22 - 28 June 2013 (Vol. 2; No.26/13)

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Feedback on the newsletter is welcomed too. Undetected pirates abandon dhow, Search and rescue missions, towing a split-in-two- containership– After exhausting food and fuel, pirates abandon an Iranian dhow which is rescued by the Indian coastguard, just one of the missions to rescue crew and vessels in the past week or two. 5-year-old cargo ship, MOL Comfort, split in two in Arabian Sea has fore section towed, but aft section finally sinks. A Taiwan fishing vessel, destroyed by fire, sees search for missing crew. Militant leader in Somalia said to be handed over to local administration by pirates after escaping Al Shabaab infighting. Somalia tops the Failed State Index for sixth year running. West and Central Africa nations agree on cooperation but seek international naval force deployment to combat piracy threat. Nigeria makes a series of arrests for illegal oil bunkering, piracy and pipeline vandalism. Pirate on US witness stand recounted how he walked out of a 58-foot sailboat's second bedroom on Feb. 18, 2011, to see three of his compatriots opening fire on their four hostages. Bangladesh calls for greater support from IMO for capacity building of marine institutions. EU countries plan to consider whether or not to extend the EU NAVFOR anti-piracy mission off Somalia and look into its use of battlegroups as cooperation talks with and Somalia Federal Government are undertaken. Iran claims around 150 clashes with pirates has seen many handed over to the judiciary and promises to to continue their ‘astonishing performance’ by its navy. Lithuania deploys logistic detachment; Finland deploys a vessel protection detachment and Japan patrol vessel will take part in a military exercise on the international stage for the first time in the . Australia signs a cooperative agreement with Seychelles for the prosecution of piracy. Drones over Africa. Somalia is to charge heavy amounts on any ships found illegal fishing along its coastline, whilst a US court ordered three men to pay $29 million in restitution to the South African government for illegal fishing in that country’s waters for almost 15 years. African countries have reportedly lost about $300billion to oil theft and illegal fishing in the continent since 2003. A French sailor freed from kidnappers said of his captors that they, "were not there to harm the crew, but we felt that they were unpredictable ... disorganised". Family of crew member of MV Albedo run social media campaign to save ‘Aman Sharma’ after disappointment in gaining his safe release. IMO Secretary General gives a video message in celebration of the third year of the campaign the "Day of the Seafarer". Internet and social media as part of crew welfare under MLC may cause a headache but is not so straightforward to achieve. India’s first all-women crew of Indian Coast Guard takes flight in ICG Dornier for maritime recce over the Arabian Sea.

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/ A FISHING vessel with 16 crew, left stranded by Somali pirates, is rescued by the Indian Coast Guard ship, Varuna in rough weather conditions - OCEANUSLive. Close on the heels of Indian Coast Guard Ship Varuna rescuing 22 crew members, including 18 Maldivians and 4 Indians on board MV Asian Express, a Maldivian registered cargo vessel, on 12 June, on Sunday, 23 June, this vessel in Lakshadweep Islands saved a further 16 lives from fishing boat Al Husaini left stranded by pirates. The crew included 13 Iranians and three Pakistanis, more than 250 nautical miles west of Lakshadweep islands. ICGS Varuna, proved its mettle as a saviour at sea in yet another lifesaving mission in adverse weather conditions. The fishing boat had departed Kanraka/Chahbhar port Iran on 16 May was captured by Somali pirates off Socotra. The pirates, after utilising the boat for 25 days, left it stranded on 10 June emptying food and exhausting fuel. The Indian Coast Guard was requested for assistance on 21 June. MRCC Mumbai diverted merchant vessels in proximity to render assistance. Image - ICGS Varuna

AL Shabaab official Hassan Dahir Aweys – on the US most wanted terrorist list – has been reportedly captured in the town of Adaado on Wednesday after fleeing Al Shabaab infighting in southern Somalia, Garowe Online reports - AllAfrica. Local sources told GO that at first a group of armed pirates captured the Al Shabaab leader in the Himan and Heeb area in Galgudud region. The former Hizbul Islam Chief, Hassan Dahir Aweys was making his way reportedly to the pirate strongholds of Hobyo and Harardheere. Sources continued to say that the pirates in the area handed the wanted terrorist over to the Himan and Heeb administration in the area. The administration in the area is currently holding discussions with Somali Federal Government (SFG) and other stakeholders on how to transfer Aweys. SFG President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated that Aweys should be transferred to Mogadishu where he would stand trial for his crimes. Sources tell GO that Ethiopia and the U.S. are also requesting his handover as they are concerned about a judicial hearing of such a high ranking Al Shabaab official. The arrest of Aweys comes as Al Shabaab infighting has reached a climax. The terrorist group battled each other in the ancient port city of Barawe resulting in 15 deaths. Aweys and Al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane had a falling out after Aweys did not agree with the harsh sentences and "dictatorial behaviour" of the Al Shabaab leader.

IN unstable Egypt, armed forces have moved in to safeguard international shipping traffic along the Suez Canal, with military units spreading out to secure the facilities of the waterway in the cities of Ismailia, Suez and Port Said - Gulfship News Mohab Mamish, head of the Suez Canal Authority, said in press statements, said that the Egyptian navy, air force, border guards and field army have been deployed. June 30 will see a massive nationwide strike and protest against the increasingly unpopular president of the nation, Mohammed Morsi. Morsi has warned the protests could result in economic paralysis for the nation.

