Antipiracy News

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.

Danish Parliament on Tuesday approved plans to send a naval warship to boost maritime security in one of the world's top piracy hot spots. In the fall of 2021 the European country will deploy its frigate Esbern Snare to the Gulf of Guinea off Africa's west coast where it will contribute to international efforts to curb rampant piracy.As the world’s fifth largest marine nation Denmark said on average 30-40 Danish operated ships sail through the Gulf of Guinea daily, carrying some $1.6 billion in goods annually.In March…

An Iranian cargo ship has come under attack in the Red Sea, Al Arabiya TV reported on Tuesday, quoting unnamed sources, and semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim said the vessel was targeted by a limpet mine.Al Arabiya cited the sources as saying the vessel was attacked off the coast of Eritrea and was affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, but provided no evidence to support the assertion.Tasnim identified the ship as the Iran Saviz. “The vessel Iran Saviz has been stationed in the Red Sea for the past few years to support Iranian commandos sent on commercial vessel (antipiracy) escort missions,” it reported.Reuters could not independently verify the report.

The U.S. Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship, USS Tripoli (LHA 7), departed from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division Friday, sailing to its homeport in San Diego.Delivered to the Navy in February and officially commissioned last week, USS Tripoli is the U.S. Navy's second America-class amphibious assault ship built by the Pascagoula, Miss. shipyard.“Tripoli sailing away to join the fleet is a proud moment for all of our shipbuilders, industry partners and the hundreds of suppliers that contributed to the production of this remarkable ship…

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim commended Nigeria’s antipiracy efforts in the Gulf of Guinea as the West African nation continues to make strides to curb attacks against ships in the world’s top piracy hot spot.Lim said recent actions made by the West African country to restrain piracy in the region “send a strong and valuable message to the international community”.The IMO head welcomed the latest initiatives to address maritime security concerns in the Gulf of Guinea…

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the newest America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) to the U.S. Navy on Friday. Tripoli will be commissioned later this year before sailing to its homeport of San Diego.Amphibious assault ships project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the amphibious ready group or expeditionary strike group. These ships transport elements of the Marine expeditionary unit or Marine expeditionary brigade with a combination of aircraft and landing craft.

Royston Diesel Power’s enginei EFMS (electronic fuel management system) has been specified for a range of new specialist maritime security vessels and multi-role crew boats. Sixteen enginei units supplied to Penguin International Limited, the Singapore-based designer and operator of aluminum workboats.Penguin is building several of its flagship Flex Fighter range of high-speed armored security vessels for antipiracy operations off the coast of Nigeria. New Flex-42X multi-role…

Six Somali nationals have been charged in the Republic of Seychelles for attempting and committing acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean, the Seychellois Attorney General announced on December 18. The suspected pirates were apprehended in November by EU antipiracy forces following alleged attacks on containership MV Ever Dynamic and fishing vessel Galerna III in the Southern Somali Basin, an area known for piracy. The six now face legal prosecution before the court and could each receive up to 30 years in a Seychelles detention facility if convicted.

Six suspected pirates were apprehended by the European Union’s antipiracy force off the coast of Somalia. EU NAVFOR Somalia’s flagship, the Italian vessel ITS Virginio Fasan, detained six crew and their vessels following reported attacks on a 52,000 metric ton containership and a fishing vessel over a 24 hour period on November 17 and 18 in the Southern Somali Basin. During the incidents a number of rocket propelled grenades were fired against the containership, though no damage or injuries were reported, and all crew and vessels are said to be safe.

The International Maritime Prize for 2016 will be awarded to former Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Koji Sekimizu for his contribution to the work of IMO over many years. The Council unanimously decided to award the Prize to Sekimizu, IMO Secretary-General Emeritus, in recognition of his invaluable contribution to the work and objectives of the organization and the international maritime community as a whole. Sekimizu held a long and distinguished career with the organization, culminating in his four-year stewardship as Secretary-General from 2012 to 2016.

Pirates and armed robbers attacked 43 ships and captured 58 seafarers in the first quarter of 2017, slightly more than the same period last year, according to the latest ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) piracy report. The global report highlights persisting violence in piracy hotspots off Nigeria and around the Southern Philippines – where two crew members were killed in February. Indonesia also reported frequent incidents, mostly low-level thefts from anchored vessels. In total, 33 vessels were boarded and four fired upon in the first three months of 2017.

A team of antipiracy personnel currently on patrol off Somalia has deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to help scan for potential pirate activity in the region. As part of the counter-piracy military operation EU NAVFOR Somalia, also known as Operation Atalanta, the UAV crew from Spain’s 11th Squadron has been conducting air surveillance and reconnaissance patrols off the Somali coast using its ScanEagle drone from the deck of Spanish Navy ship ESPS Galicia. Once in the air…

The head of anti-piracy operations in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia said he had been fired for speaking out about illegal fishing, which he claims could trigger a new outbreak of piracy in the Indian Ocean. Pirates hijacked an oil tanker off Somalia last week, the first such attack in the region since 2012 after shipping firms hired private security and international warships started patrolling nearby waters. Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir, director of anti-piracy operations in Puntland, said the province's president sacked him after he told journalists that permits had been handed to illegal fishing vessels. "The problem with Puntland is that if you talk about illegal fishing, you are seen as a criminal," Dirir told Reuters.

