Quarterdeck Podcast #2

Captains,

Our second podcast is posted on the AMVER Blog. This month Ben Strong and I discuss Piracy and other popular topics of interest from the Connecticut Maritime Association's Shipping 2011 conference.

I look forward to continuing my work with Ben Strong at AMVER. The AMVER Blog recently recorded 1 million hits.

RADM W

High risk waters

Captains,

Last week, a kidnapping in the Niger Delta reminded me that piracy, armed robbery and kidnappings happen daily and threaten seafarers throughout the world. According to news reports, the rig workers were taken off the Transocean rig by a militant group called Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), and that U.S. State Department officials are working with the Nigerian government to secure their release.

Coast Guard international port security officers recently visited Nigeria and report that some progress is being made in the ports and on deep water operations, but rigs in the Niger Delta are particularly vulnerable. Tight vessel security remains the best defense for ships and rigs in high risk waters such as this.

RADM W

Gunmen attack rig off Nigeria

Posted Tue Nov 9, 2010 11:28am AEDT

Gunmen have attacked an oil rig off Nigeria's coast, taking two Americans, two French and one Canadian hostage while wounding two other people, security sources say.

The pre-dawn attack on Monday took place in the country's turbulent Niger Delta region, the heart of one of the world's largest oil industries.

Most kidnappings in the region are for ransom, but it is not immediately clear whether a demand has been made.

"A security breach has occurred on the High Island VII jackup rig, which had recently arrived on location, preparing to commence infill drilling at the Okoro field," a statement from Afren, the company that oversees the rig, said.

"Two crew members are stable after receiving wounds to the leg and have been evacuated by helicopter to a shore-based clinic."

Piracy in T&T waters

Captains,

Piracy in the Western Hemisphere continues to prompt sad commentaries where the effects are felt most - fishing communities. The situation in Trinidad and Tobago calls for a modern Coast Guard that could be effective with relatively modest resources and training.

RADM W

SOURCE: Trinidad Express DATE: 20Aug10

Condolences are extended to the families of those fishermen who lost their lives as a result of piracy in the Gulf of Paria and in the waters near King's Wharf, San Fernando during the past week. These acts must be placed in the proper context, having regard to the fact that the bandits are after boats and engines, not nets and fish. There exists a brisk trade in stolen engines and boats to support fishing and other activities, mainly illegal, on the mainland of South America, as well as the use of these items to barter for drugs and other contraband goods. Let us not discount what goes on up the islands because engines belonging to Trinidad fishermen have found their way to some of these islands. These incidents of piracy in our waters have been highlighted in the news for decades, without solution. In recent times, with the upsurge in the drug trade and gun-running, they have become more prevalent. Is the responsible government agency or agencies keeping a reliable account of where these incidents occur, the frequency with which they occur, how many lives are lost, what items and the value of the items stolen to fully appreciate the gravity of the situation and how best to address it? Can we appreciate that one fisherman's life lost in this way is one too many, for these are citizens who risk their lives at sea on a daily basis, to supply the population with food. Not only are their livelihoods and families threatened, but their very lives are now imperilled. The problem can be approached strategically from two angles: prevention and survival. In terms of prevention, it is the considered opinion of many that a dedicated programme of Coast Guard patrols in those areas where these acts of piracy are likely to happen is the most important key in the fight against piracy. Does setting up a system of regular patrols with two or three boats in known fishing areas present such an insurmountable task for the authorities? Given that on the seas, drug interdiction is a major focus of the Coast Guard, would these patrols not serve the dual purpose of drug interdiction while affording fishermen some measure of comfort and a sense of security when they are out fishing?

African maritime security - 'real and current' threats

Captains,

Piracy off the Horn of Africa has been a well publicized threat to marine transportation. Did you know that 22 percent of Africans get their protein from fish? It's good to see African ministers getting together at the AU to address maritime security.

In America, the founding fathers of the United States made maritime security one of their first priorities by establishing the Revenue Marine Service in 1790. Today the USCG conducts maritime security operations, including assisting in Africa.

RADM W

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Faced with radically growing organized piracy, illegal fishing and the dumping of toxic waste, Africa has called for practical measures to address what its officials call 'real and current' maritime security threats.

The call was made at a three-day continental meeting of African ministers in charge of maritime security at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, where the ministers also emphasized the need for Africa to better protect its waters.

"African countries should cooperate and coordinate their efforts on maritime security. We need to act now," Bright Mando, AU jurist, told the meeting, which opened Tuesday.

VLCC with 2M bbls in the hands of Somali pirates

Captains,

A third VLCC has become a victim of piracy. A South Korean destroyer caught up with it in the Indian Ocean, but now what? Recent naval actions to recapture pirated ships have been successful. A fully loaded VLCC introduces particularly challenging limits for the rescuers, however. Hopefully all will end well in this case.

RADM W

06 Apr 2010

A SOUTH Korean warship today caught up with Samho Dream, the VLCC that was hijacked by pirates over the weekend.

“The destroyer Chungmugong Yisunshin arrived in waters near the Samho Dream at around 1:20 am [Seoul time] and is now operating in its vicinity," a Korean foreign ministry official told the country’s Yonhap news agency today.

The warship is keeping a close watch on the 319,360dwt vessel, the report said. Government officials earlier said there would be no attempt to intercept or board the hijacked vessel lest the crew be endangered.

The Korean-operated tanker has 19 Filipino and five Korean crew members. It was seized in the Indian Ocean on 4 April while en route from Iraq to the US. The tanker’s cargo of 2M barrels of crude, worth up to $170M at current market prices, is owned by Valero Energy of San Antonio, Texas, and destined for a refinery on the Gulf of Mexico, according to IHS Global Insight.


Meanwhile, a Dutch warship has recaptured a German-flagged box ship soon after its hijacking in the Indian Ocean, EU NAVFOR reported today.

The 12,612dwt Taipan was hijacked yesterday about 500 n-miles off Somalia, forcing its crew to stop the ship’s engines, hide in a secure strong room and alert the anti-piracy force.

EU NAVFOR sent the light cruiser Tromp to find Taipan. Marines boarded the ship, took control and detained the suspected pirates onboard.

CTF 151 counter piracy ops off Somalia

Captains,

The United Nations Security Council adopted aResolution 1897 (2009) extending for twelve months authorization for States and regional organizations cooperating with the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to enter Somalia's territorial waters and use all necessary means to fight piracy and armed robbery at sea off Somalia's coast. The resolution also invites States and regional organizations to conclude special agreements with countries willing to take custody of and to prosecute suspected pirates.

RDML W

GULF OF ADEN - Coast Guard MST3 Sean Eversole, a member of the Maritime Safety and Security Team out of Miami Fla., practices boarding procedures with the USS Chosin (CG 65) visit, board, search and seizure team Dec. 16, 2009, in the Gulf of Aden. Chosin is the flagship of Combined Joint Task Force 151, a multinational task force established to conduct counterpiracy operations off the coast of Somalia. (U.S. Navy photo/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Edgington)

Piracy continues - more security needed

Captains,

Piracy, another issue highlighted in Admiral Allen's speech to IMO continues. U.S. flag vessels have been subject to significantly improved security standards since the USCG promulgated a MARSEC Directive last spring following the MAERSK ALABAMA case. Other flag states should adopt and reenforce similar standards to deter the pirates in the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa.

RADM W

From The Times

December 1, 2009

Super tanker and its $20m cargo seized by gang of Somali pirates

(Fred Vloo)

The hijacking of the 300,000-tonne Maran Centaurus underlines the ease with which pirates are able to prey on ships far out to sea. It is pictured here under a previous name - Astro Centaurus