10 – 16 August 2013 (Vol. 2; No.33/13)

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Gulf of Guinea hijack ends in two days, but no threat to shipping off Yemen and Suez, yet - Gulf of Guinea piracy continues to draw attention and deep concern. A tanker hijacked whilst at anchor off Lagos on Sunday was released the following Tuesday. Two days later, another attempt on a tanker is made, in total three incidents in the week. Passenger boats are attacked resulting in three deaths, but the JTF and Nigerian Navy make crude oil theft arrests. The Chief of Naval Staff discloses that the bulk of crude oil is stolen from the export terminals. A shortage of gunboats and fast craft said to be attributing to the increase in oil theft in the Delta. The UN Security Council states their deep concern and reiterates the call for prosecution of pirates and robbers in the GoG. Ghana makes a formal application to join GCC. Al Qaeda threat in Yemen and troubles in Egypt remain latent threats to shipping. Curfew call and state of emergency in Egypt has not affected shipping, so far. Incarcerated pirates in Kenyan jails are enjoying "a transformative stint," in jail. The second in command of Enrica Lexie arrives in India for questioning, but the Italian marines have refused to say anything further. India and Taiwan issue notice on the employ of armed guards on their flagged vessels. As New Zealand sends a warship to the Horn of Africa as EU and NATO Commanders reiterate the need to continue his vis anti-piracy operations. What are the top five hotspots for kidnapping of oil & gas workers? CMF warship rescues sailors adrift in the Gulf of Aden for 5 days. Medecins Sans Frontieres begins closing humanitarian ops in Somalia due to the level of attacks on staff, but Somalia's government asks them to reconsider as news breaks of the dangerous outbreak of the "crippling polio virus." Want to know the location of every freighter and cruise ship plying the Earth's oceans? ExactEarth says it is not easy but it can be done.

Contents: Regional Activity; Released by Pirates; Pirates in Court; Private Security; International Response; Piracy Cost; Seafarers' Plight; And Finally...; Piracy Incidents; Situational Map

East Africa/Indian Ocean SUSPECTED al Qaeda militants killed four Yemeni soldiers in their sleep early on Sunday in an attack on forces guarding the country's only liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal, a local official said - Yahoo News. The assault follows an escalating campaign of drone strikes by the United States over the past two weeks and warnings of militant attacks that prompted Washington to close embassies across the Middle East and evacuate some staff from Yemen. The official said the gunmen infiltrated a checkpoint guarding the Balhaf LNG terminal in the southern Shabwa province, killed one soldier and then entered a cargo container where four more troops were sleeping and shot them dead. The attackers fled in a vehicle, he said. A Yemeni government spokesman said last week that the $4.5 billion gas facility, jointly managed by Yemen LNG and France's Total, was one of two energy targets that suspected al Qaeda militants had been plotting to attack.

VESSELS transiting the Gulf of Aden via the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor do not need to adjust their ship security plans, according to G4S Risk Management head of maritime security - Lloyds List. With the average distance from the port of Aden being 60 miles, the threat is largely against ports rather than shipping, says the former Navy counter piracy expert.

SECURITY along the Suez Canal was ratcheted up yesterday [[12 Aug] as well as along neighbouring roads with an intense checking of vehicles heading to and from Sinai - Gulfship News. In addition aircraft have been deployed to monitor ships transiting the waterway. The canal has been the focus of protest against the military in the past month while there has also been speculation about a terrorist threat. EGYPT'S interim president has declared a month-long state of emergency to combat worsening violence after riot police moved to clear two sprawling encampments of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi - AP. A statement by the office of President Adly Mansour said Wednesday that the state of emergency takes effect at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT, 10 a.m. EDT). It didn't provide details but says Mansour also ordered the armed forces to support the police in their efforts to restore law and order and protect state facilities.

A STATE of emergency has been declared throughout Egypt by President Adly Mansour. Ships calling at Egyptian ports are recommended to maintain a constant security watch throughout their stay and crew changes are advised to be both limited and to only take place during daylight hours - Standard P and I club. A curfew is in place throughout most of Egypt between 19:00 - 06:00 so delays are anticipated, however no disturbances have yet been reported at ports or at the Suez Canal. Members are advised to remain in close contact with their local agents and to contact the Managers should further assistance be required.

SUEZ Canal transits are continuing as normal, despite Egypt’s interim leaders declaring a one- month national state of emergency on Wednesday, following violent clashes between security forces and protesters.

THE UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, global ports operator DP World and Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) announce they are co-convening the third international counter-piracy conference in Dubai on 11-12 September - Gulfship News. More than 500 participants comprising foreign ministers, senior government officials, executives of global maritime-sector companies, and leading experts will convene for the two-day event entitled: Countering Maritime Piracy: Continued Efforts for Regional Capacity Building. Building capacity in the region includes addressing piracy in the short term through effective security initiatives, including co-ordination between international navies and merchant vessels, and longer term initiatives that support the development of local economies. The humanitarian impact of piracy on seafarers and their families continues to be a focus, and a highlight of this year’s conference will be a discussion with Captain Juwaid Saleem, a former captive of pirates in Somalia, and his family, who will share their experiences. Captain Juwaid and his crew were held for more than two years and his two daughters featured in a documentary premièred at last year’s conference highlighting the humanitarian cost of piracy, when he was still a prisoner. He and seven of his crew were released six weeks after the 2012 conference; the remaining 15 crew members are still missing in Somalia.