BRITAIN is spending £14million on a jail to lock up terrorists and pirates — in Somalia - The Sun. Taxpayers’ money will also go to fund mobile criminal courts in lawless states currently plagued by al-Qaeda. The prison in Mogadishu will ensure dangerous warlords are kept behind bars. It will also make it easier for Britain to deport foreign criminals and terror suspects. More than 400 Somali criminals are in UK jails because there is nowhere to detain them back home in Africa. International Development Secretary Justine Greening is splashing out to rebuild the Somali capital’s 180-year-old prison, which will hold 700. Image - Somali prisoners. File Photo

PATROL and surveillance of the Kenyan Coast line by the Navy has received a major boost after the British government flagged off a Sh21 million support project -AllAfrica. British high commissioner to Kenya Christian Turner yesterday handed over a three-year deal that will see the Navy benefit in marine patrol training and support from the UK. Speaking during the handing over ceremony at the Kenya Navy Mtongwe base, Tuner said the move is part of UK's support in the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean. "This will help Kenyan authorities in their efforts to maintain security at the water border between Kenya and Somalia. This should make the Kenyan coast safer," Turner said. He said improved security at the Coast will attract more tourists.The project will boost the Kenya Navy's ability to tackle piracy threats and other illegal activities at the Coast. The project includes a high speed rigid inflatable patrol boat which was handed over to the navy commander major general Ngewa Mukala. The boat is linked to a radar scanner in-hull and steering compass.The water craft is also fitted with inflatable collars making it almost unsinkable. THE EU and Somalia announce “The New Deal for Somalia Conference”, 16th September 2013 - RBC Radio. The Federal Government of Somalia and The European Union (EU) are to co-host “The New Deal For Somalia Conference” in Brussels on 16 September 2013. The international conference will endorse the New Deal Compact that will commit the Somali people and their international partners to a set of key priorities and new support for the reconstruction of Somalia over the next three years. The Conference is set to build on the momentum of progress and change in Somalia. High Representative Vice President Catherine Ashton said: “The situation in Somalia has been transformed over the past year. There is now a real atmosphere of activity, emerging governance and hope. It is therefore more important than ever that the international community makes good on its promises of support for the Somali people. This joint event, co-hosted by Somalia and the EU, will establish the New Deal Compact as the foundation of the international community and Somalia’s mutual commitment to a three year plan that can deliver peace, security and development to all Somali people.”

EACH year's Failed States Index analyzes how countries performed during the previous year, e.g., 2013's index measures countries' performance in 2012 - Foreign Policy. Somalia remains top of the table for the sixth year running.

THE United Kingdom has donated a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) to the Kenyan Navy in order to improve security along the country’s coastline, which is plagued by Somali pirates and militant groups - DefenceWeb. The boat was handed over to the Kenyan Navy in Mombasa on June 21 by British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner. The quick-reaction interceptor can carry a fully- armed four-man boarding party. “It will be used for patrolling tasks, but with its powerful sea-search radar it can Detect, Deter and Interdict,” the British government said, adding that it would bolster the Kenya Navy’s ability to tackle piracy threats and other illegal activity in the area. Image - via Defenceweb.co.za

EAST Africa is in the middle of an incredible energy boom that is likely to last decades, according to energy industry executives who gathered this week in Kenya’s capital in a sign of the region’s growing prominence - Guardian. The last couple of years have seen significant oil and gas discoveries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique. Even Somalia hopes to get onboard though security woes and a lack of regulation make the likelihood still years away. "This region was definitely under-explored in the last decade,” said Martin Trachsel, the chief executive of South Atlantic Petroleum Limited. “Most companies were exploring in West Africa. It’s part of a general trend of people looking for more oil.” New technology also has contributed to the string of new discoveries, he said. Kenya’s president announced last year that oil had been discovered there for the first time. Tullow Oil, which is carrying the exploration in the region, has reported progress in bringing the oil to market, though no date for that has been announced. Uganda, which has confirmed oil deposits of about 3.5 billion barrels, wants to extract at least 1.2 billion barrels over the next three decades. That figure could rise when more oil blocks are put up for exploration later this year, potentially making Uganda one of Africa’s top oil producers. “It won’t be boom and bust. We’re talking about fairly large reserves,” Trachsel said. “It will have a 40-year lifetime or more.”

THE salvage of the stricken MOL Comfort is underway as tugboats arrive on scene to tow the sections of the containership - OCEANUSLive. Approximately 1 week after the vessel had split in two while battling inclement weather in the Indian Ocean, the front portion of the vessel has commenced tow at 1700 LT by the tug, Capricorn. with the tug Urja on standby to assist. The aft portion of the vessel is to commence tow by the tug Karar, which also has a standby tug, Pacific, ready to assist in the continuing adverse conditions.

MOL Comfort, the container ship which broke in two in the Indian Ocean is rumoured to have been carrying weapons for Syria rebels - Shiptalk. The vessel broke into two parts and sank during a storm about 530 sea miles off the coast of Goa in the Indian Ocean, local media reported. According to the Iranian press, the 300-meter-long vessel was carrying weapon for Syria rebels, and there are concerns that sections of the vessel are now drifting towards India’s west coast, officials said Tuesday. MOL Comfort is a 2008-built Bahamian-flagged post-Panamax container ship chartered by Mitsui O S K Lines. Image - MOL Comfort Fore Section

JAPAN'S Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has released further details today about its containership, MOL Comfort, which split in two 200 miles off Yemen on June 17 in bad weather - Gulfship News. While the fore part is being towed to shore, the aft part is rolling heavily in adverse weather, with ingressing water in the cargo hold and the loss of containers on deck. The bad weather has hampered efforts to start towing the aft of the 7,000 teu ship. Meanwhile, MOL has started operational precautions to reduce the stress on the hulls of the six sister ships of MOL Comfort as investigations continue into how this five-year-old Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-built ship could have split in two. Image - via Gulfship News

MITSUI O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) reports the aft part of the containership MOL Comfort sank in the open sea near 14’26”N 66’26”E (water depth about 4,000m) at 16:48 JST (11:48 Dubai time) on June 27 - Mitsui OSK Lines. The vessel had been unable to continue sailing under its own power from June 17 because the hull fractured in 2 parts while under way on the Indian Ocean. About 1,700 containers aboard the aft part sank with this section of the vessel. Some are confirmed floating near the site.

AN asphalt ship Nisar R 3 carrying 816 tonnnes of betumin sank 1.4 miles off Port Sultan Qaboos - Oman Daily Observer. The captain of the ship (Iranian national) was reported dead when the Cyprus-flagged vessel went down in the water. Nine crew were rescued. The control tower received a call from the ship captain reporting an emergency in his ship when water began to enter the ship which lacked machines used to siphon out water. The captain told the control tower that water was quickly entering the ship which has already started to tilt. Immediately two vessels were sent to rescue the sinking ship, but the ship had already sunk when the rescue vessels reached the site. However, nine Indian crew were successfully rescued and the captain’s body was recovered from the sunken ship.

