Members of the shipping community, Flag States and Agencies from Gulf of Guinea gathered at the IMO Headquarters for a day-long symposium on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea. The shipping industry, as well as seafarer groups, organized the event aiming to give emphasis to the continuing danger to seafarers that are sailing in the Gulf of Guinea.
Mr Kurt Cornelis, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, announced in a press conference that the EU decided to support the implementation of strategies in maritime, fisheries and illegal drug trafficking that are taking place in the Gulf of Guinea.
Blue Marlin, Boskali’s heavy transport vessel was hijacked on Sunday, May 5, about 80 nautical miles offshore Equatorial Guinea. In a statement, the company announced that the vessel’s crew was freed due to professional response of the crew and a coordinated support from the navy of Equatorial Guinea and Spain, the violent hijacking has been ended and the crew was safely freed.
As a tanker was anchored at Bonny Outer Anchorage, Nigeria, on April 19, pirates boarded the ship. After that, they kidnapped six of the crew members and escaped. According to IMB, the rest of the crew are reported to be safe, while the Nigerian navy was notified and investigations are ongoing.
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.
Four persons in a speed boat armed with automatic weapons approached and boarded an anchored product tanker, on April 15, at Bonny River Inner Anchorage, Nigeria. Fires were shot, with the pirates eventually retreating and escaping. One guard was injured during the shooting and was given first aid by the crew. The remaining crew are reported to be safe.
The “Serviola” patrol boat, during its surveillance and maritime security operation in the Gulf of Guinea, managed to free the crewmembers of a merchant ship held by a group of nine pirates, on April 9. The crew of the Nigerian flag merchant ship had been kidnapped for four days. The pirates also stole the money and all the valuables of its endowment, as well as a significant part of the provisions.
The International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) published its report for the first quarter of 2019, revealing less incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships than the first three months of 2018. During the first quarter of 2019, IMB reported 38 incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea, which are 28 less incidents than the first quarter of 2018, which stood at 66.
Pirates have reportedly kidnapped four crew members from the Liberian-flagged container ship ‘Contship Oak’ in the Gulf of Guinea in the evening hours of March 30th. The vessel was attacked in Douala Anchorage, some 15 nautical miles Southwest of Douala, Cameroon.
ReCAAP ISC published its weekly report concerning two piracy incidents that took place between 27 of February to 4 March in Straits of Malacca, Singapore and in the Gulf of Guinea. In both incidents the crew was not reported to be injured.
