This is a fantastic step for both IAMSP and AMSSA as found HERE on the IAMSP web site:
Public Release 201203-001
Topic: AMSSA and IAMSP – Harmonizing Efforts in Support of African efforts
Athens, Greece (11 March 2012) – The International Association of Maritime Security Professionals (IAMSP) and the African Maritime Safety and Security Agency (AMSSA) today signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), harmonizing their efforts to assist in the development of a safe, secure, sustainable and environmentally sound maritime transportation system (MTS) in Africa.
IAMSP, through this MOU, gains direct access to a number of AMSSA efforts and initiatives. AMSSA will receive significant support from IAMSP in its ongoing efforts at levels ranging from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to training at the local level. The MOU has specific provisions allowing the sharing of information, expertise and efforts both on the ground in Africa and at international plenary groups. David Stone, signing the MOU on behalf of IAMSP, comments that this MOU allows for a stronger strategic position and voice for both Associations as they continue in their efforts in support of Africa’s development. Allan McDougall, President of the IAMSP, sees this MOU as a very positive step in terms of building greater capacity and focus. This will be of benefit to the nations and law-abiding people of Africa as the combined attention not only helps achieve greater positive results, but reduces the risk of unnecessary duplication or competition that could have been focussed to greater effect and benefit to the nation states and their citizens. This concrete step, the first in realizing a shared and positive vision for the MTS in Africa, will be seen as a setting out moment for both Associations at global, regional, national, and local levels.
We look forward to the ability to engage in common efforts and projects. Subsequent announcements of these efforts are forthcoming, making tangible the appropriately professional values held by both AMSSA and IAMSP.
The specific contents of the MOU will be made public shortly after each Association has the opportunity to brief its memberships and further chart out common efforts.
All I can say is well done to both organizations.
Showing posts with label piracy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label piracy. Show all posts
Monday, March 19, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Somalia-Piracy-Under Reporting Incidents
An article was published recently by Bloomberg which can be found HERE ,and below the article we have posted some thoughts:
Private armed guards placed on merchant vessels to protect them against Somali pirates are under-reporting attacks, according to the European Union naval force patrol-ling in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
Security teams are concealing de-tails even though industry practice is to alert armed forces about any attacks or pirate sightings, Simon Church, EU Navfor's industry liaison officer, said Wednesday at a piracy forum in London.
"Security teams are shaping this on-board decision-making for reasons of liability, because of the action they may have taken to defend ships against attack," said Church, who works at a counter-piracy base in Northwood, England.
The number of armed guards stationed on ships travelling through the region jumped this year as pirate attacks soared to a record and countries including the U.K. changed laws to allow weapons on board. Somali pirates cost the shipping industry and governments as much as $6.9 billion last year, according to a One Earth Future Foundation report.
As many as half of all ships sailing through the region now use armed guards, the foundation said at the forum. That's up from 25 per cent earlier this year, and companies providing security earn $530.6 mil-lion annually, it estimated. A total of 42,450 vessels pass through the region annually, it says.
Church cited a "disconnect" between the number of attacks expected last year, based on military intelligence assessments of pirates' strength, and levels in 2009 and 2010. A "plausible argument" can be made that the increase in armed guards was the cause, he said.
Somali pirate attacks rose to 237 in 2011 from 219 in the previous year, according to figures from the London-based International Mari-time Bureau. No legal framework exists to establish how armed guards should interact with pirates and what happens if any attackers are killed or injured, Pottengal Mukundan, the bureau's director, said at the forum.
Military counter-piracy forces are reluctant to co-operate with private companies that provide armed guards, James Butler-Wright of Aegis Advisory said at the forum. The consultant helps companies assess and adjust exposure to risk.
"Private security is desperate to work with the military," said Butler-Wright, a senior maritime analyst at Aegis. "We get shut down pretty quickly" when seeking information from navies, he said."
Recent comments were made that private security firms have dropped off reporting out of concerns regarding the liability associated with their actions. I would propose that this statement is less than complete and certainly less than representative. Some other reasons (for discussion), why these reports have dropped off.
Number 1 - even though approaches and suspicious activities were reported to the centers, they were dismissed as being "fishermen", "groups of fishermen" or even "curious skiff operators." After a while, people that report in (similar to calling the police in a city) suspicious activity stop doing so because the reports are simply dismissed (just so and so acting out).
Number 2 - even though approaches or suspicious activities were reported to the centers, no information was returned back. In short, reporting into the centers was a one way street where private security companies were reporting in and getting little to nothing of value in return. I will personally vouch for at least one time where I reported in activity and, when I asked if there was anything else in the area, was told that the information was entered into the military system but could not be shared with private security companies (this was a witnessed report by the way).
Number 3 - even though reports went in, there were several instances where the reports were never acknowledged or posted where other companies could use them.
Number 4 - more than one instance is on the books where security went to report in and was informed that they (ship operator) did not want a report in because of insurance issues.
I would propose that the statements being made, while potentially having a grain of truth somewhere, is as much about projecting a point of view and deflecting the issue.
Private armed guards placed on merchant vessels to protect them against Somali pirates are under-reporting attacks, according to the European Union naval force patrol-ling in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
Security teams are concealing de-tails even though industry practice is to alert armed forces about any attacks or pirate sightings, Simon Church, EU Navfor's industry liaison officer, said Wednesday at a piracy forum in London.
"Security teams are shaping this on-board decision-making for reasons of liability, because of the action they may have taken to defend ships against attack," said Church, who works at a counter-piracy base in Northwood, England.
The number of armed guards stationed on ships travelling through the region jumped this year as pirate attacks soared to a record and countries including the U.K. changed laws to allow weapons on board. Somali pirates cost the shipping industry and governments as much as $6.9 billion last year, according to a One Earth Future Foundation report.
As many as half of all ships sailing through the region now use armed guards, the foundation said at the forum. That's up from 25 per cent earlier this year, and companies providing security earn $530.6 mil-lion annually, it estimated. A total of 42,450 vessels pass through the region annually, it says.
Church cited a "disconnect" between the number of attacks expected last year, based on military intelligence assessments of pirates' strength, and levels in 2009 and 2010. A "plausible argument" can be made that the increase in armed guards was the cause, he said.
Somali pirate attacks rose to 237 in 2011 from 219 in the previous year, according to figures from the London-based International Mari-time Bureau. No legal framework exists to establish how armed guards should interact with pirates and what happens if any attackers are killed or injured, Pottengal Mukundan, the bureau's director, said at the forum.
Military counter-piracy forces are reluctant to co-operate with private companies that provide armed guards, James Butler-Wright of Aegis Advisory said at the forum. The consultant helps companies assess and adjust exposure to risk.
"Private security is desperate to work with the military," said Butler-Wright, a senior maritime analyst at Aegis. "We get shut down pretty quickly" when seeking information from navies, he said."
Recent comments were made that private security firms have dropped off reporting out of concerns regarding the liability associated with their actions. I would propose that this statement is less than complete and certainly less than representative. Some other reasons (for discussion), why these reports have dropped off.
Number 1 - even though approaches and suspicious activities were reported to the centers, they were dismissed as being "fishermen", "groups of fishermen" or even "curious skiff operators." After a while, people that report in (similar to calling the police in a city) suspicious activity stop doing so because the reports are simply dismissed (just so and so acting out).
Number 2 - even though approaches or suspicious activities were reported to the centers, no information was returned back. In short, reporting into the centers was a one way street where private security companies were reporting in and getting little to nothing of value in return. I will personally vouch for at least one time where I reported in activity and, when I asked if there was anything else in the area, was told that the information was entered into the military system but could not be shared with private security companies (this was a witnessed report by the way).
Number 3 - even though reports went in, there were several instances where the reports were never acknowledged or posted where other companies could use them.
Number 4 - more than one instance is on the books where security went to report in and was informed that they (ship operator) did not want a report in because of insurance issues.
I would propose that the statements being made, while potentially having a grain of truth somewhere, is as much about projecting a point of view and deflecting the issue.
