The Threat of Modern Piracy- A Merged Thread

[Eye In The Sky]

Salt water - yes, deep water - no

As an ambush predator, it usually waits for its prey to get close to the water's edge before striking without warning and using its great strength to drag the animal back into the water.

{ Hijack Alert }

This sentence immediately made me think of some of the ladies that used to hang out at the Camelot...

*shudders*

 

[OldSolduer]

Ha ha..the Camelot! Yes that's a very good analogy!

Now will SOMEBODY get me sharks with frikkin laser beams? :rage:

 

[CougarKing]

HA! Who says that merchant seamen can't defend themselves?

3 ships thwart attacks by pirates off Somalia
Mon Sep 8, 4:20 AM ET

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades attacked three vessels off Somalia's coast but failed to hijack them because of quick action by crew members, a maritime official said Monday.

A Chinese cargo ship, a Singaporean liquefied gas carrier and a Thai bulk carrier managed to thwart the pirates in the Gulf of Aden by increasing speed and taking evasive maneuvers, said Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau.

Somalia, which has had no functioning government since 1991, is the world's top piracy hotspot. The latest incidents bring to 44 the number of attacks off its coast this year. Most occurred in the Gulf of Aden, Choong said.

"Early detection allowed all three ships to report to IMB and take quick action to escape," said Choong, who heads the IMB's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur. He said the situation was still grave despite increased patrols by warships from a multinational coalition in the area.

The Chinese-owned ship, sailing under the flag of the Caribbean island state of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was passing through the gulf Friday when crew noticed a blue tug identified by the IMB as a suspected pirate vessel, Choong said.

The crew raised the alarm after a speed boat from the tug headed toward the ship, he said. Four pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons started firing, but the ship escaped after it increased speed and the crew threw objects at the pirates during the chase, he said.

On Saturday, six pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades attempted to ambush a Singaporean tanker in the gulf, Choong said. The tanker increased speed and changed course, leaving the attacking boat rolling heavily and four pirates fell into the sea, he said.

The pirates later resumed chase and the ship captain contacted the IMB, which sought help from the coalition naval force, he said. The pirates gave up their chase before a coalition warship could reach the scene, he said.

The next day, pirates in two speed boats chased a Thai bulk carrier but it also managed to evade the pirates and headed toward Yemen's coast, Choong said.

Nobody on board the ships was injured in the incidents.

The attacks came after pirates hijacked an Egyptian cargo ship and a French sailboat last Wednesday. Ten vessels have been seized in the region since July 20.

The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, is one of the world's busiest waterways with some 20,000 ships passing through it each year. The surge in pirate attacks has prompted the U.S. Naval Central Command to establish a security corridor in the gulf patrolled by the international coalition of warships.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080908/ap_on_...somalia_pirates

 

[Blackadder1916]

But there is still plenty of prey for the pirates to take down.

South Korean ship hijacked off Somali coast

Associated Press 10 September 2008 6 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Pirates hijacked a South Korean bulk carrier with 21 crew off Somalia's coast Wednesday but were thwarted in a separate attempt to seize a Greek ship, a maritime official said.

The South Korean vessel is the 11th to be hijacked since July 20 off Somalia, which is the world's top piracy hotspot. The surge in attacks has prompted the U.S. Naval Central Command to establish a security corridor patrolled by an international coalition of warships.

Noel Choong of the piracy watchdog International Maritime Bureau said the bureau was informed that the South Korean ship with 21 members aboard was seized in the Gulf of Aden, but he could not provide details.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the ship had eight South Koreans and "numerous" other foreign crew members. Yonhap, which did not cite its source, said the sailors were all safe.

In the other incident Wednesday, pirates in speed boats chased a Greek bulk carrier and fired at it with machine guns, Choong said. The crew called the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, which alerted the multinational force.

The force sent a warship and a helicopter that scared away the pirates, Choong said.

The latest incidents bring the number of attacks off Somalia's coast to 50 this year, most of which occurred in the Gulf of Aden, Choong added.

The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, is one of the world's busiest waterways with some 20,000 ships passing through it each year. But it has become notorious for an increasing number of attacks, apparently by Somali pirates.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991. Pirates there are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues and typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rockets launchers and various types of grenades.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Shipping insurance cost soars with piracy surge off Somalia

Miles Costello The Times September 11, 2008

A dramatic increase in piracy off the coast of Somalia and a ten-fold increase in insurance premiums has sent the cost of sending ships through one of the world's busiest transport routes, soaring, shipping experts said yesterday.

