LESS than 40 per cent of ships traversing pirate-invested waters off Somalia adhere to best industry management practice (BMP) guidelines, according to secretary general of the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) chief Efthimios Mitropoulos.
LESS than 40 per cent of ships traversing pirate-invested waters off Somalia adhere to best industry management practice (BMP) guidelines, according to secretary general of the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) chief Efthimios Mitropoulos.
Given the area to be covered ranging deep into the Indian Ocean, NAT0 estimates it would take 80 warships on a patrol to provide an hour's arrival response time to a pirate attack in the zone of operations, reports Tanker Operator.
But there are only 30 in the area and only 15 operationally available at any one time, said Norway's Commander Stein Hagalid, now branch head of the NATO Shipping Centre.
In light of this lack of compliance, the IMO's Ian Finley said, "Maybe flag states should make it (BMP) mandatory."
Mr Finley said that vessels on time charter should be made to comply with BMP by adding a clause in the charter party. At the moment a third version, BMP3, is available, but the next version could include guidance on "mother ships", the conference heard.
