Tag: Gulf of Guinea

Interim Guidelines for Owners, Operators and Masters for protection against piracy

Issued by BIMCO, ICS, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO Recognising the significantly increased security concerns in the Gulf of Guinea region, the Round Table of international shipping associations (BIMCO, ICS, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO) have developed a set of Interim Guidelines for Owners, Operators and Masters for protection against piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea region.Based upon consultations with their respective members, the Interim Guidelines have been produced as a result of the collaborative efforts of the four associations which, in addition, have been supported and endorsed by the NATO Shipping Centre.Although standalone in nature, the Interim Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the existing industry guidelines that address the Somalia-based piracy problem, Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia Based Piracy (BMP4).The situation in the Gulf of Guinea region is continually evolving, therefore the Interim Guidelines will be updated when the situation dictates or relevant information becomes available from other sources, for example, if a security or reporting centre is established locally.Complimentary soft copies of the Interim Guidance are available for download from the Security section of theBIMCO website.For more information, click hereSource: BIMCO

How piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is different from that off Somalia In July last year President Boni Yayi of Benin sent a worried letter to the UN secretary-general. His country was being threatened by the activities of pirates, who were scaring shipping away from the ports on which his country's revenues depend. He wanted international help of the kind which had been deployed against piracy off the coast of Somalia.His letter put the issue of piracy off the West African coast onto the world agenda. The attacks continue and still cluster in the vicinity of Benin and its neighbour, Nigeria, but despite UN missions and a Security Council debate, the international community is still unsure of the best way to proceed.On 6 December Coventry University organized a conference on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea, in collaboration with London's Chatham House. One thing which emerged very clearly from the sessions was that what is being called piracy in this area is very different from piracy off the East African coast, and the kind of international naval deployment used against Somali pirates is unlikely to help.In fact Chris Trelawny, deputy director of the Maritime Safety Division at the ...

UN chief, Nigerian president meet on fight against piracy in Gulf of Guinea

Ghana commits to fighting piracy in the Gulf of Guinea

IMB Notes Increase in Piracy Off West Africa

Pirates have launched another attack on a tanker off West Africa

Much of the world growth is happening in West Africa In West Africa, 22 new ships show how a well-designed container vessel can be an important driver of efficiency and increased reliability. But what can it do for the long-term economic development of developing countries like Ghana and Nigeria? A new study takes a closer look.In West Africa where much of the world's growth is happening, lack of deepwater ports and facilities prevents large ships from calling the ports. Instead, ports are clogged with small ships that spend a lot of time getting in and out, but carry very little cargo.This inefficiency has knock on effects: the longer a vessel spends in port, the greater its transport costs and the higher its emissions of local and global pollutants. This has a detrimental impact on trade in the region, affecting the ability of local businesses and their dependants to prosper and grow.Why size matters for customers and the bottom-lineMaersk Line's new 4,500 TEU vessels - the WAFMAX (West Africa Max) - carry more than twice as much cargo as other ships calling ports in West Africa.They were designed to improve Maersk Line's service offering to customers using the Far East Asia ...

Container Ship Pirated Off the Coast of Guinea

Compliance with Best Management Practices (BMP) is recommended as the "default" position but a full risk assessment should be part of the area specific evaluations. The BUDD Group, Gard's correspondent in Togo, reported on 26 June 2012 that the Togolese government has reached an agreement with security companies for the provision of armed guards for vessels at anchorages in the port of Lome and ha