No armed security contractors will be allowed on Dutch-flagged ships if not hired by the state, the government has ruled, prompting Dutch shipowners and the seafarers union to consider re-flagging to sidestep the regulation, Shippingazette reports.
Dutch Defence Minister Hans Hillen said most merchant ships sail fast enough to avoid capture, or can take refuge in panic rooms until help arrives, reports London's Containerisation International. In declining the shipowners request, the government said no Dutch ship has been hijacked to date.
Dutch shipowners and the authorities disagree on what ships qualify for on-board military protection. The government holds that only the state has the right to hire private guards and grant them temporary military status if there are not enough marines to do the job.
Dutch Defence Minister Hans Hillen said most merchant ships sail fast enough to avoid capture, or can take refuge in panic rooms until help arrives, reports London's Containerisation International. In declining the shipowners request, the government said no Dutch ship has been hijacked to date.
Dutch shipowners and the authorities disagree on what ships qualify for on-board military protection. The government holds that only the state has the right to hire private guards and grant them temporary military status if there are not enough marines to do the job.