Tag: Gulf of Aden

A merchant vessel was approached by pirates on a mother ship on the evening of Sunday, 21 January, in the Gulf of Aden, 90 nm South East of Mukallah, according to the maritime security company LSS-SAPU. The involved ship is said to be the Panama-flagged cement carrier 'NACC Valbella'.

Somalia has become the 14th signatory to the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct. The Amendment broadened the scope of the Djibouti Code, covering measures for suppressing a range of illicit activities, including piracy, arms trafficking, trafficking in narcotics, human trafficking, human smuggling etc.

Oceans Beyond Piracy is releasing a series of issue papers to further classify and define each identified model of contracted maritime security. In its latest issue paper it explores the model of State Affiliated Escorts.

The Indian Navy ship 'Trishul' whilst on anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden, was escorting a merchant vessel MV 'Jag Amar', when she detected a boat carrying out suspicious manoeuvers in the vicinity of the merchant ship.

Recent attacks against merchant shipping by pirates and armed robbers in Philippines, Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea Regions have highlighted the risks associated with  transiting these waters. SQE MARINE consulting company informs about the new security transit corridors which have been set in the aforementioned areas. 

In response to the piracy incidents in Gulf of Aden and Bab Al Mandeb, Combined Maritime Forces are establishing a Maritime Security Transit Corridor, to provide a recommended merchant traffic route around which Naval Forces can focus their presence and surveillance efforts.

The North of England P&I Club draws attention to a new UKMTO notice which urges vigilance to vessels transiting Bab El Mandeb from the Gulf of Aden, following recent attacks on two vessels which fired  upon with small arms and rocket propelled grenades from multiple small skiffs.

In view of the recent attacks against merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb, Combined Maritime Forces reminds operators that there are still risks associated with transits through these waters. Daylight attacks by small boats have been conducted against the tankers MV Galicia Spirit in October 2016 and MT Muskie in May 2017.

The key IMO instrument helping to repress piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, called "the Djibouti Code of Conduct" is part of discussions at an international conference in Morocco, IMO informed.

On 16 May, an Indian anti-piracy patrol received a distress call from a Liberian-registered bulk carrier that reported an incident of attempted piracy by two suspicious mother vessels along with 7-8 skiffs, in Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ministry of Defense informed.