Friday, January 20, 2012
MSB Group Ltd. passes second round of IAMSP Oversight checks
In the effort to continually keep you updated on the progress of the MSB Group, Ltd. as we said we would, we have found that the IAMSP has completed another round of checks for the group. This seems to really be a good project for not only the Maritime Security industry, but for the shipping industry as a whole. As stated on the MSB web site
IAMSP, the International Association of Maritime Security Professionals, has today announced MSB Group has passed the second round of its oversight checks and is now proceeding into the the third round of checks.
The second round checks ensured that the administrative control system will offer all member states the means and ability to continuously monitor the full system. This transparency will provide the member states, shipping companies and underwriters with the ability to have full confidence and awareness of the system in near real time.
These checks also ensured that the system is configured for access by Customs organizations and other international bodies with an interest in overseeing and monitoring the movement of small arms and light weapons (SALW).
We will update further as more progress comes.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Piracy - Somalia - Movement of Arms
We have been keeping an eye on a new group: MSB Group Ltd., and have found a bit of new interesting information. Should this come to fruition, this could really take off and solve a lot of the issues in the maritime security industry.
http://msbgroupltd.com/
http://msbgroupltd.com/
We are pleased to announce that the MSB Group Ltd project has completed its pilot project and passed its oversight markers. The MSB Group is a coalition of like-minded states and private entities who have come together to offer a clearly legal and supported logistical structure.
Under the third-party oversight of IAMSP, MSB has formed the framework of a public-private partnership that will address industry major needs. First, shipping companies will be able to verify that the security company that they are considering have met certain vetting criteria. This vetting criteria is based on a range of authoritative requirements, including those of the Coastal States, reducing the risk of disruptions while adherence to unique requirements are met.
Finally, it affords the private security company with a clear and concise point with which to communicate and coordinate its activities and logistics. Working within this framework will demonstrate to all those involved and external to the process, that each of the major parties in this activity are working together to counter the proliferation of grey and black market arms, reduce the potential for disruptions in supply chains and operate in a way that is respectful of the needs of the overall maritime shipping community.
The "ABOUT" page has added even more bits to it as you can see here: http://msbgroupltd.com/about/
MSB Group Ltd has been created as a catalyst to provide an umbrella to bring together like-minded coastal states to standardize a logistical support mechanism for the use and movement of small arms and equipment used in the protection of merchant vessels sailing high risk waters.
In the near future, maritime security companies will be invited to undergo the vetting process in order to participate in this group. These applications will be vetted by the member states through their national security elements.
This is getting even more interesting and we will keep an ear out for more information as it comes in.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Somalia Piracy - Fox Business News
ISSG Holdings, Ltd. has been selected to appear
on
21st Century Business Television series
Boca Raton, FL (TBD) --- Multi-Media Productions (USA), Inc. is pleased to announce that ISSG Holdings, Ltd. will be featured on 21st Century Business.
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., is an international business company engaged in
merchant vessel protection. We have a solution based mindset providing a
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., are supply chain security specialists with a strong maritime security capacity demonstrated through 4 years of protecting vessels passing through high risk waters. With attacks on vessels in areas such as the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean reaching their highest levels in the last five years and with economies continuing to teeter back and forth between slow growth and recession, it has become more important for shipping companies to be able to assure that they get the cargo to its intended destination, on time, in acceptable condition and at reasonable cost.
merchant vessel protection. We have a solution based mindset providing a
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., are supply chain security specialists with a strong maritime security capacity demonstrated through 4 years of protecting vessels passing through high risk waters. With attacks on vessels in areas such as the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean reaching their highest levels in the last five years and with economies continuing to teeter back and forth between slow growth and recession, it has become more important for shipping companies to be able to assure that they get the cargo to its intended destination, on time, in acceptable condition and at reasonable cost.
.
According to Michael Murrell, CEO of ISSG Holdings, the maritime security industry is at a crossroads. It is not enough for security companies to protect the vessel. They must ensure that they have a broad understanding of the risks involved, take steps to address those risks, and continuously monitor their activities to ensure that their actions do not lead to new risks to the vessel. At the same time, security companies must understand the overall movement of goods—contributing to the effective, and efficient, trade between economies.
ISSG Holdings has built a highly capable network and maintains a leadership role within the maritime security community. ISSG Holdings will, based on an expert assessment of risk and in accordance with the appropriate laws, provide armed security services. These services are delivered using some of the highest trained and most capable maritime security operators—the Marine Commandos (MarCos), a unit that has proven itself in those very waters for years. Through its affiliates, such as ISSG India and ISSG Comoros, the company has been able to attract and maintain a capable team ready to serve the shipping industry
ISSG Holdings has also taken a leadership role in the maritime security industry’s push towards professionalization—a significant effort intended to build a true community of professionals that will ensure that the shipping company’s brand and legal status is also well protected. A significant contributor and vetted corporate member of the International Association of Maritime Security Professionals, it was also one of the first maritime security companies to sign onto the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers. These efforts also include some of its key members participating in senior leadership positions in professional security, first responder, and academic communities.
The combination of these efforts has made ISSG a uniquely capable and credible maritime security service provider today.
J.L Haber VP of Programming at Multi Media Productions, added, “In our search for companies with maritime security solutions, ISSG Holdings, Ltd. stood out as a unique company. We are excited to have them as a guest on our program.”
About 21st Century Business
21st Century Business airs on CNBC (as paid programming) and the Fox Business Network (as paid programming). 21st Century Business may also be viewed through video on demand via www.21cbtv.com. The 21CBTV Series is also available at more than 90 prestigious college universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, Howard University, Dartmouth College and Georgetown University.
For specific market-by-market air dates and times, please e-mail Moniqueh@mmpusa.com. For more information, please visit www.21cbtv.com.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Anti-Piracy Leadership
As Reported In Global Insight
The first priority for the international community seeking to address the proliferating scourge of piracy is to bring together a community of capable and well-intentioned entities and organizations. The stark truth is that critical information is not shared and anti-piracy efforts are not harmonized to best effect.
ISSG Holdings has been providing leading-edge ship protection services in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of
Aden for over four years. Registered in the Seychelles, the Company provides a model for leveraging expertise and
technology for excellent client service. It has also been a leader in the efforts to professionalize maritime security
services. The management of ISSG are delighted to have the opportunity to share their insights into modern antipiracy
efforts with the readers of Global.
The fi rst priority for the international community seeking to address the proliferating scourge of piracy is to bring
together a community of capable and well-intentioned entities and organizations. Today, these communities are
fragmented and operate within silos. This is not to say that organizations are not attempting to discharge their
individual duties as they are best able. Many are doing more than that and under diffi cult conditions—whether it
be the various naval forces, customs organizations, shipping companies, agents, or Private Maritime Armed Security
Contractors (PMASCs). The stark truth is that critical information is not shared and anti-piracy efforts are not
harmonized to best effect.
A key element of this is in the passage of the information that is required for risk assessment. The system is broken.
For those assessing risk, few reporting centers are in agreement. Often events are reported differently (at
different locations even), late or sometimes not at all. On many occasions reported attacks are never broadcast back
to the anti-piracy community. In some cases, this failure to report is due to government reluctance to support
armed security personnel and companies. Given that many of these reports come from those same entities, the argument is
ludicrous. Reluctant governments need to assess their priorities as domestic policy considerations are
far outweighed by the need for the community to work together. The second priority must involve
the communication of operational requirements. The issue here is not that states have
controls—that is expected. Nor is it that the PMASC believes the state should bend to its will. The challenge arises
when the requirements communicated to the PMASC change, essentially forcing the PMASC into a state of noncompliance.
Two clear acts would alleviate this situation. First, provide a single location where the PMASC can go to
fi nd all the regional requirements. The second is to allow for the Customs Offi cer to have some discretion when it is
known that the ship was between ports of call when the transitions took place. These two factors eliminate needless
risk and waste.