West Africa NIGERIAN President Goodluck Jonathan will leave for Cameroon on Sunday ahead of a meeting of West and Central African leaders on maritime security in the pirate-infested , his office said Saturday - Vanguard Nigeria. The Gulf of Guinea, which includes waters off Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, has emerged as a new danger-zone with pirates targeting fuel cargo and loading it onto other ships to sell on the lucrative black market, rather than seeking ransom to release ships, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said earlier this week. The summit in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital, “has been convened against the background of rising incidents of piracy in the resource-rich Gulf of Guinea”, Jonathan’s office said. It said the Nigerian leader would join other leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to deliberate on new proposals and a joint action plan to tackle piracy and maritime criminality in the region. WEST and central African nations have agreed to create a regional centre for coordinating the fight against a sharp rise in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea that is jeopardising the shipping of commodities in the region - Reuters. The Gulf of Guinea, which includes Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is a major source of oil and cocoa and increasingly metals for world markets. Pirate attacks in the region, mainly carried out by armed Nigerian gangs, have almost doubled from last year, jacking up insurance costs. The main purpose of the new centre, to be based in Cameroon, will be intelligence gathering and research, according to an agreement signed at a summit of regional leaders in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde. "No country can withstand the growing challenges individually. That is why we agreed to put our efforts together to end the illicit activities in the Gulf of Guinea," Chad's President Idriss Deby, who chairs the Economic Community of Central African States, told a news conference. West and Central African governments agreed to fund the centre but they also appealed to international donors and Western governments for financial assistance, a statement issued after the meeting said.

IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu has welcomed the signature by 22 States of the Code of Conduct concerning the prevention of piracy, armed robbery against ships and illicit maritime activity in West and Central Africa - World Maritime News. The Code was adopted formally by the Heads of State meeting in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on Tuesday (25 June), attended by 13 Heads of State from West and Central African countries. The Code was signed in Yaoundé by Ministers of Foreign Affairs or other delegates, bringing it into effect for the 22 signatory States: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe and Togo. “I am fully committed to assisting western and central African countries to establishing a workable, regional mechanism of co-operation for enhanced maritime security. Maritime development is an essential component of African development and maritime zone security is fundamentally important,” Mr Sekimizu said, noting that the Code incorporates many elements of the successful Djibouti Code of Conduct, which has been signed by 20 States in the western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden area, and the existing Memorandum of Understanding on the integrated coastguard function network in West and Central Africa, which was developed in 2008 by IMO and the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA).

A PRIVATE security outfit, on Tuesday arrested four people involved in sea piracy and robbery on the high sea in Ondo State and handed them over to the Joint Task Force operating in the state - Punch Nigeria. The suspects, were said to have been tormenting the people of the coastal communities of the state. Those arrested by the outfit, according to the spokesperson for the outfit, Mr. Molos Ebi, were Samuel Odigbo, Bewereweigha Eligbe, Dinba Michael and Love Okugbe. Our correspondent gathered that the suspects were apprehended at Arogbo-Ijaw junction, Omeleita, by men of the security outfit guarding the coastal communities of the state. Ebi told journalists that the people were arrested while coming from Delta State, where they had gone to operate. He said, “The two men from Delta state had earlier been involved in an operation between Delta and Bayelsa states, where they had robbed innocent people of their valuables. “The people specialise in sea piracy, robbing people of their valuables including money, speed boats and boat engines.”

THE Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, Sunday, said its operatives have arrested eight persons in connection with the recent fire outbreak on an SPDC pipeline in Bodo West of Gokana local government area, Rivers State - Vanguard Nigeria. Also, five suspected crude oil thieves were nabbed in two separate raids in the creek of the delta. Spokesman of the Task Force, Lt. Col Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement in Yenagoa said the arrest of the eight suspects was affected by troops of 146 Battalion of Sector 2 of the JTF. Nwachukwu said the troops who sighted the fire at about 1.30 am on Wednesday mobilized to the scene where they found the suspects in two tug boats. He said the suspects upon interrogation, claimed to be employees of Steve integrated Technical Service and Sege Marine hired by Shell Petroleum Development Company to fix broken pipelines in Bodo.

WEST African leaders have called for the deployment of an international naval force to curb the growing threat of piracy off the Gulf of Guinea - BBC News. Piracy in the region needed to be tackled with "firmness", Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara said, at a meeting of regional leaders. There are now more pirate attacks off West Africa than off Somalia, maritime groups said last week. The highest risk area for pirate activity in West Africa is off the coast of Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, correspondents say. Speaking at a meeting of West and Central African leaders in Cameroon's capital Yaounde, Mr Ouattara said: "I urge the international community to show the same firmness in the Gulf of Guinea as displayed in the Gulf of Aden, where the presence of international naval forces has helped to drastically reduce acts of piracy." Cameroon's President Paul Biya said it was vital to respond to the threat, to protect shipping routes and the economic interests of the region. West African pirates mostly steal fuel cargo and the crews' possessions, often resorting to extreme violence, correspondents say.

THE Nigeria Navy yesterday paraded 33 people arrested for alleged involvement in illegal oil bunkering, piracy and pipeline vandalism at different location in Rivers State - Urhobo Vanguard. The Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship, NSS Pathfinder, Commodore Duja Effedua, disclosed this during a news briefing at the command’s headquarters, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt yesterday. Also, Effedua disclosed that the Navy recently seized a see going vessel with 820 tons of product suspected to be crude oil, off the Gulf of Guinea, saying the vessel had fake papers and without a bill of laden.

Southeast Asia

BANGLADESH has called for greater support from International Maritime Organization (IMO) for capacity building of marine institutions in the country - Shiptalk. Foreign Minister Dipu Moni made the call when visiting IMO Secretary General Koji Sekimizu called on her at Bangladesh Parliament yesterday, said a press release. During the meeting, the foreign minister thanked the secretary general for various technical assistance programmes undertaken by IMO in Bangladesh to improve of quality of maritime education and ensuring environmental protection, maritime safety and security. She sought IMO’s help create more employment opportunities for Bangladeshi seafarers. Koji lauded Bangladesh for its achievements in becoming a new ship building destination. He also stressed the need for protection of environment in the industry for sustainable development of the sector.

South America NSTR

NSTR

THE convicted pirate described a massacre - Hampton Roads.