A MARITIME attack from Al-Qaeda or other affiliate terrorist groups is now increasingly likely maritime security firm Gulf of Aden Group Transits (GoAGT) has warned. “The resurgence of Al-Qaeda and affiliate organisations is occurring alongside some of the worlds’ most strategically vulnerable and crowded waterways. The largely unforeseen consequence of the Arab Spring is that it has given terrorists groups a new lease of life and the means to do real harm to maritime activity in the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal and at other key strategic choke points,” said Gerry Northwood OBE, COO of GoAGT. “The growth of sea traffic has made the maritime industry a target rich environment and it isn’t just the obvious targets like oil platforms and large cargo ships which are at risk, but the cruise liner industry provides Al-Qaeda with another opportunity to hit targets where the casualty numbers could be in the thousands,” he warned. “A terrorist attack targeting any of these key assets could have a high impact both physically and mentally in a traditionally terrorism free environment, but would be seen by Al-Qaeda as a headline attack that would promote their cause.” He added: “An attack of this nature could lead to significant influence on global energy security and international trade. For Al-Qaeda a maritime attack could be highly attractive, we have already seen the affect that piracy has had on the global economy and the shipping community.”

THEY once terrorised the Indian Ocean, seizing dozens of ships every year, extorting millions of dollars in ransom money, and eventually drawing a military response from the international community - Guardian UK. Now the pirates of the Horn of Africa are in danger of becoming extinct. It is not just that warships patrol the waters with a 30-minute response time and that many target vessels now carry armed guards. It's that many of the pirates are currently enjoying a transformative stint in jail. There are more than 100 convicted and suspected pirates incarcerated at the Shimo la Tewa maximum security prison on the Kenyan coast. "They like it here," a warden says. The residential quarters of the prison's piracy wing is behind a heavy metal door. The 111 convicted and suspected pirates do not call themselves pirates; they prefer "fishermen". As many as 30 have never had their cases heard in court, according to prison staff. Some have been on remand since 2009. Asked whether they felt abandoned or dissatisfied with the legal system, most said no. "It's fine here," says one. The objective at Shimo la Tewa prison is that inmates leave with the means to earn a living and do not fall back into piracy, the warden says. Inmates are taught to read and write, given free healthcare and adequate food, and taught new skills. They are encouraged to retain links with their families in Somalia through regular phone calls.

West Africa

GUNMEN kidnapped four Thai nationals as they travelled to a farm in Nigeria's Rivers state, the local government said on Saturday - Reuters. State commissioner for agriculture Emmanuel Chindah said by telephone that the gunmen stopped their vehicle on its way to Omida farms in the Buguma area of the riverine state on Friday. They kidnapped the Thais and their two Nigerian colleagues. "The two Nigerians were immediately released. But in that process one panicked and jumped into the water and drowned," he said. Nigeria is one of the world's worst countries for kidnapping, and levels are high in Rivers state, where petro-dollars flowing from Africa's biggest oil industry have long been a draw for criminal gangs. The gangs make many millions of dollars a year from extorting ransoms.

OPERATIVES of the Joint Task Force, JTF, has again arrested 11 suspected oil thieves allegedly linked with illegal oil bunkering activities during its multiple raids in the creeks of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States - National Mirror. The JTF also shut down 27 illegal oil refineries operating in the three states of the Niger Delta region. Media Coordinator of the JTF, Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this yesterday in a statement made available to National Mirror, he said the anti-oil theft operations lasted between July 26 and August 9. Nwachukwu said the suspects, who were arrested for oil theft and other related offences were currently undergoing preliminary investigations before they would be handed over to relevant prosecuting agencies. Giving a breakdown of the raids, the spokesman said five oil theft suspects who attempted to steal crude oil from the pipeline of the Product and Pipeline Marketing Company, PPMC, located along Otokolomabie Creek in Rivers State were arrested its by operatives.

THE General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, Maj.-Gen. Adebayo Olaniyi, Sunday said the shortage of gunboats and fast-assault craft were partly responsible for the increased oil theft in the Niger Delta region - This Day Live. The GOC made the disclosure to journalists in Port Harcourt after an operational tour of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Sector-Two operation formations in Rivers State. Olaniyi, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the troops’ had enabled him to better access troop’s readiness to combat oil theft and meet with stakeholders to discuss ways of improving JTF’s operations. He said the shortage of gunboats and fast assault crafts had weighed down their renewed strategy to effectively patrol creeks round the clock. “If the JTF had adequate gunboats and fast assault crafts; it will improve our patrol and monitoring of the creeks, as well as guarantee quick response of our troops to reported crime scenes. “Constant patrols and monitoring of the creeks will discourage oil thieves and pipeline vandals from perpetrating their nefarious activities of sabotaging the economy of the country.

THE Security Council today called for a comprehensive regional approach to combat the threat of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, and reiterated its call on Member States to prosecute perpetrators in accordance with international laws - UN News Centre. “The Security Council expresses its deep concern at the reported number of incidents and level of violence of acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, in the first half of 2013,” the 15-member body said in a presidential statement. The Council also reiterated its deep concern about the threat to international navigation, the security and economic development of States in the region, to the safety and welfare of seafarers and other persons, as well as the safety of commercial maritime routes, caused by the illegal activities off the western coast of Africa. It also noted that international law, as reflected in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, sets out the legal framework applicable to activities in the ocean, including countering piracy and armed robbery at sea. In the statement, the Council reiterated its calls on States in the region to criminalize piracy and armed robbery at sea under their domestic law, and to prosecute perpetrators, consistent with applicable international law, including international human rights law. In addition, it urged the need to investigate and prosecute “anyone who incites or intentionally facilitates such crimes, including key figures of criminal networks involved in piracy who illicitly plan, organize, facilitate, or finance and profit from such attacks.” Image - Wide view of the Security Council. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

