• 2019 January 14 18:00

    EU, China and the U.S. needs to support counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea – BIMCO

    BIMCO says piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is an unacceptable burden to seafarers and shipping companies. Around 40 ships have been attacked in the Gulf of Guinea in the past 12 months. Most recently, six seafarers were kidnapped from the MSC Mandy, which was on the way to Lagos, Nigeria. BIMCO asks, on behalf of its members, that maritime powers increase their presence and expand their collaboration with local states to curb piracy.

    “We look towards the EU, China and the United States to join forces and deploy naval capacity in the Gulf of Guinea to end this constant threat to seafarers,“ Jakob P. Larsen, BIMCO Head of Maritime Security, says.

    In the 2013 Yaoundé Code of Conduct, states in the Gulf of Guinea recognized that piracy constituted an issue and initiated several initiatives to strengthen maritime security. 
    The Yaoundé Code of Conduct was inspired by the United Nations’ Security Council Resolution 2018 (2011) and 2039 (2012) and contains several initiatives to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

    “BIMCO remains very thankful to the regional navies who are working tirelessly and with great sacrifice to secure their seas,” Larsen says. 

    “While these efforts command our deepest respect, pirates in the Gulf of Guinea can still operate largely unchecked in the open seas, outside of the territorial waters, and on occasion even strike inside territorial waters,” he says. 

    Several capacity building initiatives have been started in the region since the Yaoundé Code of Conduct was agreed, but the actual security situation in the Gulf of Guinea is still not good. One of the reasons is that other security challenges in the region, such as land-based terrorist threats, generate a high demand for law enforcement resources.

    In addition to the strain put on seafarers, the current situation negatively impacts the economic potential of the sea of the countries in the region. 

    “It is time to step up law enforcement efforts, establish control of the sea in the Gulf of Guinea, relieve seafarers from the threat and the psychological pressure, and allow the countries in the region to harvest the full economic potential of the seas,” Larsen says.

    International sea and air law enforcement assets, such as naval ships with helicopters, will be able to deliver a concrete and rapid contribution to the maritime security situation. If such assets were supported by onboard regional law enforcement officials in charge of the law enforcement element, operations could be conducted without infringing on the regional states’ sovereignty. 

    “While longer term capacity building efforts are commended, what is needed now is substantially more assets at sea and in the air. It is an obvious solution which can deliver the necessary effect with the desired speed, without compromising the territorial integrity of the countries in the region,” Larsen says.


2024 March 18

18:13 Brunvoll propulsion chosen for ESVAGT's growing fleet of SOVs
17:42 ADNOC signs second long-term Heads of Agreement for Ruwais LNG Project
17:37 Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard holds launching ceremony for CMAL's MV Isle of Islay
17:24 Fortescue successfully conducts world’s first use of ammonia as a marine fuel in a dual-fueled ammonia-powered vessel in the Port of Singapore
17:02 APL updates on European Union’s Import Control System 2
16:03 MED Marine contracted to build MED-A2575 series tug for SVS Maritime
15:31 Hanwha Ocean and BV join hands to develop a 270K LNG carrier
15:17 HD Korea Shipbuilding awarded contracts for three VLACs
14:18 Port of Skagen and Stillstrom partner to decarbonise anchorage zone with offshore charging solutions
13:22 Sanmar delivers 6th battery electric power tugboat to Norwegian operator
13:16 COSCO SHIPPING Lines announces the launch of OCEAN Alliance DAY 8 product this year
12:21 Dutch offshore wind farm approved by LR
11:39 ClassNK awards first-ever notation for improvements in living and working environment to Fuyo Kaiun's bulk carrier "ELETTRA"
11:31 Davie strengthens Québec’s shipbuilding industry by supporting the reorientation of AFCDC
10:44 Storylines and Brodosplit shipyard renew ship building contract to construct private residence ship
10:25 BOEM announces environmental review of proposed wind energy project offshore New Jersey
09:51 First ‘flying’ electric ferry to debut in New Zealand in 2025

2024 March 17

16:31 Norwegian Shipowners' Association names Harald Fotland as its President
15:22 ABS Wavesight Nautical Systems now supports fully digital, streamlined SIRE 2.0 inspections
14:15 TechnipFMC selected by NEP to deliver the first all-electric iEPCI for CCS
13:03 US sanctions shipping company, targeting Iran and Houthi rebels
11:01 The first hybrid electric vessel built in South America will use a Corvus battery system
09:47 Kalmar and Forterra sign JDA for autonomous terminal tractor

