Its seafarers requested this desicion
Leading Danish tanker and drybulk owner TORM has confirmed that it is using armed guards on board its vessels.
The guards are being employed on all of the company’s vessels transiting the high risk area off the Horn of Africa, as defined by the ‘best management practice (BMP)’.
TORM said that this decision was based upon requests from its seafarers who were coming under increasing threat of pirate attacks.
The company said that intelligence reports had shown that thus far, no vessels with armed guards on board had come under attack.
To provide the security needed, TORM contracted Protection Vessels International (PVI) to supply the armed guards.
TORM admitted that there were numerous legal issues to be addressed and the company had worked with many advisors to ensure any issues were resolved before the contract was signed.
PVI customers were also consulted to perform a reality check on the services provided.
A number of guards had already been employed on the MR ‘Torm Alice’ and TORM said that the feedback from the master was “extremely good”.
A TORM spokesman told TANKEROperator that the Danish Shipowners’ Association had been very supportive and that the company was well treated by the Danish Ministry of Justice, which needed to approve the placing of armed guards on each vessel.
Source: Tanker Operator
