EU Navfor warns new pirates attacks ahead
Each year in the Horn of Africa, the number of pirate attacks decreases during the monsoon period, due to rough seas. With improving weather, the number of attacks is expected in the near future to increase and vessels will have to be increasingly vigilant, the EU NAVFOR press release said.
This week end, six suspicious skiffs were disrupted by the different Task Forces or national naval forces operating in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC). All skiffs were seen to be throwing material overboard (ladders or weapons) before being in contact with the military. Moreover, one merchant vessel reported it had overcome an attack on Saturday 11 September.
EU NAVFOR, as IRTC coordinator, wants to remind all vessels that in addition to MSCHOA registration and a high degree of vigilance, Best Management Practices (BMP) are vital to merchant vessels security, as they have proven effective in decreasing significantly the risk of being pirated.
“The Best Management Practice (BMP) booklet should perhaps not be called ‘Best’ Management Practice but ‘Minimum’ Management Practice: self protection measures and ongoing vigilance remain, today, the most effective measures against piracy. However, there are, unfortunately, still some ships passing through the Gulf of Aden without applying the BMP measures or without being registered on the MSCHOA website. ” said Colonel Richard Spencer, Chief of Staff of EU NAVFOR Operational Headquarters, on 25 August to maritime industry representatives.
This week end, six suspicious skiffs were disrupted by the different Task Forces or national naval forces operating in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC). All skiffs were seen to be throwing material overboard (ladders or weapons) before being in contact with the military. Moreover, one merchant vessel reported it had overcome an attack on Saturday 11 September.
EU NAVFOR, as IRTC coordinator, wants to remind all vessels that in addition to MSCHOA registration and a high degree of vigilance, Best Management Practices (BMP) are vital to merchant vessels security, as they have proven effective in decreasing significantly the risk of being pirated.
“The Best Management Practice (BMP) booklet should perhaps not be called ‘Best’ Management Practice but ‘Minimum’ Management Practice: self protection measures and ongoing vigilance remain, today, the most effective measures against piracy. However, there are, unfortunately, still some ships passing through the Gulf of Aden without applying the BMP measures or without being registered on the MSCHOA website. ” said Colonel Richard Spencer, Chief of Staff of EU NAVFOR Operational Headquarters, on 25 August to maritime industry representatives.