Tag: IMB

26 ships and 522 seafarers still held hostage by pirates In light of the growing number of attacks on shipping by pirates, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants has issued the following statement entitled:'Piracy and seafarers: a human crisis'.Recent reports in the media, about the plight of seafarers seized by pirates, has placed the tragic reality of piracy into the spotlight once more.Already last February in the meeting of the Regional Coordinators of the Apostleship of the Sea organized by this Pontifical Council it was emphasized that piracy had reached its historical peak in 2010 with 445 attacks, 53 vessels seized and 1,181 seafarers captured.To date, this phenomenon doesnt show any signs of decreasing given that 214 new episodes have been reported, with 26 ships and 522 seafarers still held hostage by pirates (IMB Piracy Reporting Centre).Even though the majority of attacks were recorded off the coast of Somalia, as a matter of fact, piracy remains a worldwide challenge that requires a global response, as the illusion of easy and immediate money has also attracted the interest of international criminal organizations.The maritime world has responded by adopting several measures to protect vessels and their cargoes. ...

Ship owners face higher costs- additional insurance and protection measures Escalating piracy along the east coast of Africa was having a "material" effect on the costs of shipping companies operating in the region, according to Grindrod CEO Alan Olivier.He said in an interview after the annual shareholders meeting in Durban on Wednesday that acts of piracy had escalated sharply in the first half of this year. There were 97 attacks off Somalia in the first three months of this year, compared with only 35 at the same time last year, according to the website of the International Maritime Bureau.He said ship owners faced higher costs as a result. These included additional insurance, the cost of better management practices, higher costs of bunkers and days at sea due to route deviations, and increased capital expenditure such as for secure rooms on vessels and additional security."Some owners dont want to trade in these areas. If there is an incentive for them to trade there, this also pushes up costs." A Grindrod vessel was shot at 18 months ago. Although there were many international navies present in the waters off East Africa, "they are hamstrung on the action they are allowed to take", ...

28 April 2011 Weekly Maritime Crime and Piracy Summary CARIBBEAN SEA:A RoRo was robbed 2 May 2011 at 0740 UTC while anchored inposition 09:58.6N - 083:01.0W at the Puerto Limon anchorage, Costa Rica. Ten robbersboarded the ship, tied up the crew, kicked them, and stole their personal property. The crewfreed themselves about 20 minutes after the robbers escaped with the stolen items.GULF OF GUINEA:Three crew members were kidnapped off a tug 1 May 2011 at1700 UTC while anchored in a position 20NM offshore from Bonny Island, Nigeria.Robbers used at least one speedboat to board the vessel. The robbers destroyed thecommunications equipment, stole the crew valuables, and seized three Nigerian nationalcrewmembers, to include the Master and First Mate. The other six crew members were leftonboard. (Commercial Sources)Two robbers attempted to board a tanker 29 April at 2255 UTCwhile at anchor in position 06:06N - 002:37E, approximately 22NM south of Porto Novo,Benin. Seven armed robbers approached the tanker in a boat. Two robbers tried to board thetanker from the fenders. After an alarm was raised, the robbers aborted the attack andtraveled toward Lagos, Nigeria. (IMB)INDIAN OCEAN:Cargo ship (ITAL GLAMOUR) was fired upon by one skiff with sixpirates onboard 4 May at 0432 ...

A recent spurt in pirate activity in the Arabian Sea In a bid to strengthen their antipiracy operations, the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard have combined forces to provide a safe passage to merchant vessels charting waters off Lakshadweep Islands. The move comes in the wake of a recent spurt in pirate activity in the Arabian Sea.Chief public relations officer (Defence) Captain Manohar Nambiar said, "As part of the Operation Island Watch, two ships-naval and Coast Guard-are keeping a hawkeye in the waters to ensure safety of merchant vessels navigating the shipping lanes off Lakshadweep Islands."In addition to the ships, reconnaissance aircraft are carrying out sorties at regular intervals to pre-empt any adventure by the pirates. The naval ships are equipped with adequate arms and ammunition to protect the ships. The Indian Navy has also deployed its elite force of Marine Commandos or MARCOS to counter any offensive by the pirates.A Yellow Gate police officer said that the pirates are funded by big-time players. "The arrested pirates have told us that they were approached by contractors to hijack vessels and were paid $500 for each successful operation . The contractors paid them money to buy arms."According to the statistics ...