“INSANITY has been described as doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result.” writes Dele Sobowale in AllAfrica. Nigerians have been treated to a theatre of the absurd in which those close to the oil scene and those who should be the prime suspects for the incessant theft of crude are the same people complaining about it and passing the buck among themselves. Jonathan’s government is obviously powerless to stop the grand larceny or is unwilling to do so. Meanwhile, we face real fiscal catastrophe this year and next year if the theft is not checked. Who are the culprits? Take your choice from the list below. “Oil workers… … … “Security agents… … “NNPC officials… .. “Top govt officials… . “Militants… … . As Nigeria lurches dangerously towards another debt trap; and as it will become increasingly difficult for the Federal and State governments to meet their financial obligations to a wide range of stakeholders, the most important item on the national agenda is to find out who are those stealing Nigerian crude oil. Next to that is to also find out who are the buyers of the stolen crude. But, let me pose a question to all Nigerians. Supposing the members of a household engage security people to guard their residence and pay them extremely well. Yet, thieves break into the household every night and steal their most precious properties, what would the owners of the household do? Retain the security staff or sack them? If the answer that comes to your mind is “sack them”, then why do we continue to retain the security people, the oil workers, the NNPC and top government officials, as well as the militants who have collected fantastic salaries and huge contracts to protect our oil installations and are not doing it? Ask anyone who had ever gone far into Nigeria’s territorial waters and you will be amazed how extremely difficult, if not impossible for any maritime vessel to enter our coastal waters to do any business. Last week, I talked to a former owner of a trawler about my experience aboard another trawler whose owner had asked me to go out to sea with his crew to find out from first hand experience what the security forces, pirates and militants do to fishing boats.

FOR the third time in eight years, the Nigerian Navy will be participating in International Fleet Review exercise meant to re-awaken maritime security consciousness of navies worldwide as NNS Thunder Thursday left Calabar, the Cross River State capital, for Australia to take part in this year’s edition - AllAfrica. International Fleet Review is a training programme that only the biggest navies in the world do participate in. Nigeria and South Africa are the only countries representing Africa, a development the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Rear Admiral Joe Aikhomu, described as a mark of recognition of the Nigerian Navy. In 2005, NNS Aradu participated in the United Kingdom International Fleet Review to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar. In 2007, NNS Aradu and NNS Wamba were in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for the same exercise, all which Nigeria benefited immensely. The training exercise, which begins on October 3 to 11, 2013, according to the FOC, is a friendly and diplomatic mission meant for the 50 participating countries to share experience and compare notes on sea policing. About 37 officers and 140 ratings are representing Nigeria. He said the benefits of the programme were immeasurable as it will among other things expose the Nigerian Navy to the latest techniques in sea piracy, intelligence gathering and information sharing amongst the participating navies especially those within a given sub-region and the current technology in ship manufacturing.

GHANA has made a formal application to join the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) as a full member state. President John Dramani Mahama put in the application in a meeting of Heads of States of the Gulf of Guinea Commission in Malabo, Equitorial Guinea - Joy Online Ghana. The Commission was established in 2001 but has not been very effective until 2012 when the original eight founding member states met in Luanda, Angola to reactive the objectives of the Commission. Ghana has always attended meetings of the Commission including the June 2013 summit on Maritime Security as an Observer. President Mahama told colleagues in a closed door session of the Commission's meeting that Ghana wants to be a full member and is very committed to sharing information and experience with a view to maintaining security along the Gulf.

GHANA'S maritime domain security is set to receive a major boost as the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) is implementing a Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (VTMIS) to improve safety and security on the country's waters - Business Ghana. The VTMIS project, a state-of-the-art monitoring and surveillance electronic system touted as one of the best in the world, will ensure effective management of the nation’s maritime sphere, the protection of maritime resources as well as Ghana’s fledgling oil resources and infrastructure. Mr Peter Azuma, Director-General of the GMA, said this when he briefed the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport on the state of preparedness of the country to manage its maritime wealth. The Committee has been visiting institutions in the road and transport sectors to acquaint itself with the working and challenges of those sectors. Mr Azuma told the Committee that the system, which can track vessels 1,000 nautical miles from the country's shores, will give relevant authorities with real time situational information on the goings-on in the maritime domain. He said with the installation of the system, unlawful maritime activities such as piracy, armed robbery at sea, illegal and unregulated fishing, drug and human trafficking as well as unauthorized movements within Ghanaian waters would be deterred.

GUNMEN, suspected to be pirates, have attacked two passenger boats on the Port Harcourt- Nembe sea route, killing three persons - Vanguard Nigeria. Though the Bayelsa State Police Command confirmed the killing of two persons in the attack, a top official from Nembe Local Government Area of the state, insisted that three persons were killed. The pirates, it was learnt, struck last Sunday on Port Harcourt-Nembe sea, known as Kilometre 46, a border community between Rivers and Bayelsa states. While the identity of the victims could not be immediately ascertained, a boat driver and some passengers sustained bullet injuries and are now being treated at an undisclosed hospital in Yenagoa. It was also learnt that another gang of pirates in a separate attack made away with N1.5million and an outboard engine belonging to a passenger travelling on the Nembe waterways. Valuables such as personal effects of the passengers were seized at gun point and carted away by the bandits.

OFFICERS and ratings of Central Command of the Nigerian Navy have arrested the grounded crude oil laden barge in the St. Nicholas River on the Brass Island and the crew of a tug boat accused of trying to pull the barge and its alleged stolen content in Bayelsa State - Vanguard Nigeria. The Brass-Akassa corridor on the Atlantic fringe has been identified as a notorious spot for crude oil theft by the country’s security operatives. The Flag Officer, Commanding the Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sidi-Ali Usman, yesterday, said that the grounded barge identified as MV LILA, was discovered in Odioma area of the St. Nicholas River while engaged in alleged suspicious movement. According to him: “On August 10, 2013 at 18:25, a Naval team on routine patrol was attracted to a suspected barge movement from Odioma to St.Nicholas River. “On approaching the self propelled barge, it was discovered to have gone aground. The Barge was later identified as MV LiLA.” The Navy authorities explained that based on the conviction that the escaped crew and the unidentified owner of the suspicious barge may attempt to rescue same and its alleged stolen crude oil, laid ambush and were rewarded with the seizure of a tug boat identified as MV St. Victoria and arrest of its six Nigerian crew. According to a statement by the Navy Command Operation Officer, Commodore E.O Enemor, “the tug was arrested at two nautical miles off the St.Nicholas River.