From the witness stand Wednesday, Jilani Abdiali recounted how he walked out of a 58-foot sailboat's second bedroom on Feb. 18, 2011, to see three of his compatriots opening fire on their four hostages.

One of the men - Ahmed Muse Salad - wasn't even trying to aim, he said.

"He was shooting at the captain and whoever was beside him," Abdiali said through an interpreter, explaining how Salad fatally wounded two other pirates in the process.

"He was not shooting just one-by-one. He was spraying," the Somali man added. "I was scared. I didn't know where the next bullet was going to come from."

Four Americans and two pirates were killed in the melee off the coast of Africa. Two other pirates died as Navy SEALs raided the Quest and captured the surviving men.

Testimony in the trial of three accused pirates stretched into its eighth day Wednesday in U.S. District Court. If convicted, Salad, Abukar Osman Beyle and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar could face the death penalty.

Italian Marines "DO not talk about it almost, but in India there are two riflemen of the San Marco Regiment - Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone - which may not come home - Il Velino. In Italy, protest their innocence. In India it is said to the contrary. But hardly anyone is expressed on the basis of the facts. Because so far it has never been rebuilt exactly what happened February 15, 2012 off the coast of Kerala when the Enrica Lexie, oil tanker 242 meters long, has crossed the St Antony, fishing boat 13 meters long and 72 centimeters. Il Sole 24 Ore has decided to do so by acquiring hundreds of pages of depositions, expert reports and testimony of military and civilian officials Italian

But only a few months before, two ships of the same owner, the oil tanker Savina Caylyn and merchant Rosalia D'Amato had been captured by Somali pirates. 'They have ropes with hooks and hooks. And in an instant can get on the bridge. Through the ballistics have also found that the caliber of the bullets fired at the vessel and the two Indians was exactly the same, 5.56. And that their characteristics were typical of the ammunition used in the Born Beretta shotguns. To be challenged by Italian experts, the following conclusions are of ballistics. The Indians have in fact concluded that Jelastine and Pink were killed by bullets fired by two different guns. Not only that those guns were not supplied to the accused marines, Latorre and Girone, but in two of their comrades. 'The methodology used by the Indians for the ballistics report was not adequate,' explains a second source Italian, not even this, however, authorized to speak. 'Although they used microscopes comparators Leika a model a bit' older but not too dissimilar from our own, have been working on a low level of magnification.

The trajectories of the shots, as well as the evidence, in fact indicate that the distance between the two means was at least 200 meters. And because the Beretta rifles were not equipped with telescopes, it means that the riflemen were not able to take aim. 'They shot the sea towards the boat with iron sights', says one of our sources. 'And for a damn if two bullets struck the two Indian'. "

FOR providers of kidnap and ransom insurance (K&R in the lingo), the past few years have been good - The Economist. Somali piracy alone generated some $200m in annual premiums at its 2010 peak, according to one underwriter. Abductions for profit or politics have soared from Nigeria to Nicaragua. High-profile cases have helped too: when hundreds of workers were taken hostage at an Algerian gas plant in January, insurers received a flurry of calls, says Henry MacHale of Aspen APJ, a specialist K&R firm. Most big companies now have some K&R coverage for their staff. Plans typically cover ransoms, the hiring of consultants and negotiators, lost earnings and other costs. A lone businessman in Iraq might pay a premium of $3,000-6,000, while shipping firms have to fork over several million a year to cover large fleets in dangerous areas. All that meant that a market worth about $250m in 2006 doubled in size by 2011. Now the business is shifting. Somali piracy has dropped off; there have been no documented successful hijackings since May 2012. And although the number of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea overtook those of the East Africa in 2012, quieter shipping lanes there mean fewer potential customers. Yet new markets are opening up. In Africa, India and Latin America the middle class has been growing—and so has the worry about being snatched. For instance, “express” kidnappings are the rise, negotiators report. Unlike the protracted wrangling more familiar to movie goers, this quicker version involves fast, targeted grabs, followed by shorter periods of detention and smaller ransoms. Image - Courtesy of The Economist

BETWEEN 17- 21 of June 2013, the EU Naval Force Portuguese flagship, NRP Álvares Cabral, visited the port of Pemba in Mozambique - OCEANUSLive. Given the strong relations that exist between Mozambique, the European Union and specifically, Portugal, when NRP Alvares Cabral sailed in to the port, her crew were given a very warm welcome by the Mozambique Authorities and the local population. With the EU warship at anchor in Pemba bay, which is the third biggest natural bay in the world, the EU Force Commander, Commodore Jorge Novo Palma, made a number of official calls ashore. He was warmly welcomed by the Provincial Governor of Cabo Delgado region, the Pemba city Mayor, Maritime Authorities and officers from the Mozambique Navy. Image - eunavfor - Portuguese-and-Mozambique-VIPs-with-Force-Commander

IN the second half of 2013 EU countries plan to consider whether or not to extend the EU NAVFOR anti-piracy mission off Somalia and look into its use of battlegroups, said Patrick de Rousiers, President of the EU Military Committee, at a press briefing here June 26. In addition, de Rousiers said, EU countries and institutions are preparing for the EU summit of heads of state and government on defense matters in December - DefenseNews. As things stand, the EU anti-piracy mission will end at the end of 2014. De Rousiers said piracy activity was currently “at a low level” because of operations in the area and monsoons. The EU’s External Action Service is due to issue a document on the EU’s rapid response to crises for discussion at the EU’s Political and Security Committee. This will include possible new ways of using the EU’s battlegroups, which are made up of forces from different EU countries on a rotating basis. One option being looked at is a “modular approach,” although de Rousiers was unable to give more details. Another option being considered is the ability to use a battlegroup as a reserve force for ongoing engagements.

