Vessels are warned that if passing through High Risk Area they are to exercise extreme caution
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued the following warning:
Merchant vessel attacked in position 1327N 04239E at 1540Z on 20 July 2011. One skiff with 6 persons on board approached and fired an RPG round at the vessel. Security team returned fire and the pirates aborted the attack. Vessels are warned that if passing through this area they are to exercise extreme caution.
The Maritime Administrator would take this opportunity to again urge all vessels operating in the High Risk Area to actively implement recommended Best Management Practices for anti-piracy measures as follows:
- Prepare the crew (refer to Marshall Islands MG-2-11-12);
- Harden the ship before the ship enters the High Risk Area (HRA);
- When entering the HRA from the direction of either the Suez Canal, the Arabian Gulf at 26N, the south at 15S or from the east at 78E: o Register the ship with the MSCHOA (http://www.mschoa.org /+44 (0) 1923 958545); o Report to the UKMTO ([email protected] / +971 505 523 215); and
- Continue to provide daily reports of ships position, course, speed and estimated and actual arrival times to UKMTO while in the HRA.
- Remember, the ship must be registered with the MSCHOA and report to the UKMTO with every intended transit of the HRA;
- Consider participating in the SSRS service (http://ssrs.org);
- Utilize the IRTC in the GoA;
- For low and slow ships, join pre-scheduled military escorted convoys through the GoA;
- Avoid navigating through the Mozambique Channel whenever possible;
- Continue to maintain a heightened state of awareness;
- Maintain strict 24 hour anti-piracy visual and radar watches; and
- Report all attacks and suspicious sightings to the UKMTO, MARLO (+973-3940-1395), COMUSNAVCENT (+973-1785-3879) or IMB Piracy Reporting Centre ([email protected], +603-2031-0014).
Source: UKMTO