The final priority for the community is to embrace and implement professionalization. Not industry selfregulation
(regulation belonging to the state), but proper professionalization and internal capacity building. If we
can work towards adopting professional standards and practices across the community, we will be in a much
better position to implement worthy protocols such as the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service
Providers and in time many of the problems hampering anti-piracy efforts today can be resolved. It is important to
note that professionalization is not simply a question of establishing ineffective industry guilds and
lobby groups. Of the organizations that are genuinely attempting to build industry capacity and
promote excellence, the International Association of Maritime Security Professionals has made particularly
noteworthy progress.
These are only three of many challenges facing the anti-piracy community – but by seriously
addressing these priorities the community will have made huge strides towards a return to law and order on the
high seas. ISSG Holdings is determined to play its part in achieving that objective, and we remain committed to
assisting those ships that require protective services. We also hope that our efforts, and the efforts of the anti-piracy
community, will also deliver a brighter future for the law abiding people of Somalia.
Allan McDougall (BA BMASc PCIP CMAS CISSP CPP)
www.issg-seamarshals.com
The first priority for the international community seeking to address the proliferating scourge of piracy is to bring together a community of capable and well-intentioned entities and organizations. The stark truth is that critical information is not shared and anti-piracy efforts are not harmonized to best effect.
ISSG Holdings has been providing leading-edge ship protection services in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of
Aden for over four years. Registered in the Seychelles, the Company provides a model for leveraging expertise and
technology for excellent client service. It has also been a leader in the efforts to professionalize maritime security
services. The management of ISSG are delighted to have the opportunity to share their insights into modern antipiracy
efforts with the readers of Global.
The fi rst priority for the international community seeking to address the proliferating scourge of piracy is to bring
together a community of capable and well-intentioned entities and organizations. Today, these communities are
fragmented and operate within silos. This is not to say that organizations are not attempting to discharge their
individual duties as they are best able. Many are doing more than that and under diffi cult conditions—whether it
be the various naval forces, customs organizations, shipping companies, agents, or Private Maritime Armed Security
Contractors (PMASCs). The stark truth is that critical information is not shared and anti-piracy efforts are not
harmonized to best effect.
A key element of this is in the passage of the information that is required for risk assessment. The system is broken.
For those assessing risk, few reporting centers are in agreement. Often events are reported differently (at
different locations even), late or sometimes not at all. On many occasions reported attacks are never broadcast back
to the anti-piracy community. In some cases, this failure to report is due to government reluctance to support
armed security personnel and companies. Given that many of these reports come from those same entities, the argument is
ludicrous. Reluctant governments need to assess their priorities as domestic policy considerations are
far outweighed by the need for the community to work together. The second priority must involve
the communication of operational requirements. The issue here is not that states have
controls—that is expected. Nor is it that the PMASC believes the state should bend to its will. The challenge arises
when the requirements communicated to the PMASC change, essentially forcing the PMASC into a state of noncompliance.
Two clear acts would alleviate this situation. First, provide a single location where the PMASC can go to
fi nd all the regional requirements. The second is to allow for the Customs Offi cer to have some discretion when it is
known that the ship was between ports of call when the transitions took place. These two factors eliminate needless
risk and waste.
The final priority for the community is to embrace and implement professionalization. Not industry selfregulation
(regulation belonging to the state), but proper professionalization and internal capacity building. If we
can work towards adopting professional standards and practices across the community, we will be in a much
better position to implement worthy protocols such as the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service
Providers and in time many of the problems hampering anti-piracy efforts today can be resolved. It is important to
note that professionalization is not simply a question of establishing ineffective industry guilds and
lobby groups. Of the organizations that are genuinely attempting to build industry capacity and
promote excellence, the International Association of Maritime Security Professionals has made particularly
noteworthy progress.
These are only three of many challenges facing the anti-piracy community – but by seriously
addressing these priorities the community will have made huge strides towards a return to law and order on the
high seas. ISSG Holdings is determined to play its part in achieving that objective, and we remain committed to
assisting those ships that require protective services. We also hope that our efforts, and the efforts of the anti-piracy
community, will also deliver a brighter future for the law abiding people of Somalia.
Allan McDougall (BA BMASc PCIP CMAS CISSP CPP)
www.issg-seamarshals.com
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Lawmaker: Pinoy seamen deserve equal protection of law
As Reported by Pinoyabroad
The Democratic Independent Workers' Association (DIWA) party-list representative is asking the House committee on overseas workers affairs to look into the recent sea piracy incidents involving Filipino seafarers.
In House Resolution 1474, filed last week by DIWA party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay, the "inquiry in aid of legislation" would pave the way to ensure that all Filipino seamen are "accorded the equal protection of the law."
"The inadequacy of our piracy laws necessitates additional legislative measures to make them more all-encompassing, so as not to prejudice other Filipino seafarers who are likewise prone to pirate attacks," she said.
In particular, Aglipay noted that the government should provide "double compensation and benefits" to any victims of sea piracy. Under the present rules, only victims of hijacking in "high risk" zones are given double compensation, while those who become victims in other areas are left with no recourse.
"The Philippine government must take an aggressive role in addressing the plight of our Filipino seafarers who will continue… becoming victims of these illegal activities," Aglipay said, noting that the seamen have greatly boosted the Philippine economy through their remittances.
There are over 300,000 Filipino seafarers, comprising around 30 percent of an estimated 1.2 million seafarers worldwide, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. They have remitted a total of $3.8 billion in 2010, it added.
Death of some seafarers
The death of Christopher Ceprado — one of 17 Filipino crew members of chemical tanker M/T Sea King that was attacked by heavily armed pirates last May — prodded Aglipay to file the House resolution. [See related: Kin of Pinoy seafarer killed off Nigeria seek PHL govt's help]
In this incident, the pirates looted and ransacked the vessel's equipment and took personal effects of crew members while the ship was in the port of Benin's largest city, Cotonou, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Aglipay noted that prior to the killing of Ceprado, M/V Beluga Nomination was hijacked by Somali pirates 390 nautical miles north of Port Victoria in the Seychelles on Jan. 22, 2011.
Farolito Vallega, a Filipino crewman of the M/V Beluga, was shot and killed by the Somali pirates as two anti-piracy naval patrol vessels attempted a rescue mission on Jan. 26, 2011. Also, another Filipino crewman is still missing after jumping overboard during the rescue operation.
Aglipay quoted the International Chamber of Commerce as saying there have been 248 attacks and 28 vessels hijacked worldwide so far this year.
"While the waters off Somalia continues to remain the most piracy-prone area, the risk to crews and shipping off Nigeria and its neighboring states remains high as well especially since incidents are not reported," the lawmaker said.
Aglipay, citing numbers from the International Maritime Bureau, said there are currently over 700 hostages held in over 30 vessels. Based on DFA records, at least 130 Filipino seafarers on board 11 vessels had been held captive by Somali pirates. — With Jesse Edep/VS, GMA News
The Democratic Independent Workers' Association (DIWA) party-list representative is asking the House committee on overseas workers affairs to look into the recent sea piracy incidents involving Filipino seafarers.
In House Resolution 1474, filed last week by DIWA party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay, the "inquiry in aid of legislation" would pave the way to ensure that all Filipino seamen are "accorded the equal protection of the law."
"The inadequacy of our piracy laws necessitates additional legislative measures to make them more all-encompassing, so as not to prejudice other Filipino seafarers who are likewise prone to pirate attacks," she said.
In particular, Aglipay noted that the government should provide "double compensation and benefits" to any victims of sea piracy. Under the present rules, only victims of hijacking in "high risk" zones are given double compensation, while those who become victims in other areas are left with no recourse.
"The Philippine government must take an aggressive role in addressing the plight of our Filipino seafarers who will continue… becoming victims of these illegal activities," Aglipay said, noting that the seamen have greatly boosted the Philippine economy through their remittances.
