GLOBAL threats to the maritime industry are far from eradicated and the need to police the maritime domain is as pressing as ever, says Phil Cable, CEO of leading maritime security company MAST.
MAST to lawyers: Piracy, terrorism, human trafficking far from eradicatedGLOBAL threats to the maritime industry are far from eradicated and the need to police the maritime domain is as pressing as ever, says Phil Cable, CEO of leading maritime security company MAST.
Speaking at the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference in Perth, Mr Cable said: "The threats, whether terrorist, pirate, illegal fishing, human trafficking or narcotics, stem from lack of law and order.
"But many states lack the organisation, finance or will to police their waters, or they are, like Yemen, Libya, or Somalia failed or near failed states thus creating a permissive environment for criminality," Mr Cable said.
"Whilst the Indian Ocean is now one of the safest oceans, the threat of piracy has not been eliminated. It is navies on patrol, best management practices and armed guards that prevent a return to piracy by Somalis," he said.
"This combined with a recent spate of attacks in south east Asia, the Gulf of Guinea and increased people trafficking out of Libya, and between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, suggest threats to shipping are far from eradicated," he said.
Mr Cable said there are two main types of threats to shipping in south east Asia in the form of violent boardings/robberies and more sophisticated attacks whereby a vessel's cargo is stolen.
The threat in the Gulf of Guinea is dominated by boardings with the purpose of kidnapping crew members for ransom.
But there is a lack of regional cooperation creating a plethora of legal requirements and a lack of acceptance that public-private partnerships needed to develop a force capable of policing the area, he said.
"Maritime crime is a problem that needs engagement from all players - government, law enforcement, the shipping industry and its associates which include the security industry," Mr Cable said.
The private sector is inherently well equipped to step in and provide governments with the assistance they need to develop their ability to manage their maritime environment, he said.