2024 March 16

16:24 The Netherlands selects Naval Group for its submarine replacement program
15:41 Equinor exercises options to extend four-year drilling contracts
14:17 GONDAN Shipbuilders hosts launching ceremony for Edda Wind's CSOV C503
13:47 Van Oord, Van Aalsburg partner to further develop circular fascine mattresses
12:13 Snam wins "A" raing in CDP's Suppliers Engagement Rating for efforts against climate change
10:54 ULSTEIN unveils new subsea vessel for offshore energy tasks

2024 March 15

18:07 DNV gives nod to Friede & Goldman BargeRack solution
18:02 New partnership enables faster offshore wind installations in the U.S.
17:53 First production line at ‘World’s Largest Monopile Factory’ to go live in July
17:21 Brunvoll DP2 upgrades for more Mokster vessels
16:55 CMA CGM to suspend its calls at Port au Prince, Haiti
16:03 GEFO's LNG DF chemical tanker Tosca gets Green Award
15:19 CEVA Logistics develops new vehicle logistics business at the Port of Dunkirk
14:11 MPA: SaR operation continues for a missing crew member of the Liberia-flagged UTOPIA
13:07 To develop the Far East it makes sense to build a new shipyard in the country’s eastern regions, President Putin said
12:48 World’s first use of ammonia as a marine fuel in a dual-fuelled ammonia-powered vessel in the Port of Singapore
11:39 COSCO Shipping calls Port of Genoa, Italy with 20,000 TEU vessels on regular basis
10:03 DMC contracted to supply rudder systems for the world’s largest PCTCs

2024 March 14

18:04 Shearwater awarded seismic survey for UK carbon capture and storage project
17:15 UAE, world leaders discuss maritime corridor for aid to Gaza
16:05 Marine fuel sales at Singapore drop to a three-month low in February
15:43 World Shipping Council selects NCB for liner shipping Cargo Safety Program
15:00 ZIM reports results for 2023
14:57 DP World announces 2023 results
14:29 HaiSea unveils new operations facility for the world’s greenest tugboat fleet
13:44 DEME awards KENC with engineering and fabrication scope on multiple offshore wind installation projects
13:25 MABUX: Bunker Outlook, Week 11, 2024
12:43 Wartsila Lifecycle Agreement to support optimised low-emission operations for two P&O Ferries vessels
11:35 Hapag-Lloyd transport volumes up by 0.5% to 11.9 million TEU in 2023
10:51 NYK and Astomos Energy christen new dual-fuel LPG carrier
10:25 Port of Long Beach container volume up 24.1% to 674,723 TEUs in Feb 2024

2024 March 13

18:02 Lebanese, French officials float a plan to rebuild Beirut port nearly 4 years after huge explosion
17:23 Ascenz Marorka obtains type approval for cyber-security from Bureau Veritas for its digital solutions
16:58 USDOT announces $500 mln for ports available through the Port Infrastructure Development Program
15:44 RINA wins contract to create global investment plan for cruise sector
15:23 Hede International Shipping enters the Transpacific container trade
14:43 Concordia Damen wins contract to deliver a CDS2410 River Pusher to Transporte Fluviales Frey Bentos
14:13 CMA CGM Group launches its first loyalty program SEA REWARD
13:13 Cargill posts results of the six-month test period of the world’s first wind-powered ocean vessel
12:24 Rotterdam's Gate Terminal sees need for more LNG bunkering capacity at Rotterdam
11:58 MOL announces delivery of LNG-fueled car carrier CERULEAN ACE
11:24 Panama Canal announces increase in daily slots at Panamax locks
10:25 thyssenkrupp Veerhaven plans the climate-friendly pusher tug

2024 March 12

18:04 Cosco Shipping installs Iridium Global Maritime Distress and Safety System on PCTC Cosco Tengfei
17:30 LR issues Project Certificate for CrossWind Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm
17:16 The shipping industry to need €3.7 trillion by 2050 to move towards a zero-pollution era
16:25 China Classification Society and MAN ES sign dual-fuel methanol engine agreement