There are over 300,000 Filipino seafarers, comprising around 30 percent of an estimated 1.2 million seafarers worldwide, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. They have remitted a total of $3.8 billion in 2010, it added.
Death of some seafarers
The death of Christopher Ceprado — one of 17 Filipino crew members of chemical tanker M/T Sea King that was attacked by heavily armed pirates last May — prodded Aglipay to file the House resolution. [See related: Kin of Pinoy seafarer killed off Nigeria seek PHL govt's help]
In this incident, the pirates looted and ransacked the vessel's equipment and took personal effects of crew members while the ship was in the port of Benin's largest city, Cotonou, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Aglipay noted that prior to the killing of Ceprado, M/V Beluga Nomination was hijacked by Somali pirates 390 nautical miles north of Port Victoria in the Seychelles on Jan. 22, 2011.
Farolito Vallega, a Filipino crewman of the M/V Beluga, was shot and killed by the Somali pirates as two anti-piracy naval patrol vessels attempted a rescue mission on Jan. 26, 2011. Also, another Filipino crewman is still missing after jumping overboard during the rescue operation.
Aglipay quoted the International Chamber of Commerce as saying there have been 248 attacks and 28 vessels hijacked worldwide so far this year.
"While the waters off Somalia continues to remain the most piracy-prone area, the risk to crews and shipping off Nigeria and its neighboring states remains high as well especially since incidents are not reported," the lawmaker said.
Aglipay, citing numbers from the International Maritime Bureau, said there are currently over 700 hostages held in over 30 vessels. Based on DFA records, at least 130 Filipino seafarers on board 11 vessels had been held captive by Somali pirates. — With Jesse Edep/VS, GMA News
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Norway's Anti-Piracy Stance
As Reported HERE
“The Norwegians have helped ships flagged in Norway take the bull by the horns,” said Chris Greiveson, a Singapore-based partner at Norwegian law firm Wikborg Rein.
Norway had tried to make the guidelines for using weaponry on ships during an attack as simple and straightforward as it could, he added. “[The rules] are essentially exemptions to local firearms law,” Mr Greiveson said.
The rules go so far as to specify the type of weapons that owners are allowed to deploy via security guards on their vessels, including rifles with as high a calibre as AK-47s, and large semi-automatic weapons.
Norway issued the rules on July 1, at a time when more shipowners are turning to armed guards for protection, particularly in crossing the Indian Ocean.
Lloyd’s List has reported that protection and indemnity clubs are being swamped by requests from owners in all flags to review contracts with security companies offering piracy protection.
Guidelines for selection of security companies and for rules of engagement have been issued by the International Maritime Organization and by P&I clubs.
However, owners that opt to deploy armed guards are still entering a grey area in the law that has not been tested with a great degree of legal precedent. For example, they are held to the laws of their flag state on such matters as which weapons are allowed and the use of weapons.
Only Norway, so far, has been specific about the actual weapons the owners may use. The rules require owners to get a general framework permission from a Norwegian police authority and the country’s maritime directorate, and then to document the actual use of a properly trained and vetted armed personnel with the authorities.
“A granted permit will not be linked to each individual firearm,” the regulations state said. “However, companies must apply for an exemption in order to be permitted to hold prohibited firearms.” Moreover, exemptions are granted for fully automatic firearms with bullets that do not exceed 7.62 mm in calibre or that use rounds with a size of 9 x 19 mm.
The exemptions also allow for single-shot, repeating semi-automatic firearms with bullets with diameters that do not exceed 12.7mm — in other words, “quite a big beast of a weapon”, according to Mr Greiveson.
The regulations include guidelines for storage of weapons and many other practical issues. The detailed level of advice came in the wake of criticism of the Norwegian government by Norwegian shipowners, who were calling for a more useful code to work with. “Norway has done a great service to its shipowners,” said Mr Greiveson.
BW Group chairman Helmut Sohmen said that the regulations were helpful, and would help stop “incidental attacks”.
However, he raised the caveat that deploying armed guards was no solution to the problem. The escalation of violence could put seafarers into the middle of a melee, or pirates could simply be clever enough to stay away from Norwegian ships and attack those less likely to be so well armed.
Norway’s Anti-Piracy Stance Grabs Industry Attention
The dog days of summer are upon us, which may explain why Norway’s release of new anti-piracy regulations crept by without much attention. But the force and practicality of Norway’s effort to lay out practical terms for using armed guards on Norway-flagged vessels is now dawning on shipowners and maritime lawyers.
“The Norwegians have helped ships flagged in Norway take the bull by the horns,” said Chris Greiveson, a Singapore-based partner at Norwegian law firm Wikborg Rein.
Norway had tried to make the guidelines for using weaponry on ships during an attack as simple and straightforward as it could, he added. “[The rules] are essentially exemptions to local firearms law,” Mr Greiveson said.
The rules go so far as to specify the type of weapons that owners are allowed to deploy via security guards on their vessels, including rifles with as high a calibre as AK-47s, and large semi-automatic weapons.
Norway issued the rules on July 1, at a time when more shipowners are turning to armed guards for protection, particularly in crossing the Indian Ocean.
Lloyd’s List has reported that protection and indemnity clubs are being swamped by requests from owners in all flags to review contracts with security companies offering piracy protection.
Guidelines for selection of security companies and for rules of engagement have been issued by the International Maritime Organization and by P&I clubs.
However, owners that opt to deploy armed guards are still entering a grey area in the law that has not been tested with a great degree of legal precedent. For example, they are held to the laws of their flag state on such matters as which weapons are allowed and the use of weapons.
Only Norway, so far, has been specific about the actual weapons the owners may use. The rules require owners to get a general framework permission from a Norwegian police authority and the country’s maritime directorate, and then to document the actual use of a properly trained and vetted armed personnel with the authorities.
“A granted permit will not be linked to each individual firearm,” the regulations state said. “However, companies must apply for an exemption in order to be permitted to hold prohibited firearms.” Moreover, exemptions are granted for fully automatic firearms with bullets that do not exceed 7.62 mm in calibre or that use rounds with a size of 9 x 19 mm.
The exemptions also allow for single-shot, repeating semi-automatic firearms with bullets with diameters that do not exceed 12.7mm — in other words, “quite a big beast of a weapon”, according to Mr Greiveson.
The regulations include guidelines for storage of weapons and many other practical issues. The detailed level of advice came in the wake of criticism of the Norwegian government by Norwegian shipowners, who were calling for a more useful code to work with. “Norway has done a great service to its shipowners,” said Mr Greiveson.
BW Group chairman Helmut Sohmen said that the regulations were helpful, and would help stop “incidental attacks”.
However, he raised the caveat that deploying armed guards was no solution to the problem. The escalation of violence could put seafarers into the middle of a melee, or pirates could simply be clever enough to stay away from Norwegian ships and attack those less likely to be so well armed.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Indian Navy Foils Pirate Attack
As Reported HERE
INS Godavari foils piracy attempt
An Indian Navy warship foiled a pirate attack on a Greek merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden when it launched a helicopter and marine commandoes forcing eight Somali pirates to abandon the plan.
Indian Naval Ship Godavari, on anti-piracy patrol escort operation since May 25 in the region responded to a distress call from MV Elinakos in the early hours of July 16 while escorting four other ships in the Gulf of Aden.
“The INS Godavari was quick to launch a helicopter to locate the skiff being used by the pirates and subsequently launched marine commandos to board the pirate boat. On being approached by the naval boat, they dumped their arms, ammunition and other piracy triggers’’, Indian Navy spokesman said.
A German naval ship, the Niedersachsen, also coordinated with INS Godavari in the operation, which continued with the escort mission, on completion of the operation.
Since it deployment in May this year, INS Godavari has safely escorted 219 ships of various countries and last week, the warship escorted a Pakistani ship, the MV Islamabad, with an all-Pakistani crew of 38.
The Indian Navy has been deploying ships since 2008 in the Gulf of Aden for escorting merchant vessels and Indian Naval ships have escorted 1,665 ships successfully.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Regulating Private Maritime Security?
