues, the region has gone a long way.So far, estimated ransom payments in 2011 amount to $138.5 million for the 29 vessels and ...

Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden An attempted hijack of a Saudi oil tanker by unknown pirate boats was foiled after an Iranian fleet of warships present in the region rushed to the scene."After the regional center of Chabahar coast guard watch announced last night that a Saudi oil tanker had asked for help due to the suspicious approach of several unknown boats, Jamaran destroyer was dispatched to the area swiftly," Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Seyed Mahmoud Moussavi told reporters on Monday."After the presence of the destroyer (on the scene), the unknown boats fled the area and the entire region came under the control (of the Iranian Navy forces)," he added.Moussavi did not mention the specific coordinates or region of the international waters that the Saudi oil tanker was saved by the Iranian destroyer, but the development has most likely taken place in the Sea of Oman where Iran is presently staging massive wargames.Iran's naval forces have deployed in the international waters of the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean after they started massive wargames in the international waters on Saturday.The naval maneuvers dubbed Velayat 90 are due to ...

Trends and assessments of piracy and sea robbery in Asia The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre issued the Report of the 2011 Piracy & Sea Robbery Conference, jointly sponsored by ReCAAP, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), the NATO Shipping Centre, and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore on 14 April 2011.The conference addressed, among other things, trends and assessments of piracy and sea robbery in Asia; regional industry, ship owner's and seafarer's perspectives on piracy and sea robbery; and operational experiences of participating naval forces in combating piracy and sea robbery off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.To view the Report, click here.Source: ReCAAP

Representatives of NATO and coalition Counter-Piracy Task Forces Deputy Commander Operation ATALANTA Rear Admiral Christian Canova and newly appointed EUNAVFOR Force Commander Captain Jorge Manso paid a visit to NATO Operation Ocean Shield Force Commander, RADM Sinan Azmi Tosun, onboard his Flagship TCG Giresun.With representatives of NATO and coalition Counter-Piracy Task Forces in attendance, the change of Command ceremony of the EUNAVFOR Force Commander held in Djibouti on December 6th on board EUNAVFOR Flagship, FGS Bayern, was an opportunity to display unity of effort between key counter piracy actors.Following the change of command ceremony Admiral Canova and the new EUNAVFOR Force Commander Captain Jorge Manso Revilla called on the Force Commander of the NATO Task Force, Rear Admiral Sinan Azmi Tosun on board TCG Giresun in Djibouti Harbour. Although short, the visit was extremely positive and provided both Admiral Canova and Admiral Tosun the opportunity to discuss the vitally important exchange of operational information and the opportunities for mutual support between EUNAVFOR and the NATO Task Force. The very close cooperation in the use of Maritime Patrol Aircraft over the past few months was a perfect example.Notwithstanding their political mandates differ, the two organizations share the common goal of eradicating ...

South Africa is planning to spend R500m next year to stave off piracy South Africa planned to spend R500m next year to stave off piracy in the Mozambican Channel, Lt-Gen Derrick Mgwebi, the defence force chief of joint operations, said yesterday.As most of Africa's trade is conducted by sea, there has been growing pressure in the region for a co-ordinated approach to limit the hijacking of vessels. President Jacob Zuma was yesterday expected to discuss the issue with his Mozambican counterpart, Armando Guebuza.The London-based International Maritime Bureau estimates piracy costs world trade $16bn a year while the World Shipping Council said that by the middle of this year, 150 piracy attacks had taken place in the region, with 21 hijackings, 360 seafarers taken hostage, and seven seafarers killed by Somali pirates.The operation is likely to force SA's cash-strapped defence force to request more funding from the Treasury to carry out its operations beyond SA's borders.Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu , who is accompanying Mr Zuma on his Mozambican state visit, has voiced her disappointment at the inadequate allocation by the Treasury.In the current financial year, the defence force has received R38,4bn, which defence force officials say is insufficient ...