JOHNNY Depp may be the best-known pirate in theatres, and Somali pirates remain dangerous in the Indian Ocean, but the pirates causing oil companies and Lloyds of London sleepless nights are raiding ships in Africa's Gulf of Guinea that carry near 30 per cent of all U.S. oil imports - AllAfrica. In the first half of 2013, the London based International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre recorded three times more incidents in the Gulf of Guinea than off the Somali coast. The area of operations was widened on 15 July, when in the latest raid pirates seized a Turkish tanker off the coast of Gabon. The Gulf of Guinea is vast, nearly equal to the Gulf of Mexico, and the shipping lifeline for a dozen nations, ranging from tiny São Tomé and Príncipé to the continent's most populous, Nigeria, and geographically second largest, the Democratic Republic of Congo. As the primary access route to and from major oil-producing countries Angola and Nigeria, it is critical to international shipping, and its already dense tanker traffic will only increase due to recent discoveries of offshore oil in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Liberia.

THE Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba, has disclosed that the bulk of Nigeria’s crude oil is stolen from the crude export terminals as the security agencies have no access to metres installed at export terminals to determine the volume of crude exported - This Day Live. Ezeoba, who made the observation Thursday at a forum on ‘Oil Theft and Illegal Bunkering in the Niger Delta’ convened by the Special Adviser to the President on the Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, noted that the menace of crude theft had become a major threat to the nation’s economy, saying very urgent measures needed to be adopted to address the problem.He expressed concern that Nigeria was the only country that allows what he described as “load plus five per cent” on each vessel, insisting that there must be transparency and accountability in the manner crude oil lifting is done. THISDAY had exclusively reported two weeks ago that the bulk of crude oil theft takes place at the terminals operated by international oil companies (IOCs), where lifters cart away crude oil in excess of their allocations. Ezeoba said: “The bigger theft is the one that occurs at the export loading terminals. This is beyond all of us. We have no access to the metres at the export terminals.”

Southeast Asia BEING open about its intentions is the best way for China to ease the minds of those worried about its growing might - South China Morning Post. A lack of transparency amid a marked naval buildup and greater assertiveness over territorial disputes in the East and South China seas has raised tensions and prompted nationalism and military buying sprees. President Xi Jinping's recent remarks that the nation will increase its capabilities to protect maritime rights while seeking common interests with neighbours moves in the right direction. As helpful as such talk is, though, there has to be considerably greater detailing of Beijing's position if the anxiety is to be allayed. Xi's comments to a Politburo meeting reiterated a position laid out at the Communist party's 18th congress in November that China aimed to become a maritime power. He said that legitimate rights and core interests would never be abandoned, but also promised negotiations and peaceful means to settle disputes. A policy of "carrying out joint development for areas over which China has sovereign rights" would be adhered to. It is a sensible way of moving beyond conflicts so that marine resources can be tapped. Beijing has made its intentions for a blue-water fleet plain with the launching last year of the country's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. But that, like the involvement in port operations, should not be a surprise for a nation with the world's second-biggest economy and vast expertise in technical skills, construction and management. There is a gap, though, when it comes to transparency and that is where authorities have to do a better job. Vague intentions create doubts, not trust. Image - Sri Lanka has opened the first phase of a $500 million container terminal, part of a Chinese-funded expansion of the country's main port. Photo: Reuters

DESPITE a global drop in piracy incidents in the first half of 2013, Indonesia has experienced a 50 percent surge in pirate attacks to 43 incidents in the same period - Indonesia Investments. Total worldwide pirate attacks in Semester I-2013 fell to 138 cases (from 177). The location where most incidents take place in Indonesia are the waters around the Riau province, particularly around the ports in Dumai and Belawan. “Within Southeast Asia, most of the attacks occur on Indonesian anchorages [not when ships are sailing]” according to the International Maritime Bureau. The piracy incidents in Indonesia are considered as less alarming compared to incidents in other regions because it usually does not involve the taking of hostages but mainly constitute low level thefts. In the first half of 2013, seven people were taken hostage in Indonesia. This figure is lower compared to Malaysia (16), Nigeria (15), Ivory Coast (31) and Somalia (20). Nonetheless, as about half of global piracy incidents take place in Indonesia and Somalia, it is important for Indonesian authorities (the National Police and the Navy) to improve law enforcement on Indonesian waters. Due to the large amount of Indonesian islands and coastal mangrove forests pirates have relatively good hiding places.

South America/Caribbean A huge haul of cocaine – worth an estimated £100m – has been seized by HMS Lancaster when she pounced on a small boat off Puerto Rico - Navy News. The bust of 680kg pure cocaine by Lancaster has been hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond. This is the moment a speedboat is sent to Valhalla after HMS Lancaster seized a massive haul of cocaine off the Puerto Rican coast – ensuring £100m drugs will never reach their destination. The Portsmouth-based warship swooped after the smugglers’ boat – hidden by tarpaulin – was spotted by a US Customs and Border Agency aircraft in the Caribbean Sea. First the frigate sent her Lynx aloft to locate the 30ft vessel with three suspects aboard – which the helicopter did. When the aircraft was spotted, the crew attempted to dispose of the evidence by throwing the drugs overboard, but these were quickly recovered by divers. A total of 22 bales of pure cocaine totalling 680kg were seized along with the three men on board who, ultimately, were fully compliant with the Royal Navy and US Coastguard board team. Images - By LA(Phot) Jay Allen, HMS Lancaster Via Navy News

Other

NSTR

GUNMEN have released a fuel tanker which was hijacked off the coast of Nigeria, security sources and the vessel's manager said on Wednesday - Reuters. Indian-based managers Medallion Marine lost contact with the Marshall Islands-flagged SP Atlanta on Sunday evening but resumed communication late on Tuesday, a spokesman told Reuters. "There was an incident on Sunday but the vessel is now fully under control of the company and, most importantly, all the crew are safe," the spokesman said, without giving details of what occurred during the period of lost contact. Two security sources said gunmen boarded the vessel while it was anchored near Lagos port, in the latest case of piracy off the coast of Africa's top oil exporter.

