Tag: maritime security

China has demanded swift action by three Southeast Asian countries after the Mekong River tragedy China has demanded swift action by three Southeast Asian countries to prevent attacks on Chinese nationals on the Mekong River after 12 sailors died near the Thai-Myanmar border last week."The Chinese government values the life and safety of every Chinese citizen and demands a thorough investigation into what happened and that the murderers be brought to justice," Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao told envoys from Thailand, Laos and Myanmar yesterday.He told them their countries should "step up their investigation, get to the bottom of the matter as soon as possible, report their findings to China in a timely manner and severely punish the assailants."The safety of Chinese sailors on the river must be assured and China will assist in making that happen, Song said.On October 5, 12 Chinese sailors were confirmed killed and one missing after two cargo ships, the Hua Ping and Yu Xing 8, were attacked and hijacked by an unknown group of armed men on the Mekong River.The ships were in the "Golden Triangle," where the borders of Myanmar,Thailand and Laos meet, a region notorious for drug smuggling.The Chinese government was shocked ...

Observance and US Coast Guard Missions Conference Piracy will be the focus of this year's North American World Maritime Day Observance being held in Tampa, FL on October 27th followed by a US Coast Guard Missions conference on October 28th which will feature panel discussions on the stewardship, safety and security missions of the Coast Guard. Both events will be held at the Marriott Waterside in Tampa and are free and open to the public. North American regional representatives from industry, government and NGO's will dialog on these critically important regional issues. The events directly follow the USCG Flag Officer's conference and Innovation Expo.Source: World Maritime Day

World-class group of experts A world-class group of experts to kick of the dialogue around four key themes: i. Assessment of interests and positions of parties in the South China Sea; ii. Update on recent developments in the South China Sea; iii. Assessment of the effectiveness of current maritime security frameworks and mechanisms in the South China Sea; and, iv. Policy recommendations to enhance security in the region.

Maritime security challenges of Asia At this event the Lowy Institute launched a major new publication on Asia's maritime security challenges, written by the director of the Institute's international security program, Rory Medcalf, and his colleagues Raoul Heinrichs (editor, Strategic Snapshots) and Justin Jones (Naval Associate).A presentation by principal author Rory Medcalf was followed by a panel discussion and Q and A session involving the authors and Lowy Institute Director of Studies Andrew Shearer.

Increasing threats to security AS smaller craft, below the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code threshold, pose increasing threats to security as bomb carriers, the European Commission has appointed Sentinel Maritime to assess the impact of extending security measures to down to very small boats.The Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport-commissioned study will focus on the impact, including financial consequences, of extending security measures to ships which currently do not fall within the scope of Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Chapter XI/2 and the ISPS Code.The study named "Project Secure Seas" is, in part, a response to the growing concern that such ships may present as serious, or more serious, a threat than ships currently within the scope of the ISPS Code.Apart from the terrorist attacks carried out by small craft on warship USS Cole and the tanker Limburg, smaller non-ISPS ships are frequently used in human trafficking as well as smuggling drugs and contraband.First, the company will determine the state of play of EU member states, then collate information on degree of compliance with Safety of Life (SOLAS) registry regulations. The study will also examine the possibility of introducing a computerised ship registry, which might include recreational/pleasure craft ...

Maritime security and anti-piracy operations are high priority missions of the Indian Navy The Naval Commanders Conference for 2011 started at New Delhi . Over the next four days Commanders of the Indian Navy will discuss issues of operational relevance and future plans of the Indian Navy.This biannual forum also provides an opportunity for the Chief of the NavalStaff to examine the operational readiness of the Indian Navy, assess the progress made in key projects and initiate functional, organisational and administrative steps necessary to further enhance the Indian Navy's readiness for current and emerging challenges.Speaking on the subject of operational readiness, he pointed out "with the security situation being fluid, we need to maintain the organisational ability to deploy ships, submarines and aircraft at 'immediate' notice". He also acknowledged the yeomen efforts put in by all naval personnel as they spent longer hours at work and many more days at sea owing to the increasing demands of maritime security.He drew the attention of the Commanders to the fact that maintainence of war fighting abilities remains as the top most priority despite the fact that we have a large number of peacetime commitments at hand.Talking about Coastal Security, the CNS commended ...

Estimate puts the number of armed guards on board vessels at around 10-12% Better regulation of the world's maritime security concerns took a couple of steps nearer this week.First, the IMO was known to be debating the issue at MSC 89 during the week, the results of which should be known early next week, while second, the fledgling Security Association for the Marine Industries (SAMI) said that it had signed up 19 members and will start to vet security firms operating in the marine sector shortly.Founded last year by ex Royal Marine Peter Cook and commercial shipping navigating officer Steven Jones, SAMI has the backing of the Marshall Islands (MI) flag state, among others.At a reception this week, Cook explained that members have to sign an International Code of Conduct for Private Security Contractors, which is a Swiss initiative supported by the MI."There is no regulation to look at the entrepreneurs, either good or bad," Cook said.He said that working groups will be set up to introduce vetting and KPIs with which to work. "We are waiting for the IMO guidelines," he said. He also explained that the Norwegians have guidelines in place and he was talking with the International ...

Marine Ops Note 08/2010 - Marine Security Advisory 01/2011- MSC.1/Circ.1337 In response to piracy attacks that have occurred outside the previously defined pirate activity area, the Liberian Administration has revised the setting of MANDATORY SECURITY LEVEL II for all Liberian flagged vessels when transiting the Gulf of Aden and the High Risk Area (HRA) for piracy in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean., effective immediately.For further information, click here.Source: Republic of Liberia