As Reported by Inner City Press
On Somalia Piracy, US Questions Regulating Mercenaries, Egypt Says Crime is Crime
UNITED NATIONS, July 14 -- Amid controversy about the use of mercenaries to face off against pirates off the coast of Somalia, the US State Department's Donna Hopkins on July 14 told Inner City Press “there's a robust international effort [about] the use of armed security, private or not, and how it should be regulated, if at all.” Video here, from Minute 13:30.
Earlier in the month, the chairman of the UN's Working Group on mercenaries told Inner City Press that a draft convention to regulate private military contractors is being opposed by large states.
Apparently, even with Blackwater having renamed itself Xe Services and moved to the Middle East, the US is still opposed to regulating mercenaries, including on the high seas.
Hopkins is formally the Coordinator of the Counter Piracy and Maritime Security Bureau of Political Military Affairs at the US State Department, and chairs “Working Group Three” of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. Denmark's Legal Adviser Thomas Winkler declined to say if the use of armed security is good or bad, but added that no ship with armed guards has been hijacked.
Another Contact Group member, Egypt's Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister and Counter Terrorism Coordinator Ashraf Mohsen, adopted an even harder line. Inner City Press asked if the Contact Group has done anything about illegal fishing or the dumping of toxic waste.
“Some will try to justify criminal behavior,” Mohsen said, citing poverty as an excuse for stealing, injustice as a rationale for killing. “Crime is crime... Piracy is a form of criminal behavior. Any justification is unacceptable.”
As if to counteract this position, Mary Seet-Cheng of Singapore said that piracy cannot be solved at sea. The UK's Chris Holtby chimed in about efforts on the rule of law in Somalia, the development of its Exclusive Economic Zone. He did not mention outside involvement in what purported to be Somalia's own Law of the Sea filing. And so it goes at the UN.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
BRITISH NAVY FIRED ON OFF SOMALIA
As Reported HERE
BRITISH NAVY IN DANGEROUS ACTION OFF NORTHERN COAST OF SOMALIA
AFRICA 11 July 2011. British Royal Navy warship entangled in domestic affairs skirmish.
A British warship allegedly having the commander of the Somaliland navy and some of his soldiers on board attracted on Saturday serious military fire when it came close to the shore off Laasqoray, the coastal town of Warsangeliland at the Somali shores of the Gulf of Aden. From the foreign warship reportedly one amphibious vessel and two commando boats were launched with the intent to land on the beach.
Local officials, observers and media reported the incident as an unprecedented provocation and attack on the sovereignty of Somalia and specifically of the Warsangeli territory.
Reports indicated earlier last week that a British warship had come to Somaliland’s port city of Berbera where President Ahmed Silanyo reportedly met British officials on board the vessel.
The ship is believed to be a patrol ship that is part of the western-led anti-piracy initiatives along the coasts of Somalia.
While neither EU NAVFOR nor the British navy reported the incident, security forces of Somalia’s breakaway region of Puntland confirmed that they had fired towards a British warship near the coast.
The political background is the long-standing fight between the former British colony of Somaliland in the Northwest of Somalia, which today prefers to be an independent, though internationally not recognized breakaway republic and Puntland, the federal regional state of Somalia, located to the north-east.
Between these two blocks, the land of the Warsangeli and further south the Dulbahante homeland form a buffer zone, which regularly sees skirmishes over the control for these areas, which also contain oil- and other mineral concessions, being fought over between the two blocks.
Somaliland and Puntland are engaged in this long-standing border dispute particularly along the borders of the Sool, Sanaag and Ceyn regions located in the central north of Somalia since 1992.
The latest incident now involved a British naval vessel on a mission with an obviously pro-Somaliland agenda which was countered by forces loyal to the Puntland government as well as by those of the local Warsangeli governance.
The provincial commissioner of Sanaag region, Mohamud Dabayl said the war ship sailed towards Laasqoray, a strategic port town in the North of Somalia which is part of a territory disputed by the Puntland and Somaliland authorities.
"The ship appeared to have been misdirected and its captain may have been told that Laasqoray would be part of Somaliland. It was sailing towards Laasqoray” Dabayl told the local media in Bosaso.
He said Puntland authorities fired warning shots after it emerged that the warship entered their territory without prior notification, an issue regional officials said is a violation of territorial sovereignty and international law.
“Our security forces fired warning shots towards the ship because it was sailing through the coast of Puntland. The warning was to tell the crew that they were not in the territorial waters of Somaliland” he added.
According to the local Hiraan media, the regional commissioner said Puntland security personnel had arrested one person from the ship who was waving the flag of the self declared republic of Somaliland at the time when the warning shots were fired.
Local observers reported that though heavier weapons including RPGs and also small arms fire were directed against the British naval contingent and three of the Somaliland soldiers, who had landed from the British ship on the beach, were arrested, nobody got hurt.
BRITISH NAVY IN DANGEROUS ACTION OFF NORTHERN COAST OF SOMALIA
AFRICA 11 July 2011. British Royal Navy warship entangled in domestic affairs skirmish.
A British warship allegedly having the commander of the Somaliland navy and some of his soldiers on board attracted on Saturday serious military fire when it came close to the shore off Laasqoray, the coastal town of Warsangeliland at the Somali shores of the Gulf of Aden. From the foreign warship reportedly one amphibious vessel and two commando boats were launched with the intent to land on the beach.
Local officials, observers and media reported the incident as an unprecedented provocation and attack on the sovereignty of Somalia and specifically of the Warsangeli territory.
Reports indicated earlier last week that a British warship had come to Somaliland’s port city of Berbera where President Ahmed Silanyo reportedly met British officials on board the vessel.
The ship is believed to be a patrol ship that is part of the western-led anti-piracy initiatives along the coasts of Somalia.
While neither EU NAVFOR nor the British navy reported the incident, security forces of Somalia’s breakaway region of Puntland confirmed that they had fired towards a British warship near the coast.
The political background is the long-standing fight between the former British colony of Somaliland in the Northwest of Somalia, which today prefers to be an independent, though internationally not recognized breakaway republic and Puntland, the federal regional state of Somalia, located to the north-east.
Between these two blocks, the land of the Warsangeli and further south the Dulbahante homeland form a buffer zone, which regularly sees skirmishes over the control for these areas, which also contain oil- and other mineral concessions, being fought over between the two blocks.
Somaliland and Puntland are engaged in this long-standing border dispute particularly along the borders of the Sool, Sanaag and Ceyn regions located in the central north of Somalia since 1992.
The latest incident now involved a British naval vessel on a mission with an obviously pro-Somaliland agenda which was countered by forces loyal to the Puntland government as well as by those of the local Warsangeli governance.
The provincial commissioner of Sanaag region, Mohamud Dabayl said the war ship sailed towards Laasqoray, a strategic port town in the North of Somalia which is part of a territory disputed by the Puntland and Somaliland authorities.
"The ship appeared to have been misdirected and its captain may have been told that Laasqoray would be part of Somaliland. It was sailing towards Laasqoray” Dabayl told the local media in Bosaso.
He said Puntland authorities fired warning shots after it emerged that the warship entered their territory without prior notification, an issue regional officials said is a violation of territorial sovereignty and international law.
“Our security forces fired warning shots towards the ship because it was sailing through the coast of Puntland. The warning was to tell the crew that they were not in the territorial waters of Somaliland” he added.
According to the local Hiraan media, the regional commissioner said Puntland security personnel had arrested one person from the ship who was waving the flag of the self declared republic of Somaliland at the time when the warning shots were fired.
Local observers reported that though heavier weapons including RPGs and also small arms fire were directed against the British naval contingent and three of the Somaliland soldiers, who had landed from the British ship on the beach, were arrested, nobody got hurt.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
India to charge Somali pirates and their hostages
Of Compassion—and Common Sense
Recent media reports HERE that India is intended to charge 14 suspected Somali pirates and their three hostages that drifted to within kilometres of India’s coast. While one can certainly see the pirates facing charges, the argument that the Somali’s will only be charged with trespassing is somewhat mind boggling. To charge the three Yemeni, indicated as being “hostages”, for entering into India’s territory without the appropriate travel documents should also raise a few eyebrows.
