USA warns vessels transiting Gulf of Guinea

THE United States of America, USA, has issued a Maritime Security Communication with Industry, MSCI, circular to guide vessels transiting through the Gulf of Guinea, GoG, with a view to alerting vessels in the event of an attack by pirates in the that region.

In the circular, the United States Department of Transportation and Maritime Administration warned that Piracy, Armed Robbery and Kidnapping for Ransom, KFR, continues to serve as a significant threat to U.S. flagged operators with vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to the Office of Naval Intelligence’s “Shipping Threat Reports, 53 reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea occurred in the GoG region this year as of July 06, 2020. This is a 27 percent decrease from the same period in 2019; however, the number of kidnappings and hijackings remain almost the same.

Source:Vanguard (Click to read more)