The warning came as pirates hijacked the latest cargo ship off the Horn of Africa yesterday. The South Korean vessel and its nine crew joined 10 other ships being held for ransom by pirates in Somali waters as the country suffers a crippling humanitarian crisis and its worst bout of insecurity since the early 1990s.

Insurance companies have increased premiums for sending a cargo shipment through the Gulf of Aden to about $9,000 from $900 a year ago.  Meanwhile, the pirates, who use speed boats and are armed with rocket propelled grenades and assault rifles, have become increasingly sophisticated in their attacks.  Ships are typically held for at least three months before a ransom, which averages $1million, can secure their release.

Robert Davies, head of specialist risks at Hiscox, the London-based insurer, said that embattled ship owners are facing a big increase in ransom demands, as well as the cost of settling tense negotiations that last an averge 100 days. The average kidnap settlement is now $1 million. Previously, the pirates would have happily settled for payments “in the low hundreds of thousands”, Mr Davies said.

“It's not just a growing frequency, there is also a growing cost of piracy, kidnap and ransoms,” he said. “The size of the ransom, depending on the vessel and its cargo, is growing. The time these things are lasting is also increasing. Before, they were quick in and out events. Now, the bad guys are a bit more sophisticated.”

Pleasure craft are also being targeted by the Somali pirates. A Kenyan-based shipping agency reported yesterday said that the bandits were demanding $1.4million for the release of a French couple seized last week as they sailed their yacht between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.

Jean-Yves Delanne and his wife Bernadette were dropped ashore on the Somali coast before being taken to a pirate hideout in the Xaabo mountains, according to the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme. It said that the group were also demanding the release of six pirates seized by French commandos in April as part of the ransom deal. The organisation claimed the couple's luxury yacht, the 24 metre (79 foot) twin-masted Carre D'as IV, was probably being used as a decoy vessel to capture other ships.

“It might very well be used as a decoy to approach other unsuspecting yachts or simulate and signal an engine failure or other emergency at sea, whereby it then would attack any ship coming closer in order to provide assistance,” it said.

“If you think about Somalia - it's not really a country anymore. It is being controlled by a bunch of warlords. It has become a haven for lawlessness. If you are a shipowner and want to get your cargo east to west, you pretty much have to go through the Gulf of Aden,” Mr Davies said.

In the first half of this year, 94 crew and passengers were taken hostage while trying to cross the Gulf of Aden, according to figures compiled by maritime experts at the International Maritime Bureau, part of the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC-IMB).

A further 63 people have been taken hostage in Somalia over the same period, according to the ICC-IMB.

And the evidence shows that Somalia is by far the most dangerous location for commercial travel this year - considerably ahead of the Philippines and Indonesia.

 

[George Wallace]

This is going to become 'violent' in the near future.  Either, Nations are going to use military force and put an end to it, or 'Private Enterprise' will contract out solutions on their own.

 

[rtangri]

Well if something doesnt work out with the pirates in regards to the navy being sent in to help, blackwater will probably get the contract, on the contrary



haha, i cant believe pirates still exist

 

[aesop081]

haha, i cant believe pirates still exist

Why not ?

Piracy is simply theivery / crime on the water. As long as there will be trade, there will be piracy. The reasons for it have not changed since the "pirates" that most people think of.

 

[George Wallace]

haha, i cant believe pirates still exist

There have always been pirates.  There are pirates in the South China Sea.  There were pirates operating of the coasts of Vietnam and Thailand during the Vietnam War.  There have been pirates hijacking yachts off of Australia and New Zealand for years.  They are out there, but don't make much Press, except in the "Yachting Circles".

 

[GAP]

This is going to become 'violent' in the near future.  Either, Nations are going to use military force and put an end to it, or 'Private Enterprise' will contract out solutions on their own.

Did not Indonesia deal with this in the last couple of years when the pirates in the Malaka Strait got out of hand?  What did they do?

 

[aesop081]

Did not Indonesia deal with this in the last couple of years when the pirates in the Malaka Strait got out of hand?  What did they do?

It is still quite out of hand.