India has taken a reasonably tough stance on its border controls since the Mumbai attacks. The fact that this vessel was reported to have been found near the same route suspected to have been used for those attacks probably does not help the situation. It may even be necessary to show a strong hand against both the Somalis and Yemeni on board so that there is no appearance of vulnerabilities in the overall system.
The problem here is that there are indications that India’s stance on its border controls may be moving beyond the pale of decency and common sense. There have been reports, corroborated through third sources, that Indian officials were directly involved in failing to allow at least one person from being able to seek medical attention when that individual was left stranded on board a vessel (the company having gone into receivership and leaving a number of its crew and personnel stranded).
Combined with those, and other, past reports, there are adequate indications that India`s policies in this respect have moved outside of what might be called reasonable conduct. While, of course, the state certainly has its right to manage its own sovereign affairs as it sees fit, it may be prudent for some to be reminded that (1) they operate within a community of nations and (2) that strength and compassion are a far more powerful mix than simply exercising strength without judgement.
Let us hope that common sense prevails...that the pirates are held pending more serious charges and that the Yemeni persons held hostage are recognized for being under duress and hardly able to be held criminally responsible for their apparent transgression.
Full Article:
AHMEDABAD, India (AFP) – Indian police said Wednesday they would charge 14 suspected Somali pirates and their three hostages who drifted to within kilometres (miles) of the country's west coast in a fishing boat.
A senior police official said that investigators believed three Yemeni men found on the trawler were hostages of the alleged pirates, who are believed to have hijacked the vessel two weeks ago off the coast of Somalia.
The Yemenis told police the boat had been adrift in the Indian Ocean after running out of fuel and had been carried to the Indian coast by the tide.
All 17 men were detained in the coastal district of Junagarh in Gujarat state, some 300 kilometres (186 miles) southwest from the main regional city of Ahmedabad.
"After interrogation we have ascertained that the Somali nationals are pirates who had kidnapped the three Yemenis," Junagarh police chief Depankar Trivedi told AFP by telephone.
He said police would press charges against the Somalis and their captives for entering India without valid travel documents.
The official said the Somalis were only charged with trespassing because the hijacking occurred beyond India's jurisdiction in international waters.
"We are charging them only for the violation of Indian laws," he said, adding the three Yemenis did not possess travel documents and so were also in breach of India's Passport Act.
Trivedi said a marine police team detained the men on Sunday after local fishermen reported the presence of the Yemen-flagged vessel only a couple of kilometres (miles) off the coast of Gujarat.
India's coastguard and navy are on high alert against pirates seeking to evade the international force patrolling waters off Somalia by attacking shipping much further east in the Indian Ocean.
More than 100 pirates have been caught and are awaiting trial in India following a series of violent skirmishes near the country's Lakshadweep islands since the start of this year.
India, which does not have a specific anti-piracy-law, is planning to frame legislation to deal with the scourge.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
UN warns of new peak in Somali pirate attacks
As Reported HERE
UNITED NATIONS — Somali pirates are attacking growing numbers of ships in the Indian Ocean, the UN Security Council was warned Tuesday amidst calls for even tougher international action.
Since January 1, there have been at least 171 attacks off the coast of Somalia and at the end of May the pirates held 26 vessels and more than 600 hostages, France's UN envoy Gerard Araud said.
The violence the sea bandits is using is also becoming more extreme, the ambassador added in a Security Council debate on possible new international legal measures against piracy.
"The international community is facing an unprecedented and growing threat from piracy," commented India's UN envoy Hardeep Singh Puri, whose country has also been affected by the attacks.
Russia's ambassador Vitaly Churkin stepped up calls for an international court to handle the pirates as well as special courts and jails in the Somali autonomous regions of Puntland and Somaliland.
A plan for the courts has been drawn up by Jack Lang, a former French government minister named as a special advisor on the legal implications of the piracy.
www.issg-seamarshals.com
UNITED NATIONS — Somali pirates are attacking growing numbers of ships in the Indian Ocean, the UN Security Council was warned Tuesday amidst calls for even tougher international action.
Since January 1, there have been at least 171 attacks off the coast of Somalia and at the end of May the pirates held 26 vessels and more than 600 hostages, France's UN envoy Gerard Araud said.
The violence the sea bandits is using is also becoming more extreme, the ambassador added in a Security Council debate on possible new international legal measures against piracy.
"The international community is facing an unprecedented and growing threat from piracy," commented India's UN envoy Hardeep Singh Puri, whose country has also been affected by the attacks.
Russia's ambassador Vitaly Churkin stepped up calls for an international court to handle the pirates as well as special courts and jails in the Somali autonomous regions of Puntland and Somaliland.
A plan for the courts has been drawn up by Jack Lang, a former French government minister named as a special advisor on the legal implications of the piracy.
www.issg-seamarshals.com
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
MV Orna on Fire, MV Suez Attacked Again
As Reported HERE
Drama is unfolding along Somalia's coast tonight as the hijacked MV Orna burns and the recently freed MV Suez was again attacked by Somali pirates.
MV Orna
MV Orna, laden with over 26,000 tons of coal, is reportedly on fire near Handule, some 18km north of Haradheere, Somalia. She had most recently been operating as a pirate mothership.
The Panama flagged bulk carrier was hijacked on December 20, 2010 some 400 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles on her way from Durban, South Africa to Okhaa, India.
The attack was launched from 2 attack skiffs, with pirates firing small arms and rocket propelled grenades at the merchant vessel. The vessel was stopped and boarded by at least 4 pirates.
The safety of the hostages (18 Syrians and 1 Sri Lankan) is unknown.
MV Suez
Somali pirates attempted to hijack the MV Suez which had just been release by pirates on Sunday and was on her way to Eritrea for ships stores and a crew change.
She was attacked by 4 armed pirates on a skiff. One pirate managed to get on-board but was overpowered by the crew. He jumped overboard leaving his AK-47 on the Suez.
She is now heading to Salalah with a naval escort.
The Egyptian owned general cargo vessel was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on August 2, 2010 as she transited from Pakistan to Eritrea.
The crew is comprised of six Indians, four Pakistanis, and 12 Egyptians. Other sources report 11 Egyptians on board.
MV Orna Burns as Freed MV Suez Attacked Again
EU NAVFOR
MV Orna
MV Orna
MV Orna, laden with over 26,000 tons of coal, is reportedly on fire near Handule, some 18km north of Haradheere, Somalia. She had most recently been operating as a pirate mothership.
The Panama flagged bulk carrier was hijacked on December 20, 2010 some 400 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles on her way from Durban, South Africa to Okhaa, India.
The attack was launched from 2 attack skiffs, with pirates firing small arms and rocket propelled grenades at the merchant vessel. The vessel was stopped and boarded by at least 4 pirates.
The safety of the hostages (18 Syrians and 1 Sri Lankan) is unknown.
MV Suez
Somali pirates attempted to hijack the MV Suez which had just been release by pirates on Sunday and was on her way to Eritrea for ships stores and a crew change.
She was attacked by 4 armed pirates on a skiff. One pirate managed to get on-board but was overpowered by the crew. He jumped overboard leaving his AK-47 on the Suez.
She is now heading to Salalah with a naval escort.
The Egyptian owned general cargo vessel was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on August 2, 2010 as she transited from Pakistan to Eritrea.
The crew is comprised of six Indians, four Pakistanis, and 12 Egyptians. Other sources report 11 Egyptians on board.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Asian Ship Owners Angry
As Reported HERE
“Somali piracy and ship hijackings have become rampant since the collapse of Somalia’s central government more than 20 years ago. It is now time to take effective action and eradicate piracy,” said Johnson Sutjipto, Chairman of the 20th Asian Shippers Forum (ASF).
