Tag: maritime piracy

26 April 2011 update EU Navfor has issued a press release concerning the estimated total number of hostages held and the total number of vessels under pirate control.To view the press release please click hereSource: EU NAVFOR

25 personnel on board On 30 April, the product tanker MV GEMINI was pirated approximately 180 NM East of Malindi, Kenya.The 20,989 tonne, Singaporian flagged and owned vessel was on its way to Mombasa (Kenya) from Kuala Tanjung (Malaysia) when it was attacked.The MV GEMINI has a crew of 25 (4 Korean, 13 Indonesians, 3 Mayanmar, 5 Chinese). There is no further information about the crew at present.The MV GEMINI was registered with MSC(HOA) and was reporting to UKMTO.EUNAVFOR are continuing to monitor the situation.Source: EU NAVFOR

Ship is now sailing to a safe port On the 23rd April, the bulk carrier MV RENUAR was released from pirate control after 133 days in captivity.The Liberian owned, Panamanian flagged vessel and her crew of 24 Filipinos had been pirated on 11th December 2010, 550 nautical miles off the coast of India. She was on route to Fujairah (UAE) from Port Louis (Mauritius), when she was attacked.The ship is now sailing to a safe port.Source: EU NAVFOR

Close to zero incident level Four Southeast Asian nations jointly patrolling the Malacca Straits have achieved "close to zero incident level" in piracy, but concerns about terrorism and robbery at sea persist, a top military official has said.Malaysian Defence Forces chief Jen Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin said the Straits of Malacca last year achieved a "close to zero incident level" due to the collaboration among the countries which formed the Malacca Straits Patrol (MSP) - Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand."The four countries have been working closely in ensuring the security of the straits," he said, adding that this would be the fifth year since the establishment of the MSP.Azizan said the number of sea robbery cases had seen a dramatic reduction - from 38 in 2004 to only nine in 2006.He added that the 2010 International Maritime Bureau Piracy Report showed that the threats in the straits was now close to the zero incident level.However, he said, the emergence of activities such as terrorism and robbery at sea was a growing concern that needed to be addressed, The Star reported Thursday.He said research showed that 80 percent of oil and gas imports from East Asia and 30 percent of global ...

State of lawlessness The worldwide shipping industry as well as the ITF and unions have roundly condemned the latest development in the Indian Ocean piracy crisis. The incident involves the ordeal of the Indian crew of a merchant ship, who are being held by pirates despite payment of a ransom.The 15 crewmembers of the tanker Asphalt Venture were held following the hijack by Somali pirates on 28 September. After a ransom was paid, the ship was released on 15 April. However, six officers and one rating were forced to accompany the pirates ashore, in spite of dialogue with the owners during which it was agreed that all hostages would be released.It has been suggested that pirates in Harardhere in Somalia decided not to honour the agreement in retaliation for the recent arrest of Somali pirates by the Indian navy.In a statement released on 18 April, shipping industry bodies, the ITF and its affiliates the National Union of Seafarers of India and the Maritime Union of India said: "This is a fundamental change to previous practice and moves the issue from being just between the ship owner and the pirates to being between the pirates and a government. It is a ...

Under pirate control for 199 days The general cargo ship MV ASPHALT VENTURE was released from pirate control on 15th April 2011. She had been under pirate control for 199 days.The Panama flagged vessel, had been pirated on 28 September 2010 approximately 100 nautical miles South-East of DAR ES SALAAM in the Somali Basin, the vessel was on route to Durban when it was attacked.She is on route to a safe port.Source: EU NAVFOR

15 April 2011 During the reporting period (08 - 15 April 2011) overall piracy activities was low again. Several pirate activities were disrupted by naval assets.Despite the success, one general cargo vessel was pirated in the Arabian Sea as well as another attack and one suspicious activity.Although three pirate mothership dhows were disrupted, it is assessed that few Pirate Attack Groups (PAG) continue activity in the Arabian Sea, the IRTC and possibly in the southern Somali Basin.Gulf of Aden/Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC)During the last week there has been one attack. Based on the limited to none piracy activities, it is extremely dangerous to consider the IRTC as pirate free and the previous assessment that pirate skiffs blend into the local traffic and might attack at any time without any warning is still valid.Arabian Sea/Greater Somali Basin Although reduced to one act of piracy and one suspicious activity the overall threat assessment for this area remains to be high. The current assessment is that there is at least one active dhow PAG in the Arabian Sea. In addition, the fishing vessel JIH CHUN TSAI 68 is still missing and assessed to be active in this area and might even spread ...

Condemns their use as human shields In the context of the recently-released Indian ship M/V Asphalt Venture, IMO reiterates its condemnation of all acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships and expresses its concern over the treatment of seafarers being held hostage by pirates operating in waters off the coast of Somalia.In particular, it condemns their use as "human shields" on board recently hijacked ships used as "motherships", or ashore.The M/V Asphalt Venture was hijacked by Somali pirates on 29 September 2010 and was released on 15 April 2011. However, six officers and one rating had been removed from the ship and, at the time of release, were being held at an undisclosed location ashore, where they remain.IMO is concerned for the welfare of all innocent seafarers being held in captivity, and is working towards their timely release. Using seafarers as human shields to continue to engage in piracy - one of the most heinous of crimes against humanity at sea - is totally unacceptable.The IMO World Maritime Day theme for 2011, "Piracy: orchestrating the response" - and its associated action plan - embrace the concept that the safety and well-being of seafarers should be of paramount importance.Source: IMO

Ceremony held at the Commercial Port of Djibouti Today, 14 April, in a ceremony held at the Commercial Port of Djibouti, Portuguese Commodore Alberto Correia took over the command of Task Force 465 (TF 465) as the new European Union Naval Force Headquarters - Operation ATALANTA Force Commander. Commodore Correia takes over the duty from his predecessor, Spanish Rear Admiral Juan Rodriguez.During the handover, presided over by EU NAVFOR Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, Commodore Correia congratulated Rear Admiral Rodriguez for the results achieved during his command and thanked him for his outstanding efforts. He emphasized that "The mission priorities given to TF 465 are absolutely clear to me. No significant changes will be made in the operational planning process and that escorts to World Food Program and AMISOM will remain as the top priorities".For the next four months, Commodore Correia will lead the Multinational Force Headquarters onboard the EUNAVFOR Portuguese warship NRP VASCO DA GAMA.Source: EU NAVFOR

After being held for 81 days The general cargo ship MV BELUGA NOMINATION was released from pirate control on 13 April 2011 after being held for 81 days.The German owned vessel, which is Antigua & Barbudan flagged, had been pirated on 22 January 2011 approximately 390 nautical miles north of the Seychelles. She was on route to Port Victoria in the Seychelles when she was attacked.The vessel is believed to be making for a safe port.Source: EU NAVFOR