 

[CougarKing]

Here is a repost of a commentary by a merchant sailor who has sailed that particular dangerous stretch infested with Somali pirates.

Most of the piracy happens in the northern part of Somalia and the Gulf Aden area, the gateway to Suez Canal and Europe.

Gulf of Aden is in the mouth of the Red Sea and the only route for a vessel sailing to Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea, and Europe from Indian Ocean and Asia. The alternative route is via Cape of Good Hope the southern tip of African continent which is not recommendable unless the Suez Canal is close as it happened during the Israeli Arab War in 1967.

The problems of Piracy in the Gulf of Aden can be solved with the cooperation from the government of Yemen and the IMO. I proposed that the ships sailing Red Sea, Suez Canal, and Mediterranean to hugged the coast of Yemen (perhaps about 12 to 15 miles south of Yemen coast. Also the International Maritime Organization to adopt and establish a Traffic Separation for east bound and west bound vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

Naval  vessels from the United Nations to patrol the proposed IMO Traffic SeparationScheme which will be located on the edge of 12 miles international boundary of Yemen.

Ships assigned to Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) assemble in a formation for a photo exercise. The multinational Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) was established to monitor, inspect, board, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the war on terrorism and includes operations currently taking place in the North Arabia Sea to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. Countries contributing to CTF-150 currently include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.


The Coalition Naval vessels deployed in Somalia water is virtually helpless in combating piracy in the Somalia coast. They were more or less 20 ships but the Somali coast is more than 3,000 miled in lenght.  I reckoned the best thing they should do is to blockade the known Pirate bases off the Somalia coast especially in Northern Somalia bordering the Gulf of Aden and in the island of Socotra, and also the known Pirate bases about 39 to 40 miles north of Mogadishu and the pirates area about 20 to 30 miles south of Mogadishu port. The coalition naval warships must have small fast craft to chase the pirates speed boats.

It is a well known fact that the pirates operating in small fast speed boats have a mother ship which also has modern equipment like AIS, Automatic Identification of System, from there AIS they could know the names of the merchant vessels, their last port and next port and their cargo.

Pirate's mother ship.

Also they have VHF Radio that can monitor the movements of ships entering or leaving a Somalia port since vessel have to contact the Port Control before entering a port. However these equipments may have helped the Pirates in capturing vessels.

Merchant vessels in pirate infested area should switched off their AIS in order not to let the pirate's mother ship to have all advance informations they needed. Merchant vessels entering Somali ports like Mogadishu, Berbera, etc should be exempted from calling by VHF Radio the concerned Port Authorities.

Messages even within 1 hour before arrival port and even in the anchorage area should be sent by email to the Shipping Agent or relayed to the Shipping Agent by the Charterers or by the ship Owners. instead of sending via VHF Radio.

There is a also a chance that someone in the Port Authorities were the one giving information to the Pirates. There was an incident where the Pirate was tellling the Captain of a vessel they hijacked that the vessel's ETA in entering the port of Mogadishu was not accurate since they the Pirate have waited outside the port for more than 2 hours from the "ETA" given by that vessel they have hijacked.

Who else provided that ETA informations to the Pirates if not the Port Authorities themselves? or the Shipping Agent of the vessel ?

There were piracy in the East coast of Somalia and in the Somalia capital of Mogadishu but for prudent reasons I better not make any comments since it may affect or jeopardize the security of the ship I just disembarked, and the security of seafarers manning the ships that brought foods to Somalia people from the ports of India, United Arab Emirates, and from other countries.

Those seafarers were mostly from the Philippines, India, and some from East European countries. Perhaps they were brave and noble enough to sail to Mogadishu and provide food relief to the starving mass of humanity in Somalia.

 

[CougarKing]

More pictures and comments from that merchant sailor's commentary:

Continuation :

Below were some photos of Mogadishu port the capital of wartorn Somalia.

We have guns onboard to scare the Pirates, we shoot them while still away since
once they were near they can retaliate with RPG and bazooka.

Actually the Vessel we are on is partly owned by a Somali millionaires and perhaps related to the Warlord of Mogadishu. However the other place in Somalia
were controlled by other warlords which perhaps were also connected with the Pirates. So our ship is also a target of Pirates operating in other ports of Somalia.