Action on the issue of maritime piracy The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has come out in support of a joint campaign launched by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Intertanko, Intercargo, BIMCO and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) that urges governments to take firm action on the issue of maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia.The campaign, aimed at raising awareness of the human and economic costs of maritime piracy, urges governments around the world to prioritise six key actions:Reducing the effectiveness of easily identifiable motherships;Authorizing naval forces to hold pirates and deliver them for prosecution and punishment;Fully criminalizing all acts of piracy and intent to commit piracy under national laws, in accordance with their mandatory duty to co-operate to suppress piracy under international conventions;Increasing naval assets available in the affected areas;Providing greater protection and support for seafarers; andTracing and criminalizing the organisers and financiers behind the criminal networks.So far in 2011, 13 vessels have been hijacked by suspected Somali pirates, with a total of 243 crewmembers taken hostage.In addition, six crew were kidnapped from a vessel that was hijacked and then left adrift in the Indian Ocean. Of most concern, however, are the seven murders committed by ...

Dedicated hotline to maritime crime and security The International Maritime Bureau - Piracy Reporting Centre has launched a dedicated hotline for seafarers, port workers, shipping agents, shipyard personnel, brokers, stevedores and all concerned parties to report any information that they may have seen, heard, or just known relating to maritime crime and security including terrorism, piracy and other illegal activities.All information received will be treated in strict confidence and will be passed on to the relevant authorities for further action.Maritime crime and security concern us all and, with your help, we can try to minimise the risks and help save lives and property. The maritime security hotline can be contacted 24 hours a day, every day at:E-mail: [email protected]: +603 2031 0014Fax: +603 2078 5769Telex: MA 34199 IMBPCISource : International Maritime Bureau

14 February 2011 12.02.2011: 1218 UTC: Posn: 20:15.43N - 064:16.09E, around 280nm SE from Ras al Had, Oman, (Off Somalia) Pirates have hijacked a bulk carrier underway. The owners received a distress alert from the ship and informed the coalition forces. A coalition aircraft was sent to the location, which noticed two suspected pirate skiffs on board the ship. There has been no communication with the ship. 10.02.2011: 1440 UTC: Posn: 13:09.6N - 043:06.5E, Bab el Mandeb, Red SeaFour skiffs chased a bulk carrier underway. D/O altered course and alerted the armed security team on board who made themselves seen. Warship contacted for assistance. The skiffs came close to 0.3 nm and the duty lookout saw 4-6 pirates in each skiff armed with guns. The pirates observed the ship with binoculars and aborted the attempted attack upon noticing the armed security guards. 10.02.2011: 0045 LT: Posn: 05:31.9N - 003:38Ee, around 50nm off Lagos, Nigeria Seven to eight armed robbers in a fishing boat approached a drifting chemical tanker from astern. The duty officer noticed the suspicious movement of the boat and informed master. Master raised alarm, activated SSAS alert, increase speed and took evasive manoeuvres. Robbers open fire while attempted ...

SA deployed a frigate South Africa has deployed a frigate to the Mozambique Channel off east Africa to help fight the southward creep of piracy, the public broadcaster SABC reported.The deployment marks the first time South Africa has sent a ship to take part in anti-piracy operations, and follows international pressure on the key regional player to step up its role in the fight against piracy.The ship, the SAS Mendi, will join five other frigates and 18 smaller boats in the operation, SABC said.Somali pirates have been striking farther afield as the European Union and other countries have cracked down on piracy off the coast of Somalia.In December, pirates staged their southernmost attacks yet when they tried unsuccessfully to hijack two ships in the Mozambique Channel. According to the International Maritime Bureau, Somali pirates are currently holding 31 vessels and 700 hostages.Source: AFP

Development in the tactics employed by Somali pirates A recent incident could signal a worrying development in the tactics employed by Somali pirates, according to the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB).On 12 January 2011, suspected Somali pirates boarded a generalcargo vessel some 270 NM north east of Socotra Island. The attack was launched from a previously-captured fishing vessel currently being used as a mother ship. Six crew members- two Danes and four Filipinos- were removed from their ship and transferred to the hijacked fishing vessel.Hijacked vessels have previously been used by the pirates, enabling a greater range and capability- meaning they can operate further into the Indian Ocean and with no interference by naval forces.IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: "Whilst the use of hijacked vessels as mother ships is not a new phenomenon, the abduction of crew members could signal a significant new development."At least five large hijacked cargo ships and three fishing vessels have acted as mother ships in the last couple of months, posing a new and significant threat to the safety of shipping. The five cargo vessels range in size from MT 5,000 to 72,000 in deadweight - or cargo carrying capacity - and include four tankers ...