Piracy Security News

The threat to maritime security from piracy, terrorism, criminal acts, and hostage and kidnapping threats continues to pose challenges to ships’ owners, masters and crew members, and has resulted in  the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) (Booth S16 at OTC) publishing ‘Security Measures and Emergency Response Guidance’ (IMCA SEL 037, IMCA M 226). “Safety is of paramount importance, and our document aims to provide guidance to masters, company and ship security officers and other crew members and staff…

Software developer Diginonymous LLC and Maritime Medical Access Program at The George Washington University (GW) Medical Faculty Associates have teamed up to offer an advanced shipboard video telemedicine service for the international maritime industry to help clients meet the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006 requirements for crew healthcare. The GW Maritime Medical Access Program and Diginonymous developed the Digi+Doc service, a maritime medical solution leveraging GW’s decades of experience and Diginonymous’ products to provide immediate, round-the-clock phone and video medical consults for ships at sea.

AdvanFort receives key “green light” accreditation in the Stage 1 process from Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI). The company says it has achieved key certification status in the Standard Private Maritime Security Company (PMSC) accreditation program of the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) pointing out that it is part of AdvanFort's on-going rigorous program of matching and exceeding emerging international benchmarks for quality and standards in maritime security. "We have just been told by Peter Cook, SAMI’s founder and director, that AdvanFort has been now certified in the Stage 1 process, attesting to our company's bottom line of transparency, honesty and integrity," said AdvanFort President and COO William H. Watson.

AdvanFort Company, approved by the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) for Panama-flag vessel counter-piracy operations. “We at AdvanFort are very pleased that the world’s largest flag state has vetted our company and approved our highly-trained operators to protect their ships from piracy attack,” said Captain William H. Watson, president of AdvanFort. The Resolution (Number 106-26-DGMM) is dated 4 February 2013 and was later signed by the general director, following an extensive review by the PMA’s Technical Committee and Legal Department. The Republic of Panama is the largest ship registry in the world, with more than 5,700 ships flying the Panamanian flag.

Nexus Consulting, says an 'administrative mistake' led to the Venezuala detention of a US-flagged ship. Background: Venezuelan authorites arrested a U.S. ship captain early Thursday after three assault rifles were found on board. Nexus Consulting is proud to announce that all charges against the master and crew of the US-Flagged vessel detained in Venezuela have been dropped. The vessel is finally on its way home, with all crew, cargo and anti-piracy weaponry having been returned by the Venezuelan government as of 1800 Sept 14th. Nexus would like to thank the maritime unions SIU and AMO as well as Congressman Delahunt of Massachusetts and the owners and operators for their support during this ordeal.

Private security firms are storing their guns aboard floating armouries in international waters so ships that want armed guards for passage through pirate-infested waters can cut costs and escape laws limiting the import and export of weapons, according to an article in 'The Scotsman' newspaper. Storing guns on boats offshore took off as a business last year. Britain – where many of the operators are from – is investigating the legality of the practice. Floating armouries have become a viable business in the wake of increased security practices by the maritime industry, which has struggled for years to combat attacks by Somali pirates.

Juliet Marine Systems, Inc. announced today that they have developed and built a revolutionary marine platform called GHOST specifically designed to deal with international problems of piracy. International piracy has been consistently growing. In Somalia alone, pirates today hold 33 hijacked ships and 711 hostages, according to ICC IMB figures. Piracy is growing at about 10% per year and the heaviest activity is centered in Somalia. Juliet Marine's President and CEO Gregory Sancoff stated, "The piracy problem is not going away, the pirates are becoming more sophisticated.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is to organize a high-level, sub-regional seminar in Aden, Yemen, on maritime security and prevention of piracy and armed robbery against ships. Aimed at senior officials in the maritime and port authorities of selected countries in the region, the seminar, to be convened in April 2005, will provide an opportunity for participants to gain a deeper insight into measures to prevent and eradicate acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships and of the provisions to strengthen ship and port security, in particular those contained in the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention chapter XI/2 and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. The five-day event will be split into three subject-specific sections.