Safety Parent

The Republic of Nauru became the 12th country to ratify the 2005 SUA Protocol and the 10th to ratify the 2005 Fixed Platforms Protocol. Maritime security has been boosted with the latest ratification of the 2005 Protocol to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA). The Republic of Nauru submitted its instrument of ratification of the 2005 Protocols on 29 April 2010, becoming the 12th country to ratify the 2005 SUA Protocol and the 10th to ratify the 2005 Fixed Platforms Protocol.The 2005 Protocols revised the original SUA treaties of 1988 to ensure that the legal framework developed by IMO is kept up to date and provides an adequate basis for the arrest, detention and extradition of alleged terrorists acting against shipping or ports or when using ships to perpetrate acts of terrorism.They substantially extend the list of criminal offences actionable under the 1988 treaties and include new rules on consensual boarding, which are of prime importance as they provide States with the necessary legal basis to intercept terrorist activities at sea that are planned or already in progress.The 2005 Protocols were adopted on 14 October 2005, at a Diplomatic Conference held...

Vessels Held by Somali Pirates as of 5 April 2010 Name of VesselIncidentTypeFlagGRTFree Board(ft)SpeedDWTCrewSamho Dream04/04/10COTMarshall Isl.161.1352616319.43024Iceberg I29/03/10RoROPanama5.4021143.96024Talca23/03/10RFBermuda10.298121811.05525Frigia23/03/10BCMalta20.35221335.24621Hud Hud23/03/10Dhow?N/AN/AN/AN/A11Ubt Ocean06/03/10COSingapore6.1498139.22421Al Nisir Al Saudi01/03/10PTS.Arabia2.634313,55.13614Rim03/02/10GCN.Korea3.4935144.80017Asian Glory02/01/10VCUK44.8181618,613.36325St. James Park28/12/09COUK7.926813,513.92726 Types:BC: Bulk CarrierCO: Chemical & Oil TankerCOT: Crude Oil TankerGC: General Cargo PT: Product TankerRF: ReeferRoRo: Roll-on-and-offVC: Vehicle CarrierSource: US Maritime Administration

The most effective proven deterrent to piracy In April 2010, there were no successful pirate attacks in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), which is the route patrolled by the Counter-Piracy Task Force. Although elsewhere in the region there were 19 attacks and three vessels successfully pirated, this is a significantly reduced number compared to the corresponding period last year.While the efforts of naval task forces in the area have helped combat piracy, the military alone cannot prevent all pirate attacks, and commercial vessels must not depend solely upon military intervention to ensure their safe passage. The commercial shipping industry is now demonstrating that the most effective proven deterrent to piracy is by their actions.Merchant vessels that have adopted industry recommended "Best Management Practices" and that have registered with the Maritime Security Centre - Horn of Africa and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization, Dubai (e-mail: [email protected]) reduce the likelihood of their becoming victims of piracy. This advice is not based on theoretical data but on proven statistics. Best Management Practices that were adopted by the last three vessels to avoid a successful pirate attack in April 2010 included the use of fire hoses; increased speed; evasive manoeuvres and the...

Anti-piracy surveillance to move closer to Somalian shores Unmanned aerial vehicles, aka drones, are increasingly playing a more important role in surveillance activities to guard shipping traffic against attacks by ocean terrorists, and many of them have been launched in the past by a US forces contingent operating out of the Seychelles, where the government has granted them a base.New reports suggest that some of these drones may in the future also move closer to the Somali territorial waters and shores, and Djibouti, already home to a naval and air assets by the coalition forces, has been named as a possible future base.The thinking about the mandate of the naval coalition is ever so slightly changing, and a more robust forward defense, like the imposition of a naval blockade just outside Somali waters, is one option. However, there has also been growing speculation about arming aerial assets to not just survey but also defend cargo ships from the air against attacks, after spotting motherships and skiffs near the shipping routes or when leaving Somali territorial waters with intent.Information from the Seychelles indicates that the number of drones has been reduced from previously 5 to now only 3, thought enough to...

EU NAVFOR French warship destroys Pirate mother ship On the afternoon of 29 April, the EU NAVFOR warship Nivose found, stopped and searched a mother skiff and two supporting skiffs, some 480 nautical miles east of the Somali Coast. The vessels were boarded and searched and the vessels were found to have disposed of pirate paraphernalia. The 11 Somali crew of these vessels were taken on board the Nivose, as were the two attack skiffs and the mother skiff was sunk.This action continues EU NAVFORs aggressive stance against piracy and the intention to interdict and disrupt pirate activity. Over 40 PAGs have been disrupted in the last 2 months showing that the new strategy is working.EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation ATALANTAs main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Programme (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM and to protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.Source: EU NAVFOR

The European Union is making a push for African trials of suspected Somali pirates after Kenya indicated it no longer wants to shoulder that burden. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is expected to travel to Africa shortly to make a strong case for trying suspected Somali pirates on their home continent. The Associated Press reports her trip will includes stops in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the Seychelles.The question of where and how to bring the suspects to justice is a long-standing headache. Somalia lacks a functioning government, so a number of trials have instead taken place in nearby Kenya. But Nairobi recently stopped accepting suspects, saying they were straining its already congested justice system.In rare cases, Western nations have agreed to bring the suspected pirates to trial in their own countries. Germany, for example, is waiting to receive half a dozen alleged pirates.But Africa analyst at the Chatham House policy center in London, Roger Middleton, says that is the exception.There has been a reluctance to take them back, although they have the legal ability to do that, to the U.K. or America or whatever it is, said Middleton. I think partly because they are worried about pirates claiming...