NSTR

Italian Marines THE former second in command of Enrica Lexie, Charles Noviello, and 'arrived today [7 Aug] in Kochi (South India) for questioning by the special police who is leading the investigation' held in New Delhi for the killing of two Indian fishermen - Quotidiano. He learned the ANSA from legal sources on the spot. Her audition and 'considered crucial by the investigators as an eyewitness to the incident happened off the coast of Kerala February 15, 2012

SALVATORE Girone and Massimiliano Latorre did not want to answer questions from the Indian police (NIA) in a meeting held a month ago in New Delhi - Il Tempo. This was revealed by the newspaper Hindustan Times, explaining that the two Italian riflemen charged with the murder of two fishermen in the Indian state of Kerala had been summoned to record their statements, but they refused to say anything. Apparently, said an official source quoted by the newspaper, they did so on the instructions of their lawyers. The investigation of what happened Feb. 15, 2012 , the source added, "established that there 'was a kind of target shooting. A fisherman and' was shot in the head and another to the heart. want to know what has pushed the two maro 'shooting at the fishermen. " Now Nia wants to listen to the other four maro '(Renato Voglino, Massimo Andronicus, Antonio Fontano and Alexander Conte) who were part of the security team on board the Enrica Lexie as witnesses of the incident power. "But Italy for the moment I sent them in India in spite of insurance provided to the Core Supreme make them available when necessary." For this, he concluded the source, "we asked the Foreign Ministry to raise the issue with Italy." Image - Via Il Tempo

SUITABLE guidelines have been issued by the Government on deployment of armed security guards on board merchant ships to enable deployment of private armed security guards on Indian flag merchant ships particularly when transiting through the high risk area (HRA) in the Gulf of Aden region in Africa - Indian Govt Press Information Bureau. Government has taken various preventive/mitigating security measures, which inter-alia, include the following:- (i) M.S. Notice No.1 of 2011 issued providing for elaborate anti-piracy measures (Best Management Practices), including safe house/citadel. (ii) Banning of sailing vessels to ply in waters south or west of the line joining Salalah and Male vide DGS M.S.Notice No. 3/2010. (iii) Naval escort provided by Indian naval ships in the Gulf of Aden since 2008. (iv) Enhanced vigil by the Indian Navy in the Indian EEZ and westward upto 65 degree east longitude. (v) Active participation of India in the security meetings of the International Maritime Organization, Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) and other international fora. (vi) Submission of Document No.27/9/1 at the IMO Assembly meeting held at London on 21- 30.11.2011 for flag states to provide information on the welfare of captive crew, efforts for their release and also on continued payment of their wages. OPERATORS of fishing boats navigating in pirate-plagued or high-risk waters will soon be able to hire armed security personnel to defend their ships, according to an amendment passed by the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday - Focus Taiwan. The revision to the Fisheries Act will permit fishing boat owners to hire armed guards provided by private maritime security companies in risky waters. They will be required to submit related documents to authorities in Taiwan. Fisheries Agency Director-General James Sha identified high risk waters as those near the Strait of Malacca and the Gulf of Aden. Several long-distance Taiwanese fishing vessels operating in the Indian Ocean have been taken by pirates and held for ransoms in the past three years, but Taiwanese law has prohibited them, until now, from having armed security guards on board. The Legislature also passed a non-binding resolution to allow Taiwanese fishing ships to hire armed security personnel while operating in the South China Sea and in waters within Taiwan's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones that overlap with those of the Philippines and Vietnam. Image - Via CNA

JAMES P. McAnulty takes up duties as Special Representative for Somalia, the United States’ senior policy official on Somalia, starting August 14 - US Somalia Unit. Mr. McAnulty entered the U.S. Foreign Service in October 1983. He has served at U.S. Embassies in Caracas, Venezuela; Mexico City, Mexico (two separate assignments); Nassau, The Bahamas; San Jose, Costa Rica; Nairobi, Kenya; Brussels, Belgium (at the U.S. Mission to the European Union); and, most recently, Abuja, Nigeria, where he served as Counselor for Political Affairs, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, and Deputy Chief of Mission. He also worked at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on issues involving bilateral relations with Mexico in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and involving arms control issues in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

EARLIER this week, the Maltese Special Duties Enhanced Boarding Team (MSDEBT) on board the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) ship Johan de Witt conducted a fast-rope exercise - EUNAVFOR. They fast-roped from one of the two Cougar helicopters embarked on the Dutch warship. The Johan de Witt is currently the flagship of the EUNAVFOR counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa. During a fast-roping the team decends down a rope, hung under a helicopter, using only hands and feet to control the speed of their decent. This tactic makes it possible to quickly insert troops on a ship from a helicopter. It is one of the possible operations to deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the Somali coast. Image - Via EUNAVFOR

THE Japanese government plans to launch bilateral security dialogue with Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in a bid to ensure stable supply of crude oil and other fossil fuels, informed sources told Japan’s Jiji Press Thursday - Bernama Malaysia. Japan is expected to reach agreements with the three Persian Gulf nations when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits them as part of a Middle East tour starting Aug 24, the sources said. The security dialogue will involve foreign policy and defence officials. Japan reached a similar agreement with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates when Abe visited the member countries of the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in April and May. The prospect for an agreement with Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar means that Japan will have security talks with all GCC members except Oman. The security dialogue will cover a wide range of issues, including ways to secure sea lane safety, Iran’s nuclear development programme and the Syrian situation. Sea lane safety in the Persian Gulf is essential for Japan as the country depends on the Middle East for some 80 pct of its oil imports and 30 pct of its liquefied natural gas imports. As part of his Middle East tour, Abe also plans to visit Djibouti and meet with Japanese Self- Defence Forces officers engaged in anti-piracy missions off Somalia, the sources said. IT was an emotional send off for the crew members of the frigate Te Mana this morning as they left to join an international anti piracy force - TVNZ. The ship is part of a multi-national maritime security task force, specifically focusing on counter- piracy operations. Family and friends of the 177 strong crew crowded the ship's decks for good-byes at the Devonport Naval Base. Te Mana will start patrolling in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean in November and will be away for seven months. "Through the presence of international forces in the waters, the acts of piracy drops off over the last few years so by us being there we're providing a deterrence," Commander Shane Arndell Te Mana's Commanding Officer told ONE News. See Video

