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2011 Pirate Attacks at Record Pace July 14, 2011

Posted by Chris Mark in Piracy & Maritime Security, Risk & Risk Management.
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If the first six months of 2011 are any indication, the year is going to break records for the number of pirate attacks.  In the first six months of the year attacks are up 36% from 2010.  According to IMB, from January through June of 2011 there were 266 attacks compared with 196 a year earlier. While the number of attacks increased, the number of ships hijacked fell from 27 to 21 due to increased security measures.  Pirates only hijacked 1 in 8 vessels this year compared with 1 in 4 last year.  Unfortunately, there is a downside to the increased security.

According to IMB the pirates are taking more risks and becoming more violent in their attacks.  This year pirates fired upon ships during monsoon season for the first time.

Monsoon weather in the Indian Ocean region that began in early June displaced pirates to the Gulf of Aden and the southern Red Sea, the IMB said. It called the 18 attacks reported in the Red Sea area since May 20 “a cause for concern.” Three attacks in the Indian Ocean in adverse weather showed threats remained during monsoons for the first time, the IMB said, citing winds of 34 miles an hour and swells of 4.5 meters (15 feet).

“It may be that these recent Indian Ocean incidents are a sign of desperation on behalf of pirates, or that there are many more pirate action groups operating now than there were in 2010, particularly outside the Gulf of Aden,” the IMB said.

In short, while increased security measures may be hampering the success of pirates, this trend is not expected to last.  The potential ‘return on investment’ of a hijacking is simply too great for pirates to ignore.  The result with be an inevitable cycle of increased security followed by increased risk taking by the pirates.  This pattern can be seen developing now.  It is important for shipping companies to evaluate arming their ships with professional security personnel to prevent hijackings.

False Sense of Security! July 13, 2011

Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.
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I recently read a request that came across my desk from a shipping company that demanded we only provide a two man security team for a vessel transiting the Gulf of Aden.  The ship was over 180 meters in length, had a crew of over 20 and was a “low and slow.”  After pondering over this request for a minute I thought of the message this dangerous type of situation sends.  Frankly, the industry is exposing itself to far greater risk by cutting down on the requisite number of men that can effectively defend a “sustained attack.” By most accounts anyone reading the live piracy report posted on the IMB’s website has seen attacks lasting as long as an hour, with pirates chasing vessels in multiple skiffs.  A four man team provides barely enough coverage, and I’d caution companies who are engaged by security specialists that purport two or three men, with a couple of ineffective weapons such as a shotgun and an old bolt action rifle will be enough of a deterrent to thwart an attack.  We have actually seen pictures of three man teams with one vintage rifle from the 1800’s and 11 bullets total tasked to defend a ship.

Think of it this way, if a potential client approached you as a ship owner with a request for just the captain and chief engineer to operate a vessel you owned, would you expose yourself to that type of risk for the sake of making money?

Iranian Navy Foils Pirate Attack July 13, 2011

Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.
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According to  reports, the Iranian Navy and Iranian Marines have prevented a pirate attack against an Iranian cargo ship in the Indian Ocean.  Read the report here.

July 11th….US Marines and Pirates…a 200 year history! July 11, 2011

Posted by Chris Mark in Piracy & Maritime Security, Uncategorized.
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On November 10th, 1775 in Tun’s Tavern, Philadelphia, PA. The United States Marines were born as the Continental Marines.  With the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War on April 11th, 1783 Congress dissolved the Continental Marines and Continental Navy.  On July 11th, 1798 US President John Adams signed “An Act for Establishing and Organizing a Marine Corps,” effectively creating a new branch of the military.  The US Marines were born again!  So what does this have to do with Pirates?? Read On!!

In 1794 the US (and European nations) was plagued by pirate attacks on merchant vessels traveling near what was then called the Pirate Coast.  The Pirate coast consisted of Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli.  The pirates would hijack ships, take crews captive and then demand ransom.  Many nations payed a tributes to keep their ships safe.  As a new nation, the US was not in a position to pay tribute nor did they have an interest.

On October 3rd, 1803 the US Frigate Philadelphia and schooner Vixen (now that is a Ship’s name!) were ordered to Tripoli with whom the US had been at war over the piracy.  The Philadelphia was run aground and the the ship’s crew captured by the Basha of Tripoli.  The Philadelphia was captured and towed to the port of Tripoli.  So, what do the Marines have to do with this??  Read On!!

In response, the US sent a contingent of Marines (7 to be exact) led by Lt. Presley  O’bannon to overthrow the ruler of Tripoli and help re-establish the reign of Hamet Karamanli in what was to be known as the First Barbary War.  This war marked the first time the US was to plant the flag of the new nation on foreign soil and was when the US Marines were presented with the Mamaluke Sword which, since 1825 has been a part of the US Marine Corps officer Uniform.  The war also has been memorialized in the Marines hymn which starts: “From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli…”

While piracy off the African Coast has seen a resurgence in recent years, the US, and specifically the US Marines have a long and storied history with piracy….

West African Pirate Attacks Mimic Those In GoA July 9, 2011

Posted by Chris Mark in Piracy & Maritime Security, Risk & Risk Management.
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According to Bergen Risk Solutions, attacks off of the coast of Nigeria are beginning to resemble those off of the coast of Somalia in what some say is a disturbing trend. In June, 2011 there were five attacks alone.  The pirates are opting against the traditional robbery and are instead adopting the Somali tactics of hijacking the ships and holding for ransom.  The attacks demonstrate an increasing use of the Automated Ship Identification system (AIS) to target vessels as well as violence in their attacks.  1 person was killed in the attacks in June.  Bergen Risk stated:

 “Anecdotal evidence gathered in Nigeria confirms that the group has watched the modus operandi used by Somali pirates and has emulated their use of motherships.”

It added: “We find that most attacks are carried out in the hours of darkness, that pirates have no problems in carrying strikes up to 50 to 60 nautical miles from shore (but the vast majority of incidents are much closer to land) and that they have a very low threshold for using violence. Many crew members have been severely beaten and even shot during attacks.”