BIMCO Urges Gulf of Guinea States to Crack Down on Piracy
Shipping organization BIMCO is urging states in the Gulf of Guinea region to take responsibility and step-up prosecution efforts when pirates are apprehended by international navies, following the release of three suspected pirates held in custody on board Danish frigate Esbern Snare.“The presence of international navies is a very important step in the right direction to keep seafarers safe but establishing a sustainable security situation in the Gulf of Guinea cannot happen without full support of the region.
NATO Disrupts Pirate Mother Ship
NATO disrupts pirate mother ship responsible for the attack on MV Montecristo. Following NATO's successful release of the pirated Italian merchant vessel, MV Montecristo, earlier last week, the naval units contributing to NATO's counter piracy operation succeeded in locating and disrupting the suspected pirate mother ship responsible for the attack. Successful coordination of military assets and information sharing amongst naval units operating in the region made it possible to locate the pirate dhow which was stopped whilst heading towards the Somali coast.
Shipping Industry Embraces Scanjet Anti-piracy Solution
Against a backdrop of rising piracy on the high seas, particularly from Somali-based attackers, marine equipment specialist Scanjet says its SCR 360 APR water cannon Marine Protection System (MPS) is in increasing demand. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recently confirmed that 2010 was the worst year for pirate attacks on shipping on record. A total of 53 ships were hijacked, while owners reported 445 attacks on vessels in 2010, up 10% on 2009. The human cost was severe, with 1181 crew members taken hostage and eight killed. Scanjet Sales director Bjorn Lundgren says, “After its launch in 2009, the take-up of the Scanjet MPS was slow to begin with, but since the summer of 2010 demand has really exploded.