THE need for continued, high visibility anti-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa came under the spotlight this week when the EU Naval Force (Eunavfor) commander met with his opposite from NATO - Defence Web. Commodore Peter Lenselink called on Commodore Henning Amundsen aboard the NATO flagship HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen. The meeting was made possible because the NATO flagship and its EU counterpart, HNLMS Johan de Witt were operating in neighbouring areas. Both operations are working to counter the threat of piracy off the Horn and in the western Indian Ocean. The meeting gave the Force Commanders the opportunity to discuss and strengthen continued co-operation between their forces, enhance information sharing between the two operations and ensure optimal deployment of counter-piracy assets. Both Force Commanders agreed close co-ordination between the two counter-piracy missions remained critical to efforts to eradicate piracy off the coast of Somalia.

JANUARY'S attack, and subsequent hostage crisis, at the BP and Statoil-run In Amenas gas facility in Algeria by Islamist terrorists brought home just how dangerous some parts of the world can be for the expat oil and gas - Rigzone worker. An inevitable consequence for the oil and gas industry as it moves into "frontier" areas in its search for reservoirs rich in hydrocarbon resources is the increased security risk of operating in some of the world's most dangerous countries and regions. Of course the kidnapping of energy workers can happen anywhere oil and gas work is carried out, as the case of British oil worker Malcolm Primrose's kidnapping in June showed. Primrose had been working for an Indonesian oil firm in the Aceh province of Indonesia, which is generally regarded as safe for foreign workers. Fortunately for Primrose, he was released from captivity unharmed soon after his ordeal. Rigzone has sifted through recent news reports of kidnappings as well as studies by security experts to come up with the five greatest hotspots for the kidnapping of oil and gas workers: East Africa By far, the most likely place for an oil and gas worker to be kidnapped is at sea. During the first six months of this year, there were 138 piracy incidents around the world, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre. Many of these incidents involve workers and sailors on platform supply vessels, oil tankers and occasionally oil platforms themselves. North Africa The In Amenias attack certainly put Algeria on the global hostage-taking map in January 2013. Thirty-nine foreign hostages from nine different countries were killed in the attack, while BP and Statoil lost nine staff between them. Colombia Colombia has long been associated with violence and kidnappings, with the practice connected to revolutionary groups who usally prefer civilians, soldiers, government officials and the occasional foreign tourist as kidnap targets. However, a "Country Risk & Threat Advisory Report" released in 2012 from strategic risk and security management firm KCS Group highlighted that oil workers are increasingly targeted in Columbia. "Kidnappings now represent a prime source of income for the guerillas, following Bogota's crack down on the narcotics trade," KCS noted. Iraq Ten years after its invasion by the U.S. and its allies – and more than a year-and-a-half after the last U.S. troops left the country – Iraq remains a highly volatile and unsafe place, largely as a result of terrorism. Not a month goes by in which there are no bombings somewhere in the country, with Kurdistan being the only region largely immune from incident. Iraq's capital city, Baghdad, is often subject to car bombings, shootings and other violent incidents. Nigeria & Gulf of Guinea Nigeria has long been known in the oil and gas industry as a hotspot for kidnapping. But while piracy in East Africa appears to be on the wane, offshore attacks appear to be undergoing a sharp rise off western Africa. There have been several incidents of kidnapping offshore Nigeria so far in 2013, particularly off the coast of the Nigerian state of Bayelsa. The most recent attack offshore Bayelsa was of two Russian and two Ukrainian oil workers in April, who were rescued by Nigerian police a month later. In February, three Ukrainians, two Indians and one Russian were kidnapped from an oil services ship off the coast Bayelsa. These followed a number of pirate attacks offshore Bayelsa in late 2012, including the kidnap of an Italian crew of an offshore supply vessel. In all, there were 31 incidents of piracy and armed robbery, including four hijackings.

People Smuggling/Pirate Fishing THE government is determined towards the beneficial exploitation of its marine resources - Somaliland Sun. This ministry of fisheries and marine resources is consolidating commercial activities within Somaliland's territorial waters especially as pertains to the deterrence of illegal fishing by international concerns. This was informed by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine resources Director General-DG Mohamed Elmi Aden 'Ilka'ase' in his Hargeisa offices where he also revealed that plans are in final stages towards availing local fishermen and fishmongers maximum returns and sustainable livelihoods from their trade. Said he, "The government is intent on protecting national marine resources through the enforcement of relevant laws thus deter unauthorized harvesting by foreign owned vessels" As he informed that the ministry of interior has put the coast guard in high alert within the country's territorial waters DG Ilka'ase asked local fishermen to assist with information pertaining to any dubious vessels or behavior they observe at sea. "By supporting the government protect national water fishermen will not only participate in the prevention of piracy but illegal fishing as well thence increase their daily haul' said the fisheries DG

AN undercover operation in Snohomish County by state fish and wildlife agents has netted two men with suspected ties to an international fish-poaching ring - Herald Net. The men are accused of illegally selling caviar, steelhead and salmon. One of the men admitted to illegally "snagging" at least 100 pounds of steelhead, prosecutors said. The men were charged on Tuesday with unlawful trafficking of fish, a felony. "It's bad enough when they're stealing by harvesting illegally. They've added to the egregiousness by then making a profit," said Mike Cenci, a marine patrol captain with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Agents say the men are believed to be connected to a fish-poaching ring that was operating out of several other states. Earlier this year, eight men were indicted in Missouri on federal charges for poaching and trafficking in American paddlefish and their eggs. More than 100 other people were arrested or cited for their part in illegally selling Missouri paddlefish to national and international caviar markets. Stepchuk and Morozov are expected to answer to the charges later this month in Snohomish County Superior Court. Unfortunately, the state's fish and wildlife species often find their way to illegal national and international markets, Cenci said. "We've seen everything poached from roe to bear gallbladders," he said.

