Somali Basin
Hijacked Ship in the Indian Ocean
Early on the morning of 11 November a Greek owned (Marshall Island flagged) vessel named the MV Filitsa was hijacked in the south Somali Basin, 400 nautical miles North East of the Seychelles. The Bulk Carrier with a deadweight of 23,709 tonnes has a crew of 22 consisting of 3 Greek and 19 Philipino. The vessel that was heading for Durban, has now turned around and is heading north.
Win Far Released by Pirates After 10 Months
M/V Win Far 161, which has been anchored off the Somali coast in the vicinity of Harardheere for almost 10 months has finally been released. The pirates vacated the vessel on the evening of 11 Feb and the master has taken command once more. The Taiwanese fishing vessel Win Far 161 was hijacked on 6 April 2009 from the Somali Basin, approximately 160Nm north of the Seychelles. The vessel had been operating outside the EU NAVFOR Area of Operation (AOR) and as such its movements were not
EU NAVFOR Destroys More Suspect Pirate Skiffs
EU NAVFOR units operating in the Somali Basin, between the Seychelles and the Somali coast, have discovered more suspected pirate activity. In an area close to the disruption of five pirate attack groups by EU NAVFOR, EU NAVFOR German warship FGS Emden intercepted a suspect pirate group consisting of a mother ship and two skiffs. The pirate mother ship was first detected in the late hours of 11 March by the EU NAVFOR Luxemburg Patrol aircraft who directed the EU NAVFOR German warship Emden
EU NAVFOR Warship Sinks Pirate Skiffs
On the morning of 10 June, the EU NAVFOR German warship FGS Niedersachsen detected a suspected Pirate Action Group (PAG) whilst conducting a routine patrol in the Southern Somali Basin. The PAG, which is suspected of carrying out a number of attacks on merchant vessels in the area, consisted of a fishing dhow and 2 attack skiffs. Small arms and Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG)s were also seen on board.
Piracy Dropped to a 5-year Global Low in 2012
Piracy on the world's seas at a five-year low, with 297 ships attacked in 2012, compared with 439 in 2011, according to the ICC global piracy report. Extracts from the International Chamber of Commerces (ICC) – International Maritime Bureau (IMB) annual report on piracy follow: Worldwide figures were brought down by a huge reduction in Somali piracy, though East and West Africa remain the worst hit areas, with 150 attacks in 2012.
AdvanFort’s Adds Security Platform
AdvanFort added a new ocean platform, the SG Arizona, to complete its pre-deployed offshore support vessel (OSV) network in the piracy High Risk Area (HRA) in and around the Gulf of Aden. “Named after the last of this country’s 48 contiguous states, our Arizona brings to its logical completion a market-driven remedy for those seeking the most secure transit in what is still one of the world’s most dangerous maritime regions,” said AdvanFort President William H. Watson
Tankship Engine Room Blaze Off Somalia Coast
Australia’s HMAS Newcastle provided medical treatment and evacuated two badly burned Filipino merchant seamen from a stricken oil tanker in the Somali Basin. The seamen from the Liberian registered Merchant Tanker Perla, were severely burned during a machinery fire which left the tanker powerless, adrift and vulnerable to pirate attack on June 7, 2013. Heavy seas required Newcastle’s embarked Sea Hawk helicopter to affect the rescue which winched a three-person medical team
Safety at Sea International Awards
Four shipping industry companies and organisations have been honoured for their outstanding contributions to maritime safety. The third annual Safety at Sea International Awards were presented June 10 at a banquet in Oslo in recognition of excellence in programmes, products and services that encourage and promote safety in the maritime environment. Prizes were awarded in four categories: equipment, systems, training and management/operations
Pirates Disrupted by USS Pinckney
Guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91), assigned to Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, disrupted a group of suspected pirates close to the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), south of Yemen, Dec. 19. The Merchant Shipping Industry Best Management Practices, Version 4 (BMPv4) encourages merchant vessels to register with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) while transiting areas known to be high risk for piracy. At approximately 8:40 a.m
CMF’s USS Bulkeley Frees Ship from Pirates
A request for assistance from a Japanese-owned merchant vessel in the Somali Basin led to Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) warship USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) securing the release of the vessel and its 24 crew members from four suspected pirates, Mar. 6. At approximately 3.00pm local time, Mar. 5, the oil tanker MV Guanabara reported it was under attack when it was 328 nautical miles south east of Duqm, Oman. Bulkeley
HMAS Toowoomba Returns From the Middle East
Minister for Defense Stephen Smith today welcomed HMAS Toowoomba home from a six-month deployment to the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO). Minister Smith greeted the crew at her homeport Fleet Base West (HMAS Stirling), Rockingham, Western Australia.
