| Piracy Briefing |
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Page 1 of 2 BackgroundFor the shipping industry and the seafarer, Piracy remains a particular scourge which needs high level Government and UN support in concert with legitimate Professional Navies to defeat piracy in areas such as Somalia. Intercargo pays tribute to both the professional navies who have achieved so much in support of the seafarer and world trade, but also the Masters and Crews of vessels, who it was estimated in June 2009, were responsible through their evasive actions in averting 78 % of all attacks. With the recent South West Monsoon season restricting but not eradicating piracy off Somalia and the Eastern Indian Ocean, Intercargo and our Round Table colleagues have actively participated and promoted through the IMO and elsewhere, Best Management Practices (BMP’s) which give advice to Masters and Companies on how best to avoid seizure by Pirates. These matters are kept under review by a small dedicated Intercargo Correspondence Group comprised of ten Intercargo Bulk Carrier companies who assist and advise the secretariat and Executive Committee on anti-piracy strategy and reaction to proposed policy developments. Recent News - Advice & Guidance20091231 : Following recieved from the UKMTO - Possible Pirate Dow/Mother ship at Posn 1147.2n 06248.3e Crs 010 Sp 6kts. All MV’s are to avoid this position/area by at least 50NM. Any suspicous sightings please contact UKMTO 20091130 : On 29 NOV at 1215 UTC a crude oil tanker has been hijacked by pirates in position 03 03N 061 30E. The vessel altered her course and is now heading towards the Somali coast. MSCHOA advises all vessels navigating in the Indian Ocean to consider keeping East of 60E when routing North/South and to consider routing East of 60E and South of 10S when proceeding to and from ports in South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. Vessels are also advised not to approach closer than 100 miles from the position given in this report and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously. While navigating in the region vessels are urged to operate at a heightened state of readiness, maintaining strict 24 hour anti-piracy visual and radar watches, actively implement recommended anti-piracy measures and regularly report their position/course/speed to UKMTO. 20091123 : Mr Spyros Polemis, speaking on behalf of the Round Table of international Shipping Associations (BIMCO, ICS, Intercargo and INTERTANKO), today publicly thanked the Navies of the world who had protected seafarers and shipping in the Somalia area. The occasion was the IMO Assembly and the the event was attended by Naval and Diplomatic Staff of all the navies serving in the area. Intercargo was represented at this event by Nicky Pappadakis, Chairman and Rob Lomas, Secretary General. Merchant shipping is advised that recent piracy attacks have occurred outside the current pirate activity area which is bordered by 60 East and 10 South. Some attacks have been successfully averted by the vessels complying with the industry Best Management Practices (BMP), proper use of Self Protection Measures, and utilising the usual good practice of seamanship. In view of the vast area bounded by 60 East and 10 South it is imperative that Merchant Shipping comply with the BMP, in order to prevent piracy attacks as much as possible. Regular reporting of ships' positions to UKMTO Dubai ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) when entering the reporting area bound by Suez, 10S and 78E will improve the situational awareness of the military forces. It is essential that ships harden themselves against attacks, and maintain 24/7 piracy watches throughout their voyage through the Indian Ocean. Therefore the best advice is to be vigilant and to act promptly when approached by small craft. The BMP can be accessed via any shipping association web site. |
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| Last Updated on Friday, 05 March 2010 11:57 |