The ASF has expressed grave concern that the waters off the coast of Somalia have grown increasingly treacherous as hijackings, kidnappings, and extortion have proliferated over the past several years, forcing some shipowners to employ armed guards to ensure the safety of their ships and crews.
Robert Ho, the acting chairman of the Ship Insurance and Liability committee stressed that the various liabilities, potentially incurred through the carriage of private armed guards on a ship in an attempt to protect its seafarers, are defined.
Ho said these liabilities should not fall on the master of the ship or the owner, who may have no other option but to consider the employment of armed guards because Governments are unable or unwilling to provide the appropriate security.
“Pirates were once confined to the waters of the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa, but with each success, they have grown ever more daring and extended their area of operation. It is high time for all governments, the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization to come together and put an end to these criminal activities! We cannot tolerate nor allow this to continue any longer,” said S. S. Teo, chairman of the Safe Navigation and Environment committee.
Yasumi Kudo, chairman of the Shipping Economics Review committee emphasized that, “pirates have apparently concluded that the rewards of hijackings far outweigh the risk of capture and punishment. The cost of organized piracy to global trade, estimated to be $7 to $12 billion per annum, is simply unsustainable.”
It was reported that 26 ships and 522 seafarers were being held hostage off the coast of Somalia, some for extremely lengthy periods.
Angry Asian shipowners call for action against rising ship piracy
MANILA, Philippines — Asian shipowners have expressed impatience, anger and frustration at the ever-increasing number of attacks on ships and seafarers by Somali pirates.
“Somali piracy and ship hijackings have become rampant since the collapse of Somalia’s central government more than 20 years ago. It is now time to take effective action and eradicate piracy,” said Johnson Sutjipto, Chairman of the 20th Asian Shippers Forum (ASF).
The ASF has expressed grave concern that the waters off the coast of Somalia have grown increasingly treacherous as hijackings, kidnappings, and extortion have proliferated over the past several years, forcing some shipowners to employ armed guards to ensure the safety of their ships and crews.
Robert Ho, the acting chairman of the Ship Insurance and Liability committee stressed that the various liabilities, potentially incurred through the carriage of private armed guards on a ship in an attempt to protect its seafarers, are defined.
Ho said these liabilities should not fall on the master of the ship or the owner, who may have no other option but to consider the employment of armed guards because Governments are unable or unwilling to provide the appropriate security.
“Pirates were once confined to the waters of the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa, but with each success, they have grown ever more daring and extended their area of operation. It is high time for all governments, the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization to come together and put an end to these criminal activities! We cannot tolerate nor allow this to continue any longer,” said S. S. Teo, chairman of the Safe Navigation and Environment committee.
Yasumi Kudo, chairman of the Shipping Economics Review committee emphasized that, “pirates have apparently concluded that the rewards of hijackings far outweigh the risk of capture and punishment. The cost of organized piracy to global trade, estimated to be $7 to $12 billion per annum, is simply unsustainable.”
It was reported that 26 ships and 522 seafarers were being held hostage off the coast of Somalia, some for extremely lengthy periods.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Philippines bids for UN's top marine post
As reported HERE
The Philippines, the biggest supplier of seamen in the world, is making its first bid for the secretary-generalship of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The IMO is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
Diplomat Neil Frank Ferrer, 42, the Filipino candidate, has been the Philippine representative to the IMO over the past 12 years and has served as chair of the powerful Maritime Safety Committee (MSC). He knows the ins and outs of the organization and has grown with the times under the IMO.
The next IMO chief will need to keep an eye on the safety and security of maritime transport in the face of increased piracy. Environmental issues are also high on the agenda. Promoting the rights and welfare of seafarers is also the IMO's work.
Ferrer holds a degree in Political Science from the University of the Philippines. After passing the consular exams for young ambassadors and joining the foreign service, he took up his Masters of Science in Economics at the De La Salle University, and later a Master of Arts in International Boundaries (with distinction) from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom.
Aside from posts in the Philippine embassies in China and the UK, Ferrer began as the alternate Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the IMO (including the International Mobile Satellite Organization and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds in London, UK.) He has also worked with the International Labor Organization in the Expert Working Group on Liability and Compensation regarding claims for Death, Personal Injury and Abandonment of Seafarers (2009).
Ferrer was elected president of the IMO Diplomatic Conference held in Manila in 2010.
A former assistant to the Marine and Ocean Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs, he is also considered one the country's experts on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
The IMO leadership is being contested by candidates from other strong seafaring countries like Japan, Cyprus, the United States and others.
The IMO elections will be held this June with run-off elections expected until July or until a clear majority emerges.
Ferrer got an early endorsement from the Associate Marine Officers and Ratings, Inc. (Amor) which counts thousands of seafarers working onboard ships worldwide.
President Benigno Aquino and his diplomatic officers will of course be campaigning for him. The Department of Transportation & Communications will be sponsoring a dinner in his honor during the IMO convention this month.
It may add to Ferrer's stature that he enjoys the support of the current IMO secretary-general, Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos of Greece, mainly because of his outstanding performance and dedicated leadership.
During the Maritime Safety Committee Meeting last May 11-20 in London, Ferrer served as the chair and did well in steering the debates and discussions. When he delivered his final statement, many of the delegates stood up to express their support for him and the committee. The Filipinos in the meeting took their cue and began some impromptu campaigning for Ferrer.
There are almost 300,000 Filipino seamen deployed in almost every port and ship in the world. Its about time a Filipino takes his place at the helm of the IMO.
www.issg-seamarshals.com
The Philippines, the biggest supplier of seamen in the world, is making its first bid for the secretary-generalship of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The IMO is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
Diplomat Neil Frank Ferrer, 42, the Filipino candidate, has been the Philippine representative to the IMO over the past 12 years and has served as chair of the powerful Maritime Safety Committee (MSC). He knows the ins and outs of the organization and has grown with the times under the IMO.
The next IMO chief will need to keep an eye on the safety and security of maritime transport in the face of increased piracy. Environmental issues are also high on the agenda. Promoting the rights and welfare of seafarers is also the IMO's work.
Ferrer holds a degree in Political Science from the University of the Philippines. After passing the consular exams for young ambassadors and joining the foreign service, he took up his Masters of Science in Economics at the De La Salle University, and later a Master of Arts in International Boundaries (with distinction) from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom.
Aside from posts in the Philippine embassies in China and the UK, Ferrer began as the alternate Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the IMO (including the International Mobile Satellite Organization and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds in London, UK.) He has also worked with the International Labor Organization in the Expert Working Group on Liability and Compensation regarding claims for Death, Personal Injury and Abandonment of Seafarers (2009).
Ferrer was elected president of the IMO Diplomatic Conference held in Manila in 2010.
A former assistant to the Marine and Ocean Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs, he is also considered one the country's experts on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
The IMO leadership is being contested by candidates from other strong seafaring countries like Japan, Cyprus, the United States and others.
The IMO elections will be held this June with run-off elections expected until July or until a clear majority emerges.
Ferrer got an early endorsement from the Associate Marine Officers and Ratings, Inc. (Amor) which counts thousands of seafarers working onboard ships worldwide.
President Benigno Aquino and his diplomatic officers will of course be campaigning for him. The Department of Transportation & Communications will be sponsoring a dinner in his honor during the IMO convention this month.
It may add to Ferrer's stature that he enjoys the support of the current IMO secretary-general, Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos of Greece, mainly because of his outstanding performance and dedicated leadership.
During the Maritime Safety Committee Meeting last May 11-20 in London, Ferrer served as the chair and did well in steering the debates and discussions. When he delivered his final statement, many of the delegates stood up to express their support for him and the committee. The Filipinos in the meeting took their cue and began some impromptu campaigning for Ferrer.
