THE anti-pirate International Maritime Bureau's (IMB), a branch of the International Chamber of Commerce, focused on the three piracy hot spots at its annual conference in Kuala Lumpur.
There was agreement that the principal areas of concern were the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and Somalia, south east Asia and West Africa's Gulf of Guinea.
Major players, EU Navfor, BIMCO and NATO, were unanimous in their opinion that piracy in the Indian Ocean is supressed, but not eradicated.
A combination of measures, best management practice, shipboard armed guards and a heightened naval presence, appeared to have proved effective in reducing pirate attacks and their severity worldwide.
But experts stressed the measures work together, and that the absence of one out increase the chances of more and more successful pirate attacks.
British maritime security contractors MAST said the military believes probing attacks are being conducted to test defences and these are occurring mainly in the Gulf of Aden.
"The conditions ashore have not changed and capacity building has, so far, been totally ineffective. Illegal fishing has re-emerged as a significant challenge and two Iranian fishing dhows have been hijacked in last three months," said the MAST communiqu?
MAST operations chief Gerry Northwood said "the current security framework is working, but it remains extremely fragile and dependent on international navies maintaining a presence in the Indian Ocean, best practice being diligently applied, and for at least the majority of vessels to be protected by armed guards".
He warned that there is an increased risk with convicted pirates being released and returning to their homes in Somalia, reportedly seeking work as armed guards in ocean going fishing vessels.
"This is a potentially risky situation. It is not a big step from providing security on a fishing vessel to taking the vessel hostage and using it as a pirate mothership," he said.
In south east Asia, Malaysian authorities are keen to demonstrate they are taking pro-active measures to prevent it, he said.
"Armed guards were discussed as a potential solution but given the legal complexities, with vessels passing through different states territorial waters, to be effective, an agreement would need to include the Indonesians and Singaporeans," said the MAST statement.
Said Mr Northwood: "It can take time before armed guards on ships in south east Asia become an effective measure, but this is a move in the right direction. Our advice is that all vessels should be putting in place the appropriate risk assessed security measures."
When making the risk assessment, he advised to consider speed, freeboard, access points of the vessel, its cargo and routing.
"Ideally the measures to be put in place should be from a menu of options, including crew training, access to a citadel, and other best practices, passive measures where possible," he said.
Off West Africa, the Maritime Trade Information Sharing Centre, Gulf of Guinea (MTISC-GoG) has been established in Ghana as the equivalent of the Indian Ocean's UKMTO, he said.
PIRACY
25 September 2015 - 21:31
ICC-IMB International discuss piracy and maritime security issues
THE anti-pirate International Maritime Bureau's (IMB), a branch of the International Chamber of Commerce, focused on the three piracy hot spots at its annual conference in Kuala Lumpur.
PIRACY
25 September 2015 - 21:31
ICC-IMB International discuss piracy and maritime security issues
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