THERE'S a great new report out from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) on how to ensure success of the EU’s regulation on illegal fishing. As I’ve written before, the EU has rather progressive language to keep illegally-caught fish out of European markets, but it is not yet clear how well that legislation will be implemented - Breaching the Blue. (The U.S., meanwhile, has weaker language and has never been applied in spite of clear evidence of repeat violations by certain states). EJF’s report comes at a critical time as the EU decides what sort of real, on-the-ground action it will take to keep illegal products out of the country. The report is here. The most interesting takeaways for me are below, and all are accompanied by smart, common-sense reforms in the full report HERE. Image - Fish being transshipped between two vessels in West Africa. © EJF

A Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) warship has rescued a group of sailors left adrift for five days in the Gulf of Aden - CMF.

The South Korean destroyer ROKS Wang Geon picked up the mariners near a busy shipping lane after their vessel caught fire and sank.

Wang Geon was on patrol as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, CMF’s anti-piracy operation, when she spotted a bright orange life raft drifting in the water.

Launching her sea boat despite rough seas, Wang Geon’s boarding team recovered the crew from the life raft before returning them safely to the ship, where they received first aid, medical care, food and berthing.

The sailors (eight Indian, two Yemeni, one Nepalese) were the crew of the MV Al Saeed 2, which was carrying livestock between Somalia and Yemen when it suffered a catastrophic engine fire. They had gone for five days without even a bottle of water between them, and were close to dehydration.

Image - Pure Relief: The stranded sailors wave and cheer as ROKS Wang Geon’s seaboat approaches.

Aid Workers' Plight THE international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) began closing all its humanitarian operations in Somalia on Wednesday because of attacks on its staff, the organisation said on Wednesday - Reuters. The withdrawal of MSF - also known as Doctors Without Borders - is a blow to the government's effort to persuade Somalis and foreign donors that security is improving despite a stubborn Islamist insurgency. Unni Karunakara, MSF's international president, acknowledged the charity's departure would cut off hundreds of thousands of Somalis from medical help. "The closure of our activities is a direct result of extreme attacks on our staff, in an environment where armed groups and civilian leaders increasingly support, tolerate or condone the killing, assaulting and abducting of humanitarian aid workers," Karunakara told reporters in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. There was no immediate comment from the Somali government, which is struggling to haul the nation out of two decades of conflict and provides few public services such as health and education.

SOMALIA'S government has asked aid group Doctors Without Borders to reconsider its planned withdrawal from the country - VOA News. Somali Minister of Human Development and Public Services Dr. Maryan Qasim says the group's decision "will directly affect the lives of thousands of vulnerable people" and could lead to a "catastrophic humanitarian crisis." The medical aid group, known by its French acronym MSF, said Wednesday it is ending all programs in Somalia because of attacks on its staff and what it called the government's tolerance for such attacks. In a statement Thursday, Qasim said the government understands the challenges MSF is facing and that the government "is ready to help overcome them."

AID workers in war-torn Somalia are struggling to contain a dangerous outbreak of the crippling polio virus, with rampant insecurity hampering efforts, the United Nations said on Friday - Capital FM Kenya. Six years after the Horn of Africa nation was declared free of the virus, at least 105 cases have been confirmed in Somalia, the “worst outbreak in the world in a non-endemic country,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement. “The polio outbreak plaguing Somalia has spread despite significant efforts to curb the disease,” OCHA added. While some four million people have been vaccinated, getting drugs to more than 600,000 children in southern and central Somalia – areas partly under control of the Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab, who block vaccination efforts – is “extremely challenging”, it added. “The inability to fully access these areas constitute a major threat to the control of the outbreak,” the statement read, warning that “Somalia remains one of the most difficult and dangerous environments in the world for aid workers.”

THE public availability of AIS data has been flagged as a concern, but the industry is slow to respond. Chris Lo finds out more about the potential security risks for ship operators - Ship Technology. AUTOMATIC identification systems (AIS) have become an integral part of maritime geo- positioning as a supplement to marine radar, helping to minimise the risk of collisions, especially when vessesl are out of range of shore-based location systems. However the security credentials of the technology have been a source of controversy. AIS data is easy to pick up using a commonly available AIS receiver as the information, which includes position and short operational messages, is uploaded to the internet with absolutely no authorisation. This streaming data can be collected from AIS receivers or through dedicated websites.

WANT to know the location of every freighter and cruise ship plying the Earth's oceans? That data isn't easy to get, but a Canadian company can sell it to you, thanks to its view of the Earth from space - CBC News. Since 2010, Cambridge, Ont.-based exactEarth Ltd. has been "mining" data about shipping traffic on Earth using satellites — a technique that could potentially be used to collect other, new kinds of valuable data. "Until we started doing this…you had little bits of information, but you really didn't have a complete domain awareness of what's out there," said Philip Miller, the company's vice president of engineering and operations. "Once a ship leaves the shore, essentially they're a sovereign entity …. A captain can go where he wants. And from shore you didn't know what was happening unless you contacted the ship and asked — whereas now we're watching, and we know where they go." Image - MV Double Prosperity (Sarangani Information Office, Cocy Sexcion/Associated Press)

An unusual period of UK maritime history ended today [14 Aug] in 1967. The Marine Broadcasting Offenses Act halted pirate radio from ships offshore.

