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…
During 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…
IMO 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…
Former 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…