 

[Bass ackwards]

There is a very interesting book on the subject of modern piracy, it's called Dangerous Waters; Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas by John S Burnett.
It was written post 9/11 and details many of the incidents and some of the current attempts to thwart piracy (the author himself was hijacked aboard his sailboat by pirates).
Well worth a look (in my humble, landlubber's opinion).
Here's a link to the author's site:
http://www.modernpiracy.com/home.htm

 

[Blackadder1916]

Pirates launch rocket attacks off Somali coast

By Henry Samuel in Paris from Telegraph.co.uk Last Updated: 10:29PM BST 14 Sep 2008

French fishermen are calling for round-the-clock naval protection in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean after a boat narrowly escaped a rocket attack by Somali pirates, in the latest of a rash of incidents in the area.

The pirates are becoming increasingly emboldened, they say, and now prey on boats in an area the size of France off the Somali coast. On Saturday a Japanese-operated oil tanker came under fire, while a Spanish trawler was targeted last week.

The captain of the Breton fishing boat, Le Drennec, said the pirates opened fire with rockets when they realised that they were being outrun. One hit the deck while the other landed without exploding.

The latest attack occurred near the Seychelles, some 800 kilometres off the Somali coast.

Around fifty French and Spanish boats in the area have ceased operations and are currently moored in Mahé in the Seychelles.

"We are fishermen not warriors, we come here to earn a living, not to serve as targets," said Ronan Bargain, the captain of the Spanish boat that came under attack.

Yvon Riva, president of frozen tuna group Orthongel, called on France to provide air and sea surveillance.

"What used to be local pirates is turning into an organised industry, very probably using mother boats," from which small, heavily armed vessels chase passing fishermen, he said.

French fishing and agriculture minister Michel Barnier has called for an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the crisis.

Somali pirates are currently holding several ships in the area.

Two French sailors were kidnapped earlier this month. It is believed that they are being held off the northern Somali breakaway state of Puntland.

The pirates are demanding a ransom – reportedly £1.1 million – and that French authorities release six colleagues detained in France. The men were arrested after a high-profile attack on a luxury yacht in April, which ended with French commandos raiding the ship, capturing the pirates and freeing the 30 hostages unharmed.

In recent months, a multinational task force based in Djibouti has been patrolling parts of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, but fishermen say this is not sufficient.

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . .
Two French sailors were kidnapped earlier this month. It is believed that they are being held off the northern Somali breakaway state of Puntland.

The pirates are demanding a ransom – reportedly £1.1 million – and that French authorities release six colleagues detained in France. The men were arrested after a high-profile attack on a luxury yacht in April, which ended with French commandos raiding the ship, capturing the pirates and freeing the 30 hostages unharmed.

It would seem that this is no longer accurate.


French commandos storm yacht to free couple held hostage by Somali pirates
The Carre d’As was stormed in an early morning raid by the French equivalent of the British Special Boat Service. Commandos safely freed the French couple who were held held hostage for 14 days, killing one pirate and capturing six.

Charles Bremner in Paris From Times Online September 16, 2008

French navy commandos stormed a captured yacht off Somalia and freed its two crew after a battle with pirates who had been holding them for two weeks.

The night-time assault, in which one pirate was killed and six taken prisoner, was hailed by President Sarkozy as a complete success and a lesson to hostage-takers in the lawless seas off Somalia. "This is warning to all those who try to live off criminal acts. France will not accept that crime pays," he said.

The President directed the operation from the Elysée Palace, ordering the squad of 30 men to attack after it became clear that the pirates were taking the Carré d'As to the Somali mainland.

Jean-Yves and Bernadette Delanne, a retired couple, were safe and unharmed aboard the Courbet, a frigate. The navy vessel had been shadowing the yacht since it was seized on September 2 on a voyage to France from French Polynesia.

The operation was the second by French special forces against pirates in the red sea area this year. Six pirates were captured in Somalia and brought back to France last April after they released the 40 crew and passengers of the Ponant, a luxury cruising yacht. Part of that ransom was recovered in a helicopter attack on the hostage-takers on land.

The pirates holding the Carré d'As had been demanding a ransom of more than one million euros (£0.7m) for the Delannes' freedom, as well as the release of the six pirates held in a French prison.

