Somali piracy

Maritime Security Status: Latest Updates

While speaking at the last SAFETY4SEA Conference in Cyprus, Mr. Dimitris Maniatis, Chief Commercial Officer, Diaplous Maritime Services, provided a recap of the current maritime security status, focusing on key high risk areas, such as the Indian Ocean region and West African waters. For the Gulf of Guinea, he stressed, Piracy and Maritime Aggression is never ending. However, there are always ways to successfully mitigate risk, deter threat and avoid loss, he concluded.

‘Security’ is the state...

https://safety4sea.com/cm-maritime-security-status-latest-updates/

EU NAVFOR vessel interacts with Somali fishermen

EU Naval Force Ships are to friendly-approach local vessels and speak to the crew in the Western Indian Ocean aiming to enhance the mutual understanding and trust between the EU Naval force and local seafarers and also get a first-hand insight about possible piracy incidents in the area.

Specifically, crewmembers from the Spanish vessel ESPS Relámpago, met with the crew of Somali dhow in the Gulf of Aden. The friendly interaction was between the Spanish crewmembers and Somali fishermen.

GET THE...

https://safety4sea.com/eu-navfor-vessel-interacts-with-somali-fishermen/

Somali terrorists make over US$ 7 million a year by charcoal smuggling

Terrorists are making about US$ 7 million a year by smuggling charcoal illegally off Somalia, a conference on maritime security, attended by the multinational maritime security coalition Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), has heard.

Royal Navy Commodore, Steve Dainton, opened the conference, noting that the estimated wholesale value of smuggled Somalia charcoal is £117 million (= US$ 150.6609 million) a year.

It is estimated terrorist organisations such as Al-Shabaab in Somalia, where there has been...

https://safety4sea.com/somali-terrorists-make-over-us-7-million-a-year-by-charcoal-smuggling/

IMB: Piracy increased in 2018, Gulf of Guinea ‘increasingly dangerous’

The International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB) issued its annual piracy report for 2018, confirming a rise in piracy figures on the world’s seas last year, and specially in West African waters. The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) recorded a total of 201 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships worldwide in 2018, up from 180 in 2017.

As SAFETY4SEA has earlier reported, a special focus was given on Gulf of Guinea, which remains increasingly dangerous for...

https://safety4sea.com/imb-piracy-increased-in-2018-gulf-of-guinea-increasingly-dangerous/

Foreign powers help reduce piracy in Somalia

According to BBC’s Anne Soy, foreign navy powers have played a crucial role in handling piracy off Somalia’s coast. Somali territorial waters saw a rise in smuggling, illegal fishing by foreign trawlers, illegal dumping and later piracy. The route through the Indian Ocean past the Somali coast became known as one of the most dangerous sea passages in the world. But 10 years ago, the European Union, Nato and others began to deploy naval forces to the region shortly after the UN Security Council...

https://safety4sea.com/foreign-powers-help-reduce-piracy-in-somalia/

Ten shipping books we read in 2018

Festive season is a special time of the year for relaxing and a good book can be the best company or a good present for beloved ones. SAFETY4SEA has made a list of the best books we read throughout the year, for those who are part of the maritime workforce or not, with themes varying from leadership and soft skills to the hidden world of piracy and the book type varying from academic writings to joyful action readings.

#1. Golden Stripes: Leadership on the High Seas

Captain V S Parani wrote a...

https://safety4sea.com/cm-ten-shipping-books-we-read-in-2018/

Piracy affects more than 26% of seafarers seeking support

Sailors’ Society’s Crisis Response Network (CRN) provided support to its 100th casethis week, with piracy, death at sea and abandonment accounting for almost two-third, 59%, of those supported. The CRN also provides support to seafarers who have been imprisoned, often through no fault of their own.

Namely, the International Maritime Charity began its 24/7 fast response team in South Africa in 2015 to provide trauma care and counselling to survivors of piracy attacks, natural disasters and...

https://safety4sea.com/piracy-affects-more-than-26-of-seafarers-seeking-support/

EU NAVFOR, Somalia continue maritime security dialogue

On Mogadishu, on 4-5 December 2018, vital discussions took place on maritime security between the Operation Commander of EU NAVFOR, Major General Charlie Stickland OBE and the Somali Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency Mahdi Mohammed Gulaid.

The Operation Commander and Deputy Prime Minister discussed Somalia’s maritime security capabilities and priorities, as identified recently by the Federal Government.

Maritime security has an important role in the successful ‘blue economy’ which will be key...

https://safety4sea.com/eu-navfor-somalia-continue-maritime-security-dialogue/

Pirates attempt to attack ship in Gulf of Aden

In its weekly report for 6-12 November 2018, ReCAAP ISC noted that there were no reports of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. The report however included an attempted incident outside Asia, involving the Singaporean-flagged tanker ‘Po Yang Hu’, while underway in the Gulf of Aden, in the early morning hours of 2 November.

While sailing, the duty officer noticed a suspicious mother boat with unknown number of people on board and two skiffs with two men on board each skiff. The duty...

https://safety4sea.com/pirates-attempt-to-attack-ship-in-gulf-of-aden/

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