Indian Ocean piracy spikes - help available free for ALL vessels

8:52 PM Fri 23 Oct 2009 GMT

'Pirates - the ’Central Regional Coastguard’ of Somalia' .

Following the dramatic increase in pirate attacks in supposed piracy safe-zones over the last fortnight, The Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre (MMWC) free-of-charge counter-piracy Ship Support Service is now available to all vessels sailing in the Indian Ocean.

The MMWC is a UK based, non-profit counter-piracy organisation, and it recommends that the maritime industry implements full counter-piracy measures and MARSEC Level 2 on all vessels sailing from the bottom of the Red Sea, across to the Indian Coast line and as far south as the Mozambique channel.

'Based on the recent turn of events, the military presence in the Gulf of Aden is forcing the pirates further out, which combined with the current favorable weather means that the traditional piracy hotspot is expanding to the point that vessels sailing over 600 miles from the coast of Somalia may be at risk of attack,' comments Nick Davis, Director, MMWC.

'This is spreading the thirty or so warships primarily patrolling the Gulf of Aden very thin, so it is up to vessels and operators to ensure that they are prepared to avoid hijacking, as it's now almost impossible to predict where pirates may strike.'

The most recent event, the hijacking of bulk carrier 'Al Khaliq' took place some 700 miles abeam of Mombasa on the morning of 22nd October 2009 whilst a number of fishing vessels and bulk vessels have also been attacked well beyond the traditional pirate waters in the Gulf of Aden over the last few weeks.

Additionally, a Chinese bulk carrier hijacked on 19th October 2009 was in fact sailing in a so-called piracy safe zone nearly 850 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia at the time of the attack, so had not made any specific counter-piracy arrangements. Had the vessel been better prepared then it's possible that the hijacking could have been avoided.

'With developments off the east coast of Africa and in the Indian Ocean changing rapidly, the MMWC is dedicated to providing vessels transiting the area with the best counter-piracy support and intelligence possible as part of our free of charge Ship Support Service,' continues Nick.

'The last few weeks have shown that there is currently no real safety zone, so it is more important than ever for vessels to be prepared and we are committed to enabling this by offering our comprehensive Ship Support Service for free.'

The MMWC Ship Support Service was developed as a key part of MMWC. At its core is 24/7 advice to Masters, managers and owners, when transiting piracy hotspots. It is provided by MMWC's staff of seasoned maritime security specialists who have conducted many transits themselves and are able to provide expert advice, support and intelligence to ensure that vessel and crew are prepared to the highest degree. Operators wishing to sign-up to the MMWC Ship Support Service can do so immediately by calling +44 (0) 845 26 99 801, or through the MMWC website at www.mmwc.org .

About the Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre:

Based in Poole, Dorset, a world centre of maritime security excellence, the non-profit Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre (MMWC) is the brainchild of maritime security expert Nick Davis. It offers a new, comprehensive approach to counter-piracy services.

Piracy is one of the international maritime industry's largest issues, and the problem is only getting worse. IMB figures released in July 2009 showed that the number of piracy attacks around the world more than doubled in the first six months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.

MMWC is a non-profit organisation founded on the fundamental principle that definitive, consistent information and certification based training is the only way for the merchant maritime industry to mitigate the human, financial and operational impacts of piracy, armed robbery and terrorism.

MMWC offers a comprehensive training and information programme that delivers certification at all organisational levels. Its world-class UK training centre includes the latest virtual bridge simulation infrastructure and software, associated classroom facilities, and access to vessels and a dedicated operations zone to provide full on-water simulation. All MMWC trainers and operatives are STCW 95 qualified international ex-naval personnel, with direct experience of maritime piracy.

MMWC is working with the maritime insurance industry to gain appropriate accreditation of its certification programme, and to offer compliance benefits to its members.

by Nikki Carpenter