ON Monday 24 June a meeting was held on board the EU Naval Force Portuguese flagship NRP Alvares Cabral, between members of the Somali Federal Government (SFG) and representatives from the European Union - EUNAVFOR. This was the first ever meeting held at sea between the European Union and SFG, with a focus on how both can work together to help strengthen maritime security and economic development in Somalia. Two other EU Naval Force warships, German frigate FGS Augsburg and Spanish warship, ESPS Numancia, together with a Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft, contributed to the preparation and coordination of this important event. After arriving at Mogadishu International Airport, the Somali Ministers and EU representatives were flown out to the EU flagship, which was stationed about 5 miles off the Somali coast, by Portuguese and German Navy Lynx helicopters. Given the on-going situation in Mogadishu City, as highlighted by the attack last week against the UN compound, a joint security operation was carried out between EU Naval Force and fellow EU missions, EUCAP NESTOR and EUTM, as well as with AMISOM Forces. This joint operation saw the SH-60B helicopter from ESPS Numancia and the Spanish Patrol Aircraft providing air surveillance and EUTM and AMISOM Forces providing security protection on the ground at Mogadishu International Airport. The inaugural talks lasted for about an hour and were attended by 5 Somali delegates, the EU Special Envoy to Somalia, Operation Commander for EU Naval Force and the Head of Mission for EUCAP NESTOR. Image - eunavfor - SFG and EU Delegation at the airport

“AS long as we are on the sea, no attack or aggression will be made against our trade ships,” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said Wednesday - FARS News Agency. Sayyari, who was addressing a ceremony on the occasion of the World Seafarer’s Day, praised the Iranian naval forces for their astonishing performance in their missions, and said, “The Navy has so far escorted over 2,000 trade ships and oil tankers and had around 150 clashes with sea pirates, a large number of whom have been arrested and handed over to the judiciary.” He said the Navy has now established security for Iranian and even foreign vessels in a vast area to the South of India and the 10 degrees latitude, “and in doing so, we have extended aid and assistance no just to our country’s ships, but to the vessels of the other countries which had requested help”. The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

ON 26 June, 2013 the first members of the National Support Element (NSE-A) were formally deployed to the EU Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR Somalia) off the Somali coast at a ceremony at the Logistics Command of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Defence Ministry has informed - Lithuania Tribune. The ceremony was attended by Chief of the Operations Command of the Joint Staff Colonel Egidijus Karvelis, Commander of the Logistics Command Colonel Sigitas Mundris, commanders and division heads of the deployed personnel. The NSE-A will be deployed to Djibouti (East Africa) to conduct service along with the logistic component of Operation ATALANTA. The NSE-A will be in charge of organising and coordinating logistic support to the Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) and procurement of necessary items and services, from food and water to accommodation. The Lithuanian unit is planned to take part in the EU NAVFOR Somalia till the end of this year.

THE Somali pirates are having a very bad year and it’s all because of math(s) - Strategy Page. Pirate attacks were down 70 percent last year and it has been over a year since the pirates captured a large ship (that they could get several million dollars ransom for). The usual reasons given for this shift are better security measures on the large merchant ships and more effective patrolling by the international anti-piracy task force operating off Somalia. But there’s an even more important reason that gets little mention: math, data mining, and predictive analysis. These items resulted in PARS (Piracy Attack Risk Surface), a statistical model of pirate behaviour as modified by weather, shipping traffic patterns, and whatever inexplicable things the pirates have been doing lately. This showed the anti-piracy task force which areas to watch most carefully and warned merchant ships what areas they should be most alert in. As a result, pirate attacks dropped from a peak of 181 in 2009 to 32 last year. That’s an 83 percent drop and that trend continues. Most importantly, it’s become extremely difficult for the pirates to get close to a likely target without the ship they are after spotting them and speeding away. Worse, an anti-piracy task force aircraft or ship (often both) tends to show up at the same time. Some pirate gangs have gone bankrupt and others have just shut down because the prospects of taking any high-value ships have seemingly evaporated. The Somali and Arab businessmen who provide negotiating and other services have told the pirates about these new tools the anti- piracy task force is using, and some of the more educated pirate leaders (some are businessmen) understand what’s going on and none of them have yet come up with any way to defeat tools like PARS (and several similar ones also created to defeat the pirates). When it came to the pirates, the naval intelligence analysts quickly found that weather was a major factor in where and when the pirates could go. Data could be collected from fishermen (and foreign fishing fleets) that operated off Somalia to find out the conditions that made pirate operations impractical. Weather satellites and easily available sensors made it possible to create a real-time map of what areas off the Somali coast were hospitable to pirate operations and when. This enabled anti-piracy ships and aircraft to narrow their patrol and search areas. Over the last two years the pirates got the impression there were a lot more warships and aircraft watching when, in fact, the number of ships and aircraft did not change that much.

MSC 92 was held in London from 12 to 21 June 2013 with Deputy Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority Christian Breinholt as Chairman of the Committee - Safety4Sea. The Committee went through the following issues on Piracy & Risk Analyses: The Committee had a prolonged debate on the piracy situation in the Gulf in Guinea at West Africa. The Committee expressed its deep concern and condemned piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Furthermore, the Com-mittee expressed its recognition of the efforts made by the coastal States in the region and international or-ganisations to combat piracy, but many countries also stressed that there is a need to increase the activities in the region to combat piracy. Finally, the Committee requested securing ships' implementation of anti-piracy measures, including the industry guidance. Download PDF -

THE administration has decided that one of the two Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels patrolling against pirates off Somalia will join a combined drill involving the United States and other countries, a government source said - Japan Times. The move is aimed at raising Japan’s profile on the international stage, the source said Friday, adding it will be the first time an MSDF vessel stationed in that part of the world will take part in such an exercise. Analysts however said it could draw criticism as an escalation of military use abroad. The mission off Somalia began in March 2009 based on the SDF law and has been conducted under an anti-piracy law that was enacted that June. Two MSDF vessels have been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden to protect commercial vessels of Japan and other countries. The one-year mission has been extended every year since 2010. Image - Via Japan Times

IN the presence of the Minister for Home Affairs and Transport, Mr. Joël Morgan, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean Paul Adam and his Principal Secretary, Ambassador Maurice Loustau Lalanne, the British High Commissioner Mrs. Lindsay Skoll, members of the crew of the visiting Royal Australian Naval ship, HMAS Newcastle, and other invited guests, the High Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Australia, Ms. Sandra Vegting, signed the RAPPICC Partnership Agreement that saw Australia joining the RAPPICC this day - OCEANUSLive. By joining RAPPIC, Australia has committed to working with Seychelles and other member countries in intelligence gathering aimed at providing necessary evidence for prosecutions related to piracy activity in both the region and around the world.

