Westmark Bv News

Westmark BV has recently performed a test in which passive nonlethal equipment served in a multilayered strategy to protect fishing crews from the threat of robbery at sea. Until now fishing vessels operating in high risk areas have been virtually unprotected. Due to low freeboard, low speed, these vessels are a vulnerable target for heavily armed criminals. Employing armed guards is not an option for these fishing boats. During a recent experiment in Dutch waters (Haringvliet)…

Award-winning technology adds to GAC's range of vessel protection solutions. GAC Maritime Security has added the award winning P-trap anti-boarding device to its range of non-lethal vessel protection solutions. A winner at the 5th Safety at Sea International Awards and a finalist in the Seatrade Awards and Lloyd's List Awards in 2011, P-trap is an engine blocking system that creates a security zone around the ship to prevent other vessels from approaching too close and attempting to board.

There is a new focus on technological solutions for ship self-defense against pirate attacks. Although some systems have been around a bit longer, the surge in new products is attributable largely to the dramatic increase in attacks on ships by Somali pirates over the last few years, the expanding areas of their attacks, and the worldwide attention these attacks have garnered. Suppliers have rushed to adapt existing products and develop new ones for the counter-piracy mission.