The ICC International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB-PRC) has recorded a spike in activity off the coast of West Africa. Since 18 August 2012, three vessels have been hijacked by pirates in this region. These recent attacks are notable as they have all been against tankers, with the purpose of stealing the valuable
Read moreDuring the reporting period of 05 to 12 September 2012 there have been no piracy related incidents in the High Risk Area (HRA). However, there have been continued reports of suspicious activity in the Southern Red Sea (SRS) Bab-al-Mandeb (BAM) and Gulf of Aden (GOA) during the past week. The Southwest Monsoon season is
Read moreIMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu has called on governments and the shipping industry to take prompt and decisive action on a number of key issues. In a keynote address to the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Conference in London today (12 September 2012), Mr. Sekimizu told shipowners that they had the power to encourage their
Read moreFormer Australian military personnel are among thousands of private security guards who have been hired to protect commercial shipping in the Indian Ocean against attacks by Somali pirates. In a growing free-for-all on the high seas, merchant shipping operators are turning to what are effectively private navies to safeguard their vessels and cargoes. A
Read moreNew report reveals boom in private military security forces fighting Indian Ocean pirates. Research into the use of private military security companies in the Indian Ocean has found the fight against Somali-based pirates has become a private battle as global defence cuts reduce naval counter-piracy deployments. The report, ‘Pirates and Privateers: Managing the Indian
Read moreThe United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has announced the introduction of two new Admiralty Maritime Security Charts to cover The Mediterranean (Q6111) and The Persian Gulf (Q6110). The two new paper charts, together with a new online update service, provide a simple, single point of reference for the most up to date security information
Read moreFour South Korean sailors have been held hostage for 500 days with negotiations between a Singaporean shipping company and Somali pirates to release them showing no signs of reaching an agreement, a Seoul official said Monday. The pirates have been requesting an unreasonably large ransom, the official said. The hostages are said to be
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