Three Somali Pirates to Appear in US Court
Three Somali men face a possible death penalty when they go on trial this week for a pirate attack that led to the death of four Americans. Jury selection begins Tuesday in the city of Norfolk, Virginia, for Ahmed Muse Salad, Abukar Osman Beyle and Shani Nurani Sheikh Abrar, reports VOA.
L.A. Port Extends Major Lease Agreement with Chinese Shippers
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the signing of an agreement with Yang Ming, a marine transport company, to extend its lease at the Port of Los Angeles for an additional nine years. Yang Ming’s current lease at the West Basin Container Terminal ends in 2021; with this agreement
Engineers Put Next-Generation U.S. Navy Ships to the Test
Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) engineers conducted preliminary Ship to Shore Connector (SSC) seaworthiness model tests in the David Taylor Model Basin, April 22 - May 17. SSC is the replacement for the Navy's existing fleet of Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicles
AdvanFort Floats Past Floating Armory Debate
As international controversy continues about the “wheres,” “whys” and “how much” of maritime piracy in key international shipping areas, an important debate now focuses on the use of “floating armories” in efforts to restore security on the high seas
N.Y. Open House for Tanker's 75th Birthday
All are welcome to visit the Tanker Mary A. Whalen on Pier 11, Atlantic Basin, Red Hook, Brooklyn on Tuesday, May 21. Our short stay in Atlantic Basin, in Red Hook for National Maritime Historical Society makes the ship available on her 75th birthday
AdvanFort President Addresses Ransom and Piracy
"The revelation this week that the owner of an Algerian cargo ship whose crew was held by Somali pirates paid them $2.6 million in ransom is yet another indication that the rewards these denizens reap for their illegal, life-threatening work remain a serious stumbling block to ending maritime
Counter Piracy Commander Warns of Continuing Threat
The Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, has issued a renewed warning that Somali pirates are still determined to get out to sea and, if presented with an easy target, will attack. “I am very concerned that seafarers and nations will lower their guard and
Somalia Counter-piracy Initiative Wins Cash
Somalia wins extra cash, military aid, at the recent London donor summit. Britain will help boost radio communications on the Somali coast to combat piracy that the World Bank has estimated costs the world economy $18 billion despite the dramatic drop in incidents so far this year
DOS – CGPCS Meeting Re Somali Piracy
The Department of State (DOS) issued a news release stating that the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) met in New York on May 1. Participants agreed that while piracy has been reduced dramatically through the concerted efforts of the international community and the Somali
Somali Pirates to Face Trial for American Murders
On June 3, 2013 the United States begins a capital murder trial against three alleged Somali pirates, accused of killing four Americans at sea. If convicted, the defendants could be sentenced to death. While more pirates are being convicted in courts around the world
Financial Aspects of Piracy Explained
Release of 'MV Leopard' crew hostages by Somali pirates, prompts Denmark researchers 'RiskIntelligence' to give general ransom & pirate 'investment' insights. Economic terminology such as “market” is used in the below to describe the criminal activities of hijacking and ransom.
Yes, Oceanographers Can Help Predict Piracy Attacks
The US Naval Meteorology & Oceanography Command named a 2013 Computerworld Honors Laureate for its counter-piracy predictive modelling. The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NAVMETOCCOM) received the award for a modeling capability developed by Naval oceanographers at Stennis Space
Marin Uses Subsea Wireless Solution from WFS in Test Basin
WFS helps Marin communicate with underwater models in their test basin using subsea wireless technology. Marin is one of the leading institutes in the world for hydrodynamic research and maritime technology, providing services to the shipbuilding and offshore industry and governments
Another Tankship Released by Somali Pirates
EU Naval Force Flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez assists 'MV Smyrni' after it sails out of the Somali pirate's holding anchorage. MV Smyrni, with a crew of 26, was carrying 135,000 tonnes of crude oil when she was hijacked on 11 May 2012