Pirates expand area of operations Somali pirates were responsible for 35 of the 67 piracy incidents reported worldwide during the first quarter of the year, the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported.The number of incidents represents a sharp drop from the 102 attacks reported during the first quarter of last year.This marked reduction can be attributed to the continued presence and success of the navies in the Gulf of Aden along with the robust anti piracy measures adopted by the merchant navy fleet, the report said. Twenty-six vessels were boarded during the first quarter of 2010, with 18 ships fired upon, 12 suffering from attempted attacks, and 11 vessels hijacked. A total of 194 crew members were taken hostage, 12 of whom were injured.The east and south coast of Somalia recorded 18 incidents including five vessels hijacked and 11 fired upon in the first quarter of 2010 compared with 21 incidents including four vessels hijacked and 11fired upon for the corresponding period in 2009. Within the Gulf of Aden and in the adjacent Red and Arabian Seas 17 incidents were reported, including the hijacking of four vessels, compared with 41 incidents, including five hijacked vessels, in the first quarter of...

EU NAVFOR Force Commander welcomes Greek Ship Elli to its anti piracy operation On 20th April 2010, a week after joining EU NAVFORs anti piracy operation off the coast of Somalia, the Greek frigate ELLI was officially welcomed to the task group with a visit from Force Commander Rear Admiral (LH) Jan Thörnqvist. Taking the opportunity to visit HS ELLI when his own Command Ship, HSwMS CARLSKRONA, met HS ELLI during tasking in the Gulf of Aden, Force Commander Jan Thörnqvist said the arrival of the Greek Ship was a most welcome contribution to the EU NAVFOR anti piracy operation and expressed his delight that so many of the crew of HS ELLI are experienced in operating in the waters around the Horn of Africa. HS ELLI is a good reinforcement to our task force.During the visit, Commander Christos Deyannis, Captain of HS ELLI, was able to show his newly refitted ship to the Force Commander. She is a very capable vessel with a built-in armament of guns, torpedoes and missiles. She has an Agusta-Bell 212 helicopter and a highly capable Boarding Team. She also has modern state of the art; radars, sensors, sonars and combat data systems.HS ELLI joined...

Worldwide hijackings rise as pirates expand area of operation Somali pirates were responsible for 35 of the 67 piracy incidents reported worldwide during the first quarter of the year, the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported today. The number of incidents represents a sharp drop from the 102 attacks reported during the first quarter of last year. This marked reduction can be attributed to the continued presence and success of the navies in the Gulf of Aden along with the robust anti piracy measures adopted by the merchant navy fleet, the report said.Twenty-six vessels were boarded during the first quarter of 2010, with 18 ships fired upon, 12 suffering from attempted attacks, and 11 vessels hijacked. A total of 194 crew members were taken hostage, 12 of whom were injured.The east and south coast of Somalia recorded 18 incidents including five vessels hijacked and 11 fired upon in the first quarter of 2010 compared with 21 incidents including four vessels hijacked and 11fired upon for the corresponding period in 2009. Within the Gulf of Aden and in the adjacent Red and Arabian Seas 17 incidents were reported, including the hijacking of four vessels, compared with 41 incidents, including five hijacked...

Attacks Down, Distance Up There have been fewer attacks by Somali pirates during the first quarter of this year than during the same time period last year, according to a report by the International Maritime Bureau.Thats the good news. The bad news?The pirates reach is extending far beyond the waters of the Gulf of Aden, as European and American Naval patrols force Somali pirates to venture further afield for ships to hijack.Consider this past week, where Somali pirates have gone on a hijacking spree, capturing three Thai ships far out in the Indian Ocean and a Liberian-owned cargo ship off the coast of Oman. The capture of the Thai ships set a new record, at 1,200 nautical miles from the Somali coast.This weeks attacks underline a weakness in the increased militarization of the seas, showing that naval patrols alone wont stop piracy.Their territory is growing, and as the naval patrols lock down the Gulf of Aden, are going farther out into the Indian Ocean, says Roger Middleton, an expert on Somali piracy with Chatham House in London. The thing is, its not as easy to patrol as large an area as the Indian Ocean. The Gulf of Aden concentrates shipping,...