There are almost 300,000 Filipino seamen deployed in almost every port and ship in the world. Its about time a Filipino takes his place at the helm of the IMO.
www.issg-seamarshals.com
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Captain Killed in Cross Fire
As Reported HERE
Captain of hijacked Taiwan boat died in crossfire
Published: Saturday, May. 28, 2011 - 8:05 pm
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's Foreign Ministry says the captain of a hijacked Taiwanese fishing boat was killed in crossfire between U.S. Navy personnel and Somali pirates.
The ministry says the USS Stephen W. Groves and pirates aboard the hijacked Jih Chun Tsai 68 fishing trawler exchanged fire over the Indian Ocean during the U.S. frigate's anti-piracy patrol mission earlier this month.
The ministry said in a statement late Saturday that three pirates and Taiwanese captain Wu Lai-yu were killed in the incident.
The ministry said pirates hijacked the boat off the Somali coast in March 2010 and used the vessel to launch maritime attacks.
Confrontations with Somali pirates have turned increasingly violent in recent months.
The ministry says the USS Stephen W. Groves and pirates aboard the hijacked Jih Chun Tsai 68 fishing trawler exchanged fire over the Indian Ocean during the U.S. frigate's anti-piracy patrol mission earlier this month.
The ministry said in a statement late Saturday that three pirates and Taiwanese captain Wu Lai-yu were killed in the incident.
The ministry said pirates hijacked the boat off the Somali coast in March 2010 and used the vessel to launch maritime attacks.
Confrontations with Somali pirates have turned increasingly violent in recent months.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
ISSG and 21st Century Business
As Reported HERE
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., is an international business company engaged in merchant vessel protection. We have a solution based mindset providing a ISSG Holdings, Ltd., is an international business company engaged in merchant vessel protection. They have a total solution based mindset providing a
bespoke service to the maritime industry. They believe in due diligence and exercising due care with a business approach.
The company specializes in long term, multiple transit contracts as this is the most cost effective solution for the maritime industry. Their security consultants include former Marine / Navy Commandos that are all trained in ship defense, boarding and hostage recovery.
Any security safeguard should be based on a properly conducted risk assessment involving trained security personnel with experience in the region, as well as the maritime domain. Each vessel and transit should be weighed on its own with the safeguards ensuring appropriate protection for life, property and operations.
The company maintains a 24 / 7 operations command and control center, with contingency back-up with Evolutionary Security Management, Inc. of Canada. This allows a total monitoring of all vessels, weather, communications with vessels and naval forces and continual updated risk assessments. Continuous monitoring is conducted in North America and Asia simultaneously.
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., provides armed security escorts for merchant vessels sailing in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. They have been able to overcome the obstacles that previously hindered the carriage of firearms in various ports and countries. By having an armed one on one escort, there is no need to place firearms on board the merchant vessel itself, overcoming the liabilities
and potential hazards for carriage of arms on board.
For more information visit www.issg-seamarshals.com
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., is an international business company engaged in merchant vessel protection. We have a solution based mindset providing a ISSG Holdings, Ltd., is an international business company engaged in merchant vessel protection. They have a total solution based mindset providing a
bespoke service to the maritime industry. They believe in due diligence and exercising due care with a business approach.
The company specializes in long term, multiple transit contracts as this is the most cost effective solution for the maritime industry. Their security consultants include former Marine / Navy Commandos that are all trained in ship defense, boarding and hostage recovery.
Any security safeguard should be based on a properly conducted risk assessment involving trained security personnel with experience in the region, as well as the maritime domain. Each vessel and transit should be weighed on its own with the safeguards ensuring appropriate protection for life, property and operations.
The company maintains a 24 / 7 operations command and control center, with contingency back-up with Evolutionary Security Management, Inc. of Canada. This allows a total monitoring of all vessels, weather, communications with vessels and naval forces and continual updated risk assessments. Continuous monitoring is conducted in North America and Asia simultaneously.
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., provides armed security escorts for merchant vessels sailing in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. They have been able to overcome the obstacles that previously hindered the carriage of firearms in various ports and countries. By having an armed one on one escort, there is no need to place firearms on board the merchant vessel itself, overcoming the liabilities
and potential hazards for carriage of arms on board.
For more information visit www.issg-seamarshals.com
Friday, April 15, 2011
Dolphins Protect Against Pirates (Again?)
Unlikely allies...brought to you by the imagination of the Chinese. The thousands of dolphins that recently halted an attack against a Chinese vessel are consistent like clockwork. They managed to rescue a Chinese ship every year for the past three years...all on the 14th or 15th of April. The most recent article HERE
Thousands of dolphins block Somali pirates
News Date: 15th April 2011
This happened to strike a memory, so a little research and as reported HERE
www.chinaview.cn 
2009-04-14 11:18:17
Thousands of dolphins block Somali pirates  |
2009-04-14 11:18:17 These Dolphins seem to do this quite often
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Seafarers should not pay for their anti-piracy training, says AMOSUP
As Reported HERE
MANILA, Philippines — The Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), the biggest union of mariners in the world with some 90,000 members, said Tuesday not even a centavo must be deducted from the salary of Filipino seafarers for their “anti-piracy” training for overseas deployment.
AMOSUP executive vice president Eduardo Ma. R. Santos (AFP, ret.), who is a former chief of the Philippine Navy told the Manila Bulletin in an interview, the concerned shipowners and their agents are duty- bound to defray expenses for the said kind of training to prepare and equip the seafarers against any possible attacks while on board ships where they are deployed.
“The anti-piracy training for seafarers for overseas deployment is a mandatory requirement of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and cannot be waived”, said Santos, who was visibly concerned with the situation of Filipino seafarers, together with seafarers of other nationalities, who are presently being held hostage by Somali pirates near the Gulf of Aden in Seychelles
“The shipowners or their agents are duty-bound to defray for the training expenses,” he said, not the government, stressing that sanctions will definitely be pounded on violators.
Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Maritime Training Council (MTC) Executive Director Liberty Casco supported Admiral Santos’ stance.
Of late, a Filipino member of the crew of the seajacked cargo vessel identified as ‘MV Beluga Nomination’ was gunned down during a rescue operation by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), while another Filipino crewman is still reported missing after jumping overboard during the said CMF rescue operation.
Reports have it that around 155 Filipino seafarers are being held hostage in the Somalia area. No additional case of deaths or injuries were reported at press time, however, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Special and Oceans Concerns Jose “Chito” Brillantes said in another interview, “constant monitoring on the situation of our seafarers in the Gulf of Aden and Somali basin is in place” in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and other related agencies.
MANILA, Philippines — The Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), the biggest union of mariners in the world with some 90,000 members, said Tuesday not even a centavo must be deducted from the salary of Filipino seafarers for their “anti-piracy” training for overseas deployment.
AMOSUP executive vice president Eduardo Ma. R. Santos (AFP, ret.), who is a former chief of the Philippine Navy told the Manila Bulletin in an interview, the concerned shipowners and their agents are duty- bound to defray expenses for the said kind of training to prepare and equip the seafarers against any possible attacks while on board ships where they are deployed.
“The anti-piracy training for seafarers for overseas deployment is a mandatory requirement of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and cannot be waived”, said Santos, who was visibly concerned with the situation of Filipino seafarers, together with seafarers of other nationalities, who are presently being held hostage by Somali pirates near the Gulf of Aden in Seychelles
“The shipowners or their agents are duty-bound to defray for the training expenses,” he said, not the government, stressing that sanctions will definitely be pounded on violators.
Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Maritime Training Council (MTC) Executive Director Liberty Casco supported Admiral Santos’ stance.
Of late, a Filipino member of the crew of the seajacked cargo vessel identified as ‘MV Beluga Nomination’ was gunned down during a rescue operation by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), while another Filipino crewman is still reported missing after jumping overboard during the said CMF rescue operation.
Reports have it that around 155 Filipino seafarers are being held hostage in the Somalia area. No additional case of deaths or injuries were reported at press time, however, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Special and Oceans Concerns Jose “Chito” Brillantes said in another interview, “constant monitoring on the situation of our seafarers in the Gulf of Aden and Somali basin is in place” in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and other related agencies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
