* Shipping in oil-rich Gulf of Guinea largely unprotected * Somali hijackings drops as counter-piracy stepped up (Reuters) – Armed hijackers pose a growing threat off Nigeria’s oil-rich coast, where commercial ships do not enjoy the protection of naval security that has dramatically reduced Somali piracy on the other side of Africa. The Gulf
Read moreEarlier today, Thursday 22 September, a Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft from EU Naval Force overflew the pirate controlled fishing vessel FV Naham 3 and observed that the vessel had moved from its sea anchorage to a Somali beach in the Galmudug region. Armed men have been sighted on board FV Naham 3, however, no
Read moreNATO Shipping Centre promulgates its latest weekly piracy assessment for the ‘High Risk Area’ During the reporting period 7 – 13, June 2012, the number of piracy incidents in the High Risk Area (HRA) has remained low, with no incidents reported. Due to the South-West monsoon between June and September, sea conditions in the HRA
Read moreAnkur Varma, third officer on the oil tanker M/V Cotton, opened his cabin door at five minutes to midnight on July 14 to find two men pointing AK-47s at him. “They just pushed me into the cabin with the guns in my chest and they told me to stay silent,” Varma said in a
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