Hijacks:

 Gulf of Guinea - About 11 pirates armed with guns boarded and HIJACKED a Marshall Islands-flagged chemical tanker, SP Atlanta, at anchor at 0330 LT : Lagos Anchorage, Nigeria. They stole crew personal belongings and caused minor injuries to crew members. On 13 Aug, the vessel was released and safely arrived at Lagos anchorage. Initially reported 12 Aug.

Unsuccessful Attacks/Robberies (All regions):  SE Asia - Three robbers in boiler suits boarded the anchored Isle of Man (UK)-flagged bulk carrier, Star Manx, awaiting the cargo barge at 2345 LT, Samarinda anchorage, Indonesia. The robbers held the 3/O who was on routine rounds at the forecastle. They hit him and threatened him with a knife while another five robbers boarded the ship, broke the hatch cover with pipes and crowbars and began to steal ship’s stores. The robbers escaped in a speed boat with the stolen stores and the 3/O personal belongings on seeing duty crew approaching the forecastle. On investigation it was found that the robbers boarded the ship by breaking the hawse pipe security steel grill /cover bolt and nut lock. Reported 10 Aug.  Gulf of Guinea - Robbers in a small skiff approached an anchored Liberia-flagged product tanker, FPMC 25, at 0005 LT, Lagos anchorage, Nigeria. Master raised the alarm, all crew mustered and the AST onboard fired warning shots, resulting in the skiff moving away. Reported 11 Aug.  Gulf of Guinea - Nigeria-flagged OSV came under attack at 2140 UTC, about 35nm off Nigerian Coast. 2 gunboats w/ approx 7 - 8 POB on-board fired upon OSV. A patrol boat was in the location and responded to emergency calls. Patrol boat exchanged fire with the pirates and pirate boats went north at high speed. Reported 12 Aug.  Red Sea - MV reported being approached by 2 skiffs at 0500 UTC, in the Red Sea. Skiffs approached from stbd at high speed. Embarked AST stood to, displayed presence and fired warning shots. Skiffs aborted approach but shadowed the MV for approx 30 mins. Reported 14 Aug.  Gulf of Guinea - About 8 – 10 robbers in a speed boat tried to place a hook to the railings of a chemical tanker at 0240 UTC at Lagos anchorage, Nigeria. Robbers were spotted by the crew and alarm was raised. Other ships were informed on VHF Radio. The boat moved away. Local authorities were informed and a naval patrol arrived at the location and conducted a search. Reported (via IMB) 15 Aug.  Red Sea - Patrol vessel approached by 1 skiff at 0620 UTC, approx 17nm E of Assab, Eritrea, Red Sea. AST observed weapons and a ladder at 300 metres. Skiff closed to 100 metres, warning shots fired and the skiff moved away. Vessel safe. Reported 16 Aug.

Other Incidents (awaiting full reports):

 NSTR Suspicious Activity

 Red Sea - LATE Report | Tanker approached by 1 skiff dead ahead at 1100 UTC, approx 81nm NE of Djibouti, BAM area. As the skiff passed the tanker it turned towards the vessel and passed astern at a distance of 0.8nm before proceeding out to 2.5nm. Vessel implemented BMP and had AST embarked. Reported 12 Aug.  Gulf of Oman - LATE Report | Tanker reported being circled by 6 skiffs at 1420 UTC approx 104nm NW of Muscat, Oman. The skiffs at 24kts were 0.5nm away w/ 3-4 POB on each. Vessel had AST embarked. Reported 13 Aug.  Gulf of Oman - LATE Report | Bulk carrier reported approach by 7 skiffs at 0310 UTC, approx 24nm ENE of Muscat, Oman. 7 white skiffs came within 7 cables of the vessel Evasive manoeuvres were undertaken with BMP enforced. AST embarked. Skiffs continued past the vessel. Reported 13 Aug.  Gulf of Oman - Tanker reported approach by 4 skiffs at 0430 UTC approx 39nm E of Muscat, Oman. Skiffs came within 1.5nm, 2 POB each skiff and faces covered w/ white cloth. AST embarked and BMP enforced. No weapons or boarding paraphernalia sighted. Skiffs moved away. Reported 14 Aug.  Somali Basin - Cargo ship reported approach by 2 skiffs at 0020 UTC, approx 195nm ESE of Mogadishu, Somali Basin. Vessel had suffered engine failure lasting 25 minutes when skiffs came within 100 metres. Embarked AST fired flares then warning shots. Skiffs moved away. Vessel safe. Reported 14 Aug.

VESSEL and hostage numbers - IMB (as at 15 July). Worldwide Incidents 2013: 143 reported incidents including seven hijackings. Somali related incidents 2013: Nine reported Incidents including two hijackings. Current crew / vessels held by Somali pirates: hostages - 68 / vessels - 4 Nigeria related incidents 2013: 22 reported incidents including one hijacking. NATO & EUNAVFOR state Vessels: 1 and Hostages: 50. UKMTO - 6 vessels (including dhows & FVs); 72 hostages.

VESSELS are reminded that the coalition forces' warships may not be in the vicinity of a pirate attack, subsequently, it is emphasised that seafarers can greatly reduce their chances of being pirated if they follow precautions as recommended in the Best Management Practices, increasing speed and carrying out evasive manoeuvres is a proven deterrent to piracy attacks. BMP version 4 is available at the link above; a high resolution version can be downloaded here.

VESSELS are advised to exercise extreme caution when navigating in the vicinity of any reported positions of attacks and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously. Additionally, registration of vessel movement with MSC(HOA) prior to transiting the region is recommended.

A change of regional map in light of the increase in pirate activity off West Africa over Horn of Africa. An interactive version of this situational map is available through registration of verified access to OCEANUSLive

Reported incidents in the HoA/IORHRA.. OCEANUSLive.org permits the reproduction of this image providing source and link are published (Map ToU)

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