Mr Sarkozy declined to give details of the operation beyond saying that the assault had been delayed for three days by bad weather and that the assault took ten minutes. The special forces had joined the Courbet from the French base at Djibouti soon after the pirates seized the yacht.

Men from the Commando Hubert, a unit modelled on the British Special Boat Service of the Second World War, would have swum under water to the yacht in order to take the pirates by surprise, military sources said. They would have used recycling aqualungs, which release no bubbles, and probably thrown grappling hooks over the rails to climb aboard in the early hours when the pirates were mainly sleeping, they said.

Congratulating his men, Mr Sarkozy said the action was military and not a police operation. He thanked Germany and Malaysia for helping in the operation but gave no details.

French special forces and the separate Gendarmerie intervention unit have a long record of successful hostage releases. Mr Sarkozy built his reputation as a tough enforcer of the law while serving as Interior Minister and as a junior minister in 1993 he risked his life to negotiate with a man who had taken nursery school children hostage. The man was shot dead by the Gendarmerie unit.

The President called for a new international operation to halt the criminal industry off Somalia. A French tuna vessel was hit by rockets 500 miles off Somalia earlier this week. Somali gunmen were reported this morning to have hijacked a tanker believed to be Hong Kong-owned, just hours after the yachting couple were freed. Mr Sarkozy said that 150 people from 15 vessels were being held hostage in Puntland a coastal region of Somalia. Most of the 54 pirate attacks this year have taken place in Gulf of Aden but the hostage-takers are roaming further afield into the Indian ocean.

European Union foreign ministers have agreed to set up a unit to coordinate warship patrols off the coast of Somalia to protect shipping from pirates. Warships from the United States and its allies have been patrolling the area as part of an international anti-terrorist operation for the past eight years.

With its big military base at Djibouti, France has one of the strongest military presences in the region.

Mr Sarkozy, who was clearly enjoying his role as tough commander-in-chief this morning, said: "Whenever any French person is in danger in the world, the state will use all its means to save them."

 

[geo]

It's good to see that France has chosen to put it's proverbial pants on & project itself.
Not sure they would have done so 2 or 3 years ago.

BZ to Commando Hubert

 

[Blackadder1916]

It's good to see that France has chosen to put it's proverbial pants on & project itself.
Not sure they would have done so 2 or 3 years ago.

France has never been reluctant to use direct action when its (and only its) interests or citizens have been threatened.  They are more hesitant to get involved when it does not directly concern its interests or when they are not in the lead.  Just because they haven't been enthusiastic partners in some western (NATO) coalitions doesn't mean it has been pantless.  In both cases of recent French military action to retrieve hostages/vessels from Somali pirates, the hostages and vessels were French.  I doubt that M. Sarkozy would have been as quick to order similar action if vessels and citizens of other nations were the ones taken.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

France's actions helps all sailors in the area. Now if more direct action was taken there would be less of this stuff. Time to bring out a Q ship. A bait car for piratres.

 

[Blackadder1916]

With the increased piracy activity in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, one almost needs a score card to keep up to date with the incidents.  Found this while looking for a consolidated list of the vessels and hostages taken.

Weekly Piracy Report
9-15 September 2008

The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 9 to 15 September 2008.

ALERT

Gulf of Aden
Masters using the Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) while transiting the Gulf of Aden are not relieved of their obligation and should continue to maintain a strict 24 hour look out using all available means to get an early warning of an approaching threat. Early indication of a piratical incident will enable the master to contact the Coalition Navies, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre and respond appropriately to prevent boarding.

Nigeria
Violent attacks carried out by pirates on board vessels at anchor and vessel carrying out STS operations. Mariners are advised to exercise extreme caution in these waters.

Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh
The number of attacks has reduced since 2006. However, the area is still listed as a high risk area and mariners are advised to be cautious especially while approaching the anchorage and while at anchor at Chittagong

Suspicious crafts

None reported

Recently reported incidents

08.09.2008: 0500 LT: Tincan Island container terminal - berth no. 4, Lagos, Nigeria.
Duty AB, onboard a container ship detected a suspicious boat. Upon checking, he discovered one robber had already boarded. There were six more persons in the boat. Crew alerted and they rushed towards the robber. When robber realized he had been detected, he jumped overboard and escaped with the others in the boat.