THE Finnish Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD), deployed with the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta since March 2013, is tasked with the protection of the World Food Programme (WFP) ship MV Caroline Scan - Safety4Sea. Embarked on the Caroline scan around the clock, the AVPD ensures the security of the WFP shipments, delivering much needed aid to the ports of Mogadishu, Bossasso and Berbera from where it reaches the Somali people.

THE International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has hailed the Sultanate of Oman’s efforts in co-operating and co-ordinating with rest of the region in ensuring safety in the sea in terms of safeguarding human lives as well as marine species - Oman Observer. It was conveyed yesterday by Jianxin Zhu, Director, Technical Co-operation Division, IMO, and Mohammed Amine el Housseini Hilal, Deputy Director, IMO, and Head-Arab and Africa (Francophone), Technical Co- operation Division. Speaking to the Observer in an exclusive interview, the Director of IMO said the country has taken some serious steps in co-operating with the neighbouring countries and it is really laudable. “Oman has set up some sort of co-ordination and co-operation with the neighbouring countries and the country and its Ministry of Transport and Communication deserve a big appreciation”. Image - Via Oman Observer

THE following map and photos depict current and future locations used by the U.S. military for launching drones and surveillance flights throughout Central and North Africa - Public Intelligence. The map is not complete and reflects available information from open sources. Similar to drone bases in Pakistan, a Washington Post article from 2012 quotes a senior U.S. commander as saying that most of the African air bases launching drones and surveillance flights are “small operations run out of secluded hangars at African military bases or civilian airports.” Several sites that are rumoured to be used for launching drones and surveillance aircraft are not included in the map, including al-Wigh airbase in Libya which has been recently reported by news outlets in North Africa to be a base for French and U.S. operations in Mali. All images are via Google Earth.

NSTR

People Smuggling/Pirate Fishing THE federal government of Somalia has decided to charge heavy amounts on any illegal ships that are found at the countries coastline - Stop Illegal Fishing. This follows as international fishing companies illegally fish at the countries long coastline exploiting resources without seeking permission from the authorities Somalia's mineral resources minister Abdirizak Omar Mohamed who addressed the Somali's parliament warned international fishing companies who trespassed exploiting the countries fisheries. The minister added that Somalia's long coastline has been exploited for decades by international naval ships as there was no government to watch over it. The minister finally said that any illegal international sailors found at the coastline will be charged heavy amounts as it is clearly stated by the countries maritime laws. A U.S. court ordered three men to pay $29 million in restitution to the South African government for illegal fishing in that country’s waters for almost 15 years - The PEW Charitable Trust. The June 14 order from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York —the largest settlement under the Lacey Act, an American law that prohibits the trade of wildlife, fish or plants that have been taken illegally—follows a long legal process that began when the men were caught trying to sell on the U.S. market rock lobster that had been poached in South African waters. The decision by the court is a landmark that puts illegal fishers on notice that international cooperation to end illegal fishing is effective and will cost them enormous sums,” says Karen Sack, Pew’s senior director for international oceans. “Pew looks forward to greater country collaboration to put a stop to international fisheries crimes.” "The decision by the court is a landmark that puts illegal fishers on notice that international cooperation to end illegal fishing is effective and will cost them enormous sums." -Karen Sack The defendants—Arnold Bengis, his son David Bengis, and an associate, Jeffrey Noll—have completed prison sentences in the United States and forfeited proceeds from the sale of a seafood processing plant in Portland, ME, to settle illegal fishing charges. But the new order for the first time awards damages to South Africa for the theft of its natural resources.

THE US State Department has expressed dissatisfaction with efforts by the Nigerian government against trafficking in persons, saying it does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking -AllAfrica. The Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report released Wednesday by US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington said though significant efforts were being made by the Nigerian government on human trafficking, Nigeria still remained in Tier 2 status as current efforts do not justify an upgrade to Tier 1, especially as the government has not yet satisfied minimum standards set forth in the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act, as amended (TVPA). The report said though efforts by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related matters (NAPTIP) were notable, it does not simply measure the efforts of NAPTIP as an agency, but rather government's efforts as whole.

AFRICAN countries have lost about $300billion to oil theft and illegal fishing in the continent, the Chairperson of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has said - Stop Illegal Fishing. She spoke yesterday at the opening ceremony of the first summit of Heads of States and Governments of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC),in Yaounde, the Cameroon. Dlamini-Zuma said the continent has lost $200 billion in five decades to illegal fishing and $100 billion to illegal bunkering since 2003. "We cannot allow this incursion of resources to continue". She warned. President Goodluck Jonathan according to a statement, was among the 25 African leaders that were at the opening ceremony of the summit, which focuses on maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea. The leaders gathered under the UN Resolution 2039 of February 2012, for the Gulf of Guinea region where 200 million people are living under threat of piracy and transnational maritime crimes. The summit is to provide a coordinated regional and international response to the scourges of piracy, drug trafficking, armed robbery and other illegal maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea. At the meeting, the leaders according to the statement, will review and adopt a series of measures that were previously reviewed at the March 2013 inter-ministerial conference held in Cotonou (Benin).

SEAFARERS' PLIGHT AFTER being left stranded in the sea by Somali pirates, Mohammed Qarda Baksh from Karachi and 15 fellow fishermen, two from Pakistan and 13 from Iran, on board boat ‘Al Husaini’ had lost all hopes of reaching the shores alive, but almost miraculously they spotted the Indian Coast Guard Dornier and were rescued within hours - New Indian Express. “We salute the Government of India and Indian Coast Guard and for saving us,” said Baksh, describing the ordeal in the high seas after being brought to Kochi on Tuesday. The fishing boat had left the Kanraka/Chahbhar port in Iran on May 16 and was captured by pirates reportedly off Socotra. “They stayed on our boat, finished our food and even bathed using water kept for drinking. On June 10, they abandoned us after almost finishing all the food and fuel and escaped on another boat. We had just rice and little wheat. There were just three barrels of water. “Our engine too began to show signs of trouble. We kept signaling to several merchant navy ships to help us. One ship came close and when we narrated our plight, they advised us to alert the Indian Coast Guard,” Baksh said. Image - Iranian and Pakistani fishermen rescued by Indian Coast Guard describing their hardships after being brought ashore on board ICGS Varuna in Kochi on Tuesday - Express Photo

