Piracy News

A total of 10 incidents of armed robbery against ships (comprising nine actual incidents and one attempted incident) were reported in Asia during January-March 2019 compared to 21 incidents (comprising 15 actual incidents and six attempted incidents) during January-March 2018.This accounts for a 52% decrease in the total number of incidents reported during January-March 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, said ReCAAP ISC's Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia for the 1st Quarter Report…

Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia 1st Quarter Report January to March 2019Overall SituationA total of 10 incidents of armed robbery against ships (comprising nine actual incidents and one attempted incident) were reported in Asia during January-March 2019 compared to 21 incidents (comprising 15 actual incidents and six attempted incidents) during January-March 2018This accounts for a 52% decrease in the total number of incidents reported during January-March 2019 compared to the same period in 2018The number of actual incidents has also decreased by 40% during January-March 2019 c

The International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) published its report for the first three months of 2019, reporting less incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships than the first quarter of 2018.During the first quarter of 2019, IMB reported 38 incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea, which are 28 less incidents than the first quarter of 2018, which stood at 66.IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre detailed that 27 vessels were boarded, seven vessels were fired upon and four attempted attacks occurred in the first quarter of 2019.

A small tanker that was hijacked by migrants off Libya docked in Malta's port of Valletta on Thursday after Maltese special forces took control of the vessel, a Reuters witness said.Cargo ship Elhiblu 1 had picked up 108 migrants stranded at sea, some of whom then hijacked the vessel when it became clear that it planned to take them back to Libya.Maltese police arrested four men and the remainder of the migrants were disembarked and boarded onto buses, the witness said.A Maltese military patrol boat stopped the ship from entering Maltese waters and a special operations team was then dispatched to board and secure the vessel, the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) said in a statement on Thursday.The team was backed by two fast interceptor craft, another patrol boat and a helicopter, the AFM said."

A training tackling maritime crime is undergoing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (10 - 28 March 2019), informed the International Maritime Organization (IMO).Members of three key regional maritime security agreements -The Djibouti Code of Conduct; the West and Central Africa Code of conduct; and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP)-, which IMO has helped to establish, are participating in the program.Thirty participants from 24 countries are learning theoretical and practical skills to deal with piracy/robbery against ships…

Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods, mostly originated in China, has risen steadily, posing a major challenge in an innovation-driven global economy, revealed a new study.Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods has risen steadily in the last few years – even as overall trade volumes stagnated – and now stands at 3.3% of global trade, according to a new report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the EU’s Intellectual Property Office.Trends…

On Saturday,February 23, 2019, Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) hosted a keel laying ceremony, marking the start of construction on the first of three Multi-mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPVs) for the South African Navy. These vessels will aid in protecting the country from threats such as trafficking, illegal fishing and piracy, as well as support job creation and enterprise development.The keel laying ceremony is a maritime tradition that dates back to the times of wooden…

Piracy and Sea Robbery Situation in Asia in February 2019A total of three incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia in February 2019There was no report of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern SabahThere was no report of hijacking of ships for theft of oil cargoHowever, the abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah remains a serious concernOf the three incidents reported in February 2019, one incident occurred on board ship anchored at Caofeidian anchorage in China, one incident on board ship anchored at

The Round Table of international shipping associations plus the OCIMF representing the global shipping and oil industry have announced the geographic boundaries of the ‘High Risk Area’ for piracy in the Indian Ocean have been reduced, with new advice issued to merchant ship operators.The High Risk Area reflects the area where the threat from piracy exists, whilst recognizing the ongoing containment of pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean. The industry group of shipping and oil industry organisations BIMCO…

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Women in Maritime programme and this year's World Maritime Day theme were giving increased visibility at the Houses of Parliament, London, UK (4 March 2019), during a session on Women, Peace and Conflict Resolution.The UN body said in a press note that information was provided on the strategic approach IMO has taken towards enhancing the contribution of women as key stakeholders over the last 31 years.IMO is strongly committed to helping…

Argentina has decided to acquire four offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) built by Naval Group. The contract entered into force on February 14, 2019, and Naval Group will now begin production on the four vessels. The first to be delivered will be L’Adroit. Developed, financed and built in less than two years by Naval Group, L’Adroit had been made available to the French Navy since 2011, thereby demonstrating its operational capabilities for the action of the State at sea. The remaining…

The situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia in January 2019 has improved compared to the same period in 2018, according to ReCAAP ISC's new monthly report.A total of three incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia in January 2019, compared to 11 incidents in January 2018.All three incidents reported in January 2019 occurred on board ships anchored – at Ciwandan anchorage in Indonesia and at Jingtang and Caofeidian anchorages in China.There was no report of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah…

Turning the tide of piracy and attacks is not a difficult operation in terms of military and law enforcement, according to Jakob P. Larsen, BIMCO Head of Maritime Security. The will to act and get both local and international involvement and cooperation on the other hand, may be.“To be honest, unless we see international naval support and close cooperation between international navies and local law enforcement, I doubt that we will see the numbers go down in any significant way…

Piracy increased on the world’s seas in 2018, with a marked rise in attacks against ships and crews around West Africa, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) latest annual piracy report reveals.Worldwide, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) recorded 201 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in 2018, up from 180 in 2017.The Gulf of Guinea remains increasingly dangerous for seafarers. Reports of attacks in waters between the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo more than doubled in 2018…

International Maritime Organization (IMO)  is assisting the Government of Viet Nam to implement international counter-terrorism measures involving the maritime sector.The training workshop is part of an on-going project with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which assists States’ capability to implement and enforce maritime safety and security legislation to support countering terrorism, piracy and armed robbery against ships.The exercise took place in Hai Phong, Viet Nam (9-10 January).

Despite notable breakthroughs in technology and an overdue increase in conversations regarding safety at sea, the very nature of the marine industry means that risk is inevitable.Piracy remains a prominent concern in certain regions, for example, around the Gulf of Aden. According to statistical data provided by ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) , 107 ships were hijacked or were subject to attempted attacks by pirates between January-June 2018. This figure has risen by 20 per cent in comparison to data collected in 2017 and only further highlights the need for adequate safety measures. Even if your organizations’ activities aren’t near to one of the affected regions…

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is an unacceptable burden to seafarers and shipping companies. Around 40 ships have been attacked in the Gulf of Guinea in the past 12 months.Most recently, six seafarers were kidnapped from the MSC Mandy, which was on the way to Lagos, Nigeria. BIMCO asked, on behalf of its members, that maritime powers increase their presence and expand their collaboration with local states to curb piracy.“We look towards the EU, China and the United States to join forces and deploy naval capacity in the Gulf of Guinea to end this constant threat to seafarers,“ Jakob P.

BP Shipping took delivery of British Partner, the first of a half dozen new 173,400 cu. m. capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers to be delivered through 2018 and 2019 from the DSME shipyard in South Korea. BP Shipping, which launched a fleet rejuvenation program in 2016 that includes 32 new vessels for delivery over a three-year period, said the six new Partnership class ships will increase its ability to transport LNG in emerging new markets, such as Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt and Bangladesh, in addition to established markets, such as India, China, the U.S.

An operation led by British navy special forces is under way to retake control of an Italian cargo ship off the English coast after stowaways threatened crew members on Friday, the political editor of The Sun newspaper said, Reuters reported.Police said earlier they did not think the incident aboard the Grande Tema in the Thames Estuary - involving four stowaways - was piracy or terrorism related.(Reuters writing by William Schomberg, Editing by James Dalgleish)

International Maritime Organization (IMO)  is providing training to countries in the west Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden on managing insecurity in the maritime domain in a regional workshop at the Djibouti Regional Training Centre (9-13 December).The countries are Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Tanzania, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, the Sudan and Yemen.It’s the latest in an ongoing series of capacity-building initiatives in the region, targeted…

Hepburn and Sons LLC team has welcomed CAPT Timothy Crone as its newest Director. CAPT Timothy Crone, USN (Ret) will serve as Hepburn’s Director, Advisory Services.CAPT Crone, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the US Naval Academy and completed a Master of Science in Justice, Law and Society from American University. He has also received a Master of Arts in National Security Policy and Strategic Studies from the U.S.

Oman has become the 16th signatory to the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct – the instrument developed and adopted by countries in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden that has been a key factor in repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships operating in that region.Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen…

The prestigious International Maritime Prize for 2017 has been presented to Mrs. Birgit Sølling Olsen, former Deputy Director-General of the Danish Maritime Authority.International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim presented the prize on Thursday (6 December) at the annual IMO Awards ceremony,“Mrs. Olsen has had a distinguished career in the maritime field and made an outstanding contribution to the objectives of IMO. Her comprehensive knowledge of maritime law is combined with a deep understanding of the business aspects and growth potential of the maritime industry…