14.09.2008: 1435 UTC: Posn: 13:38.87N – 048:59.00E: Gulf of Aden.
Duty officer onboard a bulk carrier noticed a mother vessel (red colour) releasing speed boats, which approached the vessel. Six pirates in the speedboat opened fire on the vessel.  Master contacted the coalition warships but no response. Anti piracy measures were enforced, the speedboats followed for about 10 minutes and later aborted.

13.09.2008: 0500 UTC: 02:10N - 054:37E Off Somalia.
Three white coloured speed boats, possibly, from a mother ship, fired on and tried to close onto a fishing vessel underway. The master increased speed and moved away.

13.09.2008: 0300 LT: Posn: 09:57.75N - 076:15.79E, Warf no.Q4, Cochin Port, India.
Two robbers armed with knives boarded a general cargo ship moored to buoys. They broke pad locks of forward store. Alarm raised and crew mustered. Upon hearing the alarm, robbers escaped empty handed in a wooden boat with eight accomplices. Port control and coast guard informed.

12.09.2008: 1513 UTC: Posn: 13:24N - 048:20E, Gulf of Aden.
Eight pirates, in a skiff, chased a general cargo ship underway. They fired upon the ship and attempted to board. Master contacted the coalition warships. A helicopter intervened and the pirates aborted the attempt.

10.09.2008: 0657 UTC: Posn: 13:09.6N-047:57.0E: Gulf of Aden.
Pirates boarded and hijacked a bulk carrier underway. 21 crew taken hostage.  Further reports awaited.

10.09.2008: 0343 UTC: Posn: 12:39.4N – 048:23E: Gulf of Aden.
One speedboat chased and fired on a bulk carrier underway. The vessel took evasive actions and contacted the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre for assistance. Duty officer at the Centre informed the coalition navy. Coalition navy sent a warship and a helicopter that flew over the speedboat and interrupted the attack. The pirates aborted the attack. The vessel continued her passage to destination port. No damage to vessel and no injury to crew.

09.09.2008: 0200 LT: Vung Tau anchorage Vietnam.
Duty AB, onboard a container ship at anchor, noticed one robber attempting to board via the anchor chain. Crew alerted. On seeing the alert crew, the robbers jumped overboard and escaped in a waiting boat.

08.09.2008: Posn: 12:45.48N - 046:05.3E: Gulf of Aden.
About ten speedboats chased a tanker underway. Master took evasive manoeuvres and contacted the coalition naval forces for help. A coalition aircraft arrived at location. The speedboats aborted the attack.

08.09.2008: 0400 UTC: Posn: 12:54.2N - 046:04.2E: Gulf of Aden.
Two high-speed boats crossed the bow of a container ship underway at a distance of one nm and then turned towards the ship. Master altered course in a threatening way to hit the speedboats.  As the boats got closer, the master observed that the persons onboard were carrying guns. Later the boats aborted the attempt.

07.09.2008: 2030 LT: Off Tioman Island, Malaysia.
About 15 pirates armed with long knives boarded and hijacked a tug towing a barge. The tug / barge were enroute to Thailand from Singapore in ballast. The pirates landed the seven Indonesian crewmembers on Tioman Island.  The seven-crew members lodged a police report on the island. The tug / barge are still missing.

06.09.2008: 0240 LT: Tanjung Bara anchorage, Indonesia.
Robbers boarded a bulk carrier at anchor, via the forecastle and stole ship's stores. Alarm raised and crew mustered. Robbers escaped.

Piracy prone areas and warnings

Mariners are warned to be extra cautious and to take necessary precautionary measures when transiting the following areas:

S E Asia and the Indian Sub Continent

Bangladesh : Although the number of attacks has fallen, the area is still listed as very high risk. Pirates are targeting ships preparing to anchor. Most attacks reported at Chittagong anchorages and approaches.
Indonesia : Anambas/Natuna island area, Belawan. Pirates armed with guns and knives. Generally be vigilant in other areas. Many attacks may have gone unreported.
India : Kandla. Most ships were attacked while at anchor.
Malacca straits : Although the number of attacks has dropped due to the increase and constant patrols by the littoral states relevant Authorities since July 2005, ships are advised to continue maintaining a strict anti piracy watch when transiting the straits.
Philippines : Manila - Pirates target ships at anchor.
Singapore Straits : Only one reported incident in the last quarter, but vessels are advised to continue to be vigilant and maintain anti piracy watch. In the past pirates seen attacking ships while at anchor and underway.