A French sailor freed from his kidnappers in Nigeria this week described on Thursday the attack on his ship and traumatising five-day ordeal, saying he felt as though he had been in a bad movie -AFP. Benjamin Elman, 38, told AFP in an interview that the pirates who attacked the French-flagged MT Adour tanker a week ago wanted to steal its fuel cargo, but seemed confused at how to proceed when they realised there was none. He eventually found himself being ordered to drive a lifeboat with pirates aboard in complete darkness, running aground off the Nigerian coast. He was held in a village in southern Nigeria until early Tuesday, when the pirates abandoned him and soldiers rescued him. The attack on the Adour occurred on June 13 off Togo, the small country of six million people along West Africa's piracy-plagued coast. Many of the pirates in the region come from Nigeria. "I heard on the intercom to go to the bridge," said Elman, his face drawn and appearing shaken, but otherwise in good physical health. "I think that it was 2:00 in the morning. Everybody lay down on the ground, and there were four or five tough guys with Kalashnikovs." The pirates then ordered them to board another nearby ship. "They wanted the cargo. No luck -- there wasn't any," he said during the interview at the French consulate in Lagos. "We found ourselves in what they call the 'mother vessel,' a boat used to look for other ships." They then navigated the slowly, trying to find other ships to attack, he said. "They even had us make hooks and ladders, like in the movies," he said. The kidnappers "were not there to harm the crew, but we felt that they were unpredictable ... disorganised". After two days, "they got tired", said Elman, adding that the pirates wanted to drop the crew off on the Nigerian coast and let them go. But they would eventually be pursued by a Nigerian navy ship and were also spotted by a French navy plane, frightening the pirates. They sought to flee aboard lifeboats, taking two Frenchmen on board with them as protection, including Elman. Elman said he felt the experience was like a "comedy-drama" filmed by rank amateurs. The native of La Baule in western France was due to fly home late Thursday.

EVEN as the state and central governments have turned a deaf ear to the repeated calls of a family from Kardial village in Kangra district for the safe release of their son, some youths of Kangra district have started online campaigns to save 22-year-old Aman Sharma, a mariner in the captivity of Somali pirates since 2010. The campaigns are being run simultaneously on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and online petition forums titled “Save Aman Sharma” have also been launched - Hinudstan Times. Aman of Kardial village in Jwali area of Kangra district was held hostage by Somali pirates on November 16, 2010, from 293 miles west of Maldives in Indian Ocean after they hijacked MV Albedo ship of Majestic Enrich Shipping Company of Malaysia, in which Aman was working as a crew member. Since then Aman’s father Keval Krishan Sharma, a retired solider, has made countless communications to the state government, union external affairs ministry and the director general of shipping, seeking help for safe release of his son, but met only with disappointments.

IMO Secretary-General, Koji Seckimizu, gives a video message in celebration of the third year of the campaign the "Day of the Seafarer" to publicly thank and recognise the seafarers for their unheralded efforts in the frontline of the global supply chain. The theme of the campaign is "Faces of the Sea".

ACCORDING to the latest report on the human costs of piracy, two-thirds of Filipinos are paid late and many are forced to sign quit-claims after they have been held by pirates - Shiptalk. While some seafarers who survive a pirate attack are treated well by their employers, the majority literally have insult added to their injuries with consequences that include loss of pay and personal belongings without being reimbursed.

THE afternoon sessions of the Superyacht Management Meeting: Port State Control and Security began by addressing emerging security tactics. Carl Fereday of Veritas International said that, other than Somalia, a hot topic at the moment is West Africa - The Crew Report. "It has completely switched now and there are so many new tactics. The majority of attacks these days have happened in territorial waters, where the laws are different." Fereday continues, "however, as yachts, hot spots we're seeing are in South America, around Ecuador and the Caribbean, but a lot of them get classified as robbery and not piracy per se." The age-old issue of yachts being at risk in transit was of course touched upon, however, many of the panellists agreed that issues whilst at anchor and in harbour need to be addressed and prepared for, ahead of time. Trease voiced the opinion that, "concentration should be on educating the captain and crew to handle issues of security themselves because you can't have a security specialist on board the whole time. If you don't train the people who live on board every single day, they have no way to prepare and protect themselves."

Aid Workers' Plight NSTR

SEAFARERS expecting easier access to the internet via crew welfare provisions under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) may be disappointed, a global satellite broadband conference has heard - Nautilus International. Mark Woodhead, managing director of Headland Media, told the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) conference in London, that while MLC put crew welfare ‘at front and centre’ by requiring that voice and data communications, where it is available, are offered to all crew at a reasonable price, it stopped short of require internet access to be free. The conference heard of an anticipated changing IT seascape for ship operators — the possible influence of mobile technology on satellite networks for the cruise industry, smaller antenna for superyachts, and the potential nanotechnology impacts on the future seafaring. But the benefits to seafarers seemed under the radar of satellite operators. THE latest technical innovation causing a headache for the shipping industry is social media, and according to many its impact on shipping could be the greatest of all technical developments. Implementation required no timetable, no political input, no regulation, no debate at IMO, or class approval, it just appeared - exactly as it has in almost every walk of life today - Seatrade Global. With the arrival in August of MLC 2006, the seafarers' Bill of Rights, social media is set to play an increasing role in life onboard. But all sectors of the sea transportation industry need to be aware of its presence and take it into account, especially when it comes managing risk and crisis management. "Cyber-related risks are becoming greater in the maritime industry," Emmanouil Vrentzos, told a British Hellenic Shipping forum on 17 June in Athens. He said "an incident on board, in port or even ashore can be public knowledge within minutes of it happening through Twitter". The news-hungry media can be in contact with a shipping company about an incident, even before a ship's master and crew are aware of it. "There are many examples of social media being used to cause greater hardship," said Vrentzos, who manages Greek, Cypriot and international investigations in the maritime sector. Vrentzos said the shipowner is not the only one who needs to worry. An 'alleged' incident concerning loading procedures in a port can be out on Twitter within "minutes of taking place" catching the port authority completely unaware when the questions begin being asked. "Shipping must realise the dangers of cyber crime," he said, before issuing the chilling warning: "Today, the navigation system of a ship can be hacked into and control of the ship taken over."

