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27 October – 2 November 2012 (Vol.1; No 27 October – 2 November 2012 (Vol.1; No. 39) Kidnap victims released; delayed hijack news - Seven crew from Bourbon vessel released unharmed in Nigeria, whilst 8 crew suffer minor injuries when cargo vessel hijacked in Malaysian port but reporting takes time to surface. 28 crew of Naham3 said to be under threat of death if ransom is not paid. Waters off East Africa are safer says Task Group Commander as EU figures show 65 percent drop in attacks. Nigeria's government orders the Navy to fish out and bring to book crude oil thieves. Italian court reaches first-ever judgement on piracy, setting a precedent. South African couple facing their captors in Netherlands trial. Definite set of rules for the use of force for PMSC faces delay due to complexities surrounding use of lethal force. Busy round for India this week - assumes rotating presidency of the UN Security Council with aims for anti-piracy strategy; looks to energising ties with African littoral states; plan to discuss renaming the 15-year-old IOR-ARC; providing greater support to Yemen, and proposes piracy-mapping of the Indian Ocean based on actual incidents that may aid in reducing the insurance premiums. A senior US official reiterates that piracy operations expand to India's west coast. Kenya continues to strengthen its navy and South Korean announces plan to resume expansion of its blue water fleet. 8-nation exercise to advance East African maritime relationships and mutual security. Kept in the dark on unique indemnity policies for hijack and/or kidnap - K&R. Iranian naval fleet successfully carried out their anti-piracy and anti-terrorism missions, Iran's Navy commander said. Back to India; supreme court asks for immediate amendment of Merchant Shipping Act to ensure life of seafarers is made more secure and their families paid compensation in the event of loss of life. Efforts to gain the release of seven Indian crew remaining in captivity from Asphalt Venture. Somali Diaspora in Ohio, USA, are ferried to polling stations with Somali/Arabic translators ready. One Earth Foundation launches initiative to foster job creation and economic growth in Somalia and Somaliland - 'Shuraako'. Ex- EUNAVFOR Chief of Staff gives up piracy for the wilds of Fisheries and a Conservation on UK's Norfolk coastline. Incident report stating a merchant vessel was fired upon is considered not piracy-related, but what was it? See Situational Map (no answer as yet). Contents: Regional Activity; Released by Pirates; Pirates in Court; Private Security; International Response; Piracy Cost; Seafarers' Plight; And Finally...; Piracy Incidents; Situational Map Ask us how you can be a sponsor of this newsletter - click here. East Africa SOMALI pirates on Tuesday threatened they will kill crew at hijacked Taiwanese fishing vessel if ransom was not paid - Somalia Witness . 28 crew members are on board the abducted the vessel “NAHAM3”. A pirate told Somalia Witness that crew members are from Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Cambodia and Philippines. The pirates demanded $ 30 mn as ransom to be paid soon or said they will slay all the crew they have as hostages. Top pirates leader said that the fishing vessel was captured about 90 miles away from Somalia coastlines on March 26, 2012. During the hijacking the vessel, the pirates fought a warship with it, the leader added. “The vessel is carrying some 500,000 ton of fish and sharks they collected from Somalia coasts” he noted during an interview with Somalia Witness. ON 24 October 2012, 120 nautical miles southwest of Socotra, the EU Naval Force ship ESPS Castilla took custody of six suspected Somali pirates, who allegedly attempted to seize the Spanish tuna fishing vessel FV Izurdia - EUNAVFOR. Their transfer to Spain was ordered by Central Court of Prosecution no3, Madrid. The suspect pirates were transported to ESPS Castilla by the helicopters of the Dutch Ship HNLMS Rotterdam, flagship of NATO Operation Ocean Shield. HNLMS Rotterdam captured the suspected pirates the day after the unsuccessful attack on the FV Izurdia. On 31 October, arrangements for transit of the suspected pirates have concluded and they are en-route to Spanish Court. AN innovative initiative was launched today [Nov 1] in Colorado, USA, to foster job creation and economic growth in Somalia and Somaliland - OCEANUSLive. The program, called Shuraako (Somali for ‘partnerships’), seeks to create jobs in Somalia through supporting business development and social entrepreneurship in one of the most challenging regions of the world. Shuraako was launched against a backdrop of positive momentum currently taking hold in Somalia. For the first time in over 20 years, in September 2012, the Somali people elected their President. Combined with improving stability in the region, many believe that Somalia currently faces a crucial turning point in its development and future. Somaliland, which declared