Africa and Red Sea

Lagos & Bonny River (Nigeria) : Pirates are violent and have attacked and robbed vessels/kidnapped crews along the coast and rivers, at anchorages and ports. Vessels advised to be also vigilant in other areas in Nigeria.
Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) : Pirates are targeting ships in port and anchorages.
Gulf of Aden / Red Sea : Somali pirates are now attacking vessels in the northern Somali coast in the Gulf of Aden. These pirates are firing automatic weapons and Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) in an attempt to board and hijack vessels. Once the attack is successful and the vessel hijacked, the pirates sail towards the Somali coast and thereafter demand a ransom for the release of the vessel and crew. All vessels transiting the area are advised to take additional precautionary measures and maintain strict 24 hours radar and anti piracy watch using all available means. Watch keeping crews should look out for small suspicious boats converging on vessel. Early sighting and accurate assessment will allow Master to increase speed and manoeuvre to escape pirates and at the same time request various Authorities/Agencies for assistance.
Somalian waters : Recent incidents indicate that attacks have spread to the northern Somali coast. The Somali pirates are now attacking vessels in the northern Somali coast in the Gulf of Aden. Somali pirates are dangerous and are prepared to fire automatic weapons at ships in order to stop them. Occasionally they fire RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) launchers at ships. Pirates are believed to be using “mother vessels” to launch attacks far from the coast. These “mother vessels” proceed far out to sea and launch smaller boats to attack and hijack passing ships. Eastern and Northeastern coasts are high risk areas for attacks and hijackings. The IMB maintains its advice that vessels not making scheduled calls to ports in Somalia should keep as far away as possible from the Somali coast, ideally more than 200 nautical miles until a more permanent and encouraging sign is seen. Mariners are advised to report any suspicious boats to the Centre.

South and Central America and the Caribbean waters

Brazil : Although the number of reported attacks has dropped in Santos. Ships are advised to continue to be vigilant.
Peru : Callao

Rest of the World

Arabian Sea : Sightings and calls from suspicious small boats. In some cases, boats chased the ships with unknown intent.

Secure-Ship

Secure-Ship is the most recent and effective innovation in the fight against piracy. It is a non-lethal, electrifying fence surrounding the whole ship, which has been specially adapted for maritime use. The fence uses 9,000-volt pulse to deter boarding attempts. An intruder coming in contact with the fence will receive an unpleasant non-lethal shock that will result in the intruder abandoning the attempted boarding. At the same time an alarm will go off, activating floodlights and a very loud siren. The IMB strongly recommends ship owners to install this device on board their ships. Further details can be obtained at www.secure-marine.com

ShipLoc

There are a number of reliable ship tracking devices available on the market today based upon Inmarsat and other satellite systems.

The IMB endorses ShipLoc, an inexpensive satellite tracking system, which allows shipping companies, armed only with a personal computer with Internet access, to monitor the exact location of their vessels. In addition to anti-hijacking role, ShipLoc facilitates independent and precise location of ships at regular intervals. ShipLoc is fully compliant with the IMO Regulation SOLAS XI-2/6 adopted during the diplomatic conference in December 2002, concerning a Ship Security Alert System. The ship security alert system regulation that will be put into place as of July 2004, requires ships of over 500 GT to be equipped with an alarm system in order to reinforce ship security. The system allows the crew, in case of danger, to activate an alarm button that automatically sends a message to the ship owner and to competent authorities. The message is sent without being able to be detected by someone on-board or by other ships in the vicinity. ShipLoc is contained in a small, discrete waterproof unit, which includes: an Argos transmitter, a GPS receiver, a battery pack in case of main power failure, and a flat antenna. ShipLoc is one of the most reliable systems available today. For more information, please visit www.shiploc.com

Reporting of incidents

Ships are advised to maintain anti-piracy watches and report all piratical attacks and suspicious movements of craft to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .

Tel + 60 3 2078 5763
Fax + 60 3 2078 5769
Telex MA34199 IMBPCI
E-mail: imbkl@icc-ccs.org
24 Hours Anti Piracy HELPLINE Tel: + 60 3 2031 0014

An interactive map showing 2008 piracy attacks is at http://www.icc-ccs.org/extra/display.php?yr=2008 .