THE first all-women crew of Indian Coast Guard takes flight in ICG Dornier for maritime recce over the Arabian Sea

What happens in an INTERNET MINUTE?

Hijacks:

 NSTR.

Unsuccessful Attacks/Robberies (All regions):

 SE Asia - LATE Report | About 8 to 10 pirates armed with long knives in a speed boat approached and boarded Malaysia-flagged product tanker underway at 1930 LT in position 04:31N -113:52E, around 8nm WNW Lutong, Sarawak, Malaysia. The pirates were aggresive and beat most of the crew and tied their hands. The Master's left palm was severely cut while the C/O and C/Eng also suffered minor cuts. The pirates cut the communication cables and the ransacked the bridge and accommodation. They stole crew and ship's properties and cash before leaving the ship after an hour. Vessel diverted to Miri port to enable medical assistance to the injured crew. A police report was lodged. Reported 17 Jun.  Arabian Sea - LATE Report | Vessel reported being approached by 2 skiffs at 1140 UTC in position 25:33N - 057:23E, Arabian Sea. No pirate paraphernalia sighted but skiffs came within 20-30 metres of the vessel's stern, following for 15-20 Mins. Reported 17 Jun.  SE Asia - Five robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored Thailand-flagged LPG Tanker, Senna Jumbo, at 0530 LT in position 01:09.3N - 103:38.4E, Nipah Transit Anchorage, Indonesia. Two robbers entered the engine room while the remaining tried to break into the provision stores. On seeing the mess man entering the provision store area one robber caught him and threatened him with a knife while the others escaped. Alarm sounded and on investigating it was found that engine spares were stolen. All crew safe. Reported (via IMB) 20 Jun.  - MV reported an aggressive approach by 2 skiffs at 1025 UTC in position 12:42N - 043:19E, Red Sea. 1 skiff on stbd side w/ 2 POB and 1 skiff to port w/ 8 POB (white and blue in colour) on same parallel course and track, altering course to vessel's stbd beam. Skiffs held CPA of 600m and then headed straight for ship's beam. No weapons or ladders seen. Owing to skiffs closing on the vessel, AST fired 2 warning flares. 1 skiff continued towards the vessel and a warning tracer round was fired by the AST resulting in the skiff slowing down and turning away from the vessel. Skiff was observed heading towards another vessel to the stern. Reported(via UKMTO) 20 Jun.  Arabian Sea - Malta-flagged bulk carrier reported 3 brown-hulled skiffs w/ 8 - 9 POB, loitering IVO at 1715 UTC in position 22:08.28N - 059:51.16E, off Oman coast. Skiffs observed the vessel approaching. Skiffs altered course and approached vessel to approx 0.65nm. No weapons or ladders sighted. AST stood and indicated presence, skiffs aborted approach. Reported 22 Jun.  Red Sea - Bulk carrier reported approach by 4 skiffs (from group of 10 skiffs) in position 13:09N - 043:03E, in BAM. Each skiff w/ 4-5 POB and ladders and twin-engines sighted. MV embarked AST fired a number of warning shots and the skiffs aborted their approach. Reported 27 Jun.

Suspicious Activity

 Arabian Sea - LATE Report | Crude oil tanker reported 5 skiffs each w/ 2 POB, made an approach in position 21:22N - 059:39E. 3 skiffs approached from port side at 6-7 cable and maintained parallel course. 2 skiffs approached from stbd beam. Embarked AST fired parachute flare, but 2 skiffs continued approach reaching CPA of 4 cables. AST then fired warning shots resulting in skiffs ceasing approach and falling behind the tanker. Reported 22 Jun.  Indian Ocean - LATE Report | MV reported 2 suspicious skiffs 3-4nm astern at about 0700 UTC in position 21:18N - 059:35E. CPA was less than 1nm with skiffs approaching from each beam of the MV, passing astern. Skiffs cleared by 0715 UTC and MV was safe. Reported 22 Jun.  Gulf of Aden - LATE Report | Container ship reported 10 skiffs travelling at 22 kts in position 12:24N - 043:27E. 3 skiffs had a CPA of 1.5nm. Skiffs made no attempt to board and turned away. Reported 22 Jun.  Arabian Sea - MV reported suspicious skiffs at 0800 UTC in position 21:56N - 060:04E, off the Omani coast. A group of 5 skiffs seen behaving suspiciously at a range of approx 3nm. No Pirate paraphernalia was seen, however, AST stood to, vessel altered course, increased speed, activated fire hoses and sounded ships horn. Although no direct approach made, the area seen approaches made within the last 24-48 hrs. Possibly the high speed and a high freeboard was the reason no approach was made to the vessel. Reported 23 Jun.  Gulf of Oman - MV reports suspicious activity at 1048 UTC in position 25:10N - 057:08.5E, approx 120nm NW of Muscat, Oman in Gulf of Oman. Vessel observed one small skiff light brown in colour with 3 POB and a large fishing trawler with black hull and white superstructure. The skiff crossed vessels path a number of times at speed. Trawler continued to follow the vessel for some time. Reported 24 Jun.  Gulf of Aden - Chemical tanker reported being followed by 3 skiffs in position 13:07N - 048:33E, westbound in IRTC, GoA at 4-5nm. No approach was made. Reported 24 Jun.  Gulf of Aden - Container ship reported 2 white skiffs at 2nm from stbd bow in position12:00N - 043:28E, GoA. Embarked AST stood to with weapons displayed. 1 skiff w/ 5 POB and another w/ 3-5 POB. Once vessel had passed skiffs on stbd quarter, they turned to vessel's stern but several minutes later turned away. No shots fired. Reported 26 Jun.  Gulf of Aden - Vehicle carrier reported sighting a dhow with 3 POB on deck which approached to within 8 cable in position 13:41N - 050:31E. No aggressive behaviour noted and dhow turned away. Reported 26 Jun.

VESSEL and hostage numbers - IMB (as at 15 June). Worldwide Incidents 2013: 120 reported incidents including four hijackings. Somali related incidents 2013: Seven reported Incidents including one hijacking. 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: 2 and Hostages: 54. UKMTO - 7 vessels (including dhows & FVs), 72 hostages (iaw 7 Jun Report).

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 Horn of Africa/IOR HRA. OCEANUSLive.org permits the reproduction of this image providing source and link are published (Map ToU)

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