We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
At the ECR Conference on Maritime Security and the Blue Economy yesterday in the European Parliament, ECSA raises the alarm about the dire security situation in the Gulf of Guinea.
“Urgent action has to be taken by the EU right away. The new European Commission wants to be a geopolitical Commission, and this is a topic that the geopolitical Commission can deliver on,” said Martin Dorsman, ECSA’s Secretary General.
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Source: hellenicshippingnews.com
By Michael Eboh
Nigeria lost N522.2million through 28,349.72 barrels of crude oil spilled into the environment by oil and gas companies in 2019. The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, disclosed this in a data obtained by Vanguard.
A barrel of crude oil is equal to 158.99 litres of the commodity, meaning that at 28,349.72 barrels, 4.507 million litres of crude oil was spilled into the environment in 2019, with the attendant environmental challenges.
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Source: allafrica.com
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Feb 7 (ANI): India and several African nations on Thursday called for an increase in maritime security through mutual cooperation to prevent crimes like trafficking and piracy.
“We seek to increase our cooperation in securing sea lines of communication, preventing maritime crimes, disaster, piracy, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing through sharing of information and surveillance,