The construction of two new high-speed multipurpose vessels (UNPAV) for the Italian Navy has recently begun at Intermarine’s Sarzana shipyard. Rolls-Royce has won the contract to supply engines and waterjets to power and propel the two new vessels, which will be used by the Operational Incursion Group (Gruppo Operativo Incursori or G.O.I), the Special Forces of the Italian Navy, for maritime traffic control, combating human trafficking, counter terror and antipiracy operations and crisis evacuations.

The United Nations Security Council on Monday expressed its deep concern over piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, and stressed the importance of a comprehensive approach — led by States of the region, with international support — to address the problem and its root causes. Issuing presidential statement S/PRST/2016/4, the Council strongly condemned acts of murder, kidnapping, hostage-taking and robbery by pirates in the Gulf, and underlined the importance of determining any links between piracy and armed robbery at sea, and terrorist groups in West Africa and the Sahel subregions. It encouraged regional organizations — including the African Union…

The UAS producer TEKEVER is launching at Xponential-AUVSI, a new version of its AR3 Net Ray shipborne UAV with an increased payload weight capacity to allow integration of maritime radar. According to the developer, the new UAV is suited for a number of missions, including wide area autonomous surveillance of large maritime and land areas, with onboard multi-sensor pattern detection, as well as multi-mission support, including border protection, fire surveillance, communications support, and environmental, infrastructure and pipeline monitoring.

Pirates have attacked the Liberian-flagged 4,360 TEU CMA CGM Turquoise, kidnapping two crew members off the coast of Nigeria, with the remainder of the crew said to be safe. Turquoise, managed by Dioryx Maritime Corp. in Greece, was stormed late on Monday as it travelled between Nigeria's commercial hub Lagos and Douala in Cameroon. According to Ghana-based antipiracy agency Maritime Trade Information Sharing Centre (MTISC-GOG), the ship  was boarded in waters about 30 nm off the coast of the Niger Delta. The captain activated the SSAS and the crew retreated to the citadel, but two were captured and kidnapped before they could enter.

HSOG Limited appointed antipiracy and ship hardening distribution and installation agents for Marine Armor Systems. Global marine and offshore service provider HSOG has been appointed distribution and installation agents for the and cost effective antipiracy and ship hardening system developed by European company Marine Armor Systems. HSOG are fully trained and OEM approved to distribute and install the configurable system to a diverse and multifaceted range of vessel types, ranging from offshore support vessels through to VLCCs. With its background and resource base in offshore project works, HSOG can also install the MAS system to “at risk” offshore assets both fixed and mobile on a global basis.

Liverpool City Region (UK) based ship engine specialist James Troop & Co has won an order to supply Volvo Penta diesel engines for three European naval vessels being built on Merseyside. James Troop, one of the UK’s major Volvo Penta Centers, will supply the engines for three vessels being constructed by Marine Specialized Technology Ltd (MST), of Liverpool, which is the global leader for building Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIB) and High Speed Workboats for the military and commercial markets.

Philippine and Japanese coast guard teams staged an anti-piracy drill on Wednesday, featuring the storming of a cargo vessel after a mock hijack, in a show of maritime cooperation between the two nations amid rising tension in Asian waters. Both nations face a challenge from China's growing assertiveness over territorial claims in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, where it uses coast guard and fishing vessels to press into disputed areas. Wednesday's drill was the first held by Japan and the Philippines after signing a strategic partnership pact in 2012. The exercises in Manila Bay were watched by the coast guard chiefs of 17 Asian nations, including China, who are meeting to find ways to cooperate in boosting safety and battling piracy and transnational crime.

Guardian Maritime announced that GUARDIAN antipiracy barriers are now available to lease. A passive solution against the threat of piracy, GUARDIAN ship protection system provides worldwide 24/7 protection against stowaways, robbery and piracy for vessels, crew and cargo at sea, anchor or in port, as well as static installations such as oil rigs. Offering an affordable solution, with no initial outlay, the GUARDIAN leasing scheme provides the flexibility of a passive solution, at a fixed quarterly price.

Zamakona Yards informs its Astilleros Zamakona shipyard will deliver new build EuskadiI Alai, the third tuna freezer vessel ordered by the Echebastar Group to the Bermeo Group Echebastar on Saturday at the maritime cruise station in Getxo, Port of Bilbao. Present for the ceremony will be Kepa Echevarría, Deputy Director of the Echebastar Group; Pedro Garaygordóbil, Zamakona Yards´ President; and the vessel’s godmother Miren Arantza Gabancho Munitiz, member of the company that owns the tuna vessel.

Southeast Asia is likely to see a record number of ship hijackings in 2015 as demand for illicit oil, together with a well-established black market, will continue to drive maritime attacks in the region, advises private maritime security company PVI. In the absence of a stronger law enforcement response, ship owners and operators, especially for small tankers, face increasing operational, financial and security threats, warns PVI. Singapore-flagged Joaquim became the latest victim of small tanker hijackings on August 8…