itself independent from Somalia in 1991, continues to grow economically. Image - Courtesy of Shuraako ON the day before Eid, a delegation from the United Arab Emirates and security contractor Bancroft Global completed their third meeting on the future of the land-based anti-piracy force called the Puntland Marine Police Force, comments Somalia Report. Although any visit by the UAE would normally be considered a VIP event in Puntland, attendees describe the meeting as tense. The son of President Mohamad Farole even went as far as to show his position by refusing to meet the delegation at the airport. The Private War Against Pirates The main topic of the meeting was cash. Under the approval of Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the UAE initially funded the program using a zakat or islamic charity fund that hid the actual monetary donations into the fund. The goal of the maritime trading nation was altruistic and simple Help Puntland develop a security force to defeat piracy and bring stability to its shores. Despite the deep pockets of the Nahyan family, problems with the flow of money began about half way through the project and peaked five months ago. The "secret" project was once again in the media and was also featured in the latest UN SEMG report as a private army set up to fight pirates and accountable to no one. Although the PMPF did not deploy until spring of 2012, the unnamed authors of the SEMG report editorialized on the goals of the PMPF and Puntland as being negative. THE East African coast is now safer than two years back, following international cooperation and strategies being put in place by navy forces in the region to control piracy - IPP Media. Security is expected to improve further after more interventions currently implemented by the United Nations to restore peace and security in Somalia, including the construction of judicial systems. The observations were made by the Standing NATO Maritime Group1 Commander, Commodore Ben Bekkering in Dar es Salaam yesterday, when briefing journalists on the piracy situation in the East African Coast and planned joint military exercises in the region. He said in a bid to stop piracy which has hindered safe maritime trade international cooperation was crucial in drawing up strategies to fight piracy and other illegal activities in the Indian Ocean. Image - NATO Maritime Group1 Commander, Commodore Ben Bekkering West Africa THE federal government has ordered the Nigerian Navy to fish out and bring to book crude oil thieves who have converted the country's waterways to a safe haven for their criminal activities - AllAfrica. The order may not be unconnected to the scam in the oil sector. The newly appointed Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba who made this disclosure in Lagos while on a tour of naval formations in the west revealed that the federal government is not happy that crude oil robbers and pirates are depriving it of getting all the revenue accrued to it from its exclusive maritime domain. The federal government has ordered the Nigerian Navy to fish out and bring to book crude oil thieves who have converted the country's waterways to a safe haven for their criminal activities. The order may not be unconnected to the scam in the oil sector. The newly appointed Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba who made this disclosure in Lagos while on a tour of naval formations in the west revealed that the federal government is not happy that crude oil robbers and pirates are depriving it of getting all the revenue accrued to it from its exclusive maritime domain. AS increasing sea banditry threatens vital maritime economic activity and national security, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), backed by its Joint Task Force (JTF) kick-off a powerful, all-out offensive to check these dangers. LOUIS ACHI reports, Leadership Nigeria Maritime vessels hijacking, oil cargo theft and a laundry list of sheer criminality constitute the modus operandi of the sea pirates currently operating in Africa’s Gulf of Guinea off the West Coast. But it appears the days of their curious honeymoon of impunity is sharply numbered as NIMASA’s Joint Task Force has signaled that there couldn’t be two ‘governments’ operating simultaneously in a turf as sensitive as the nation’s strategic maritime sector Within a month, NIMASA’s Joint Task Force has not only made a haul of arrests, it has unraveled the mystery surrounding the operations of the dare devil pirates and hijackers involved in the audacious hijack of oil vessels recently. Comprising a combined team of the Navy, Army personnel, officials of NIMASA and Global West Vessel Specialist Limited (GWVSL), a privately owned firm, the recent arrests by the task force followed the attack and seizure last August 28, on MT Energy Centurion, a Greek-operated oil tanker, 17 miles off the shoreline of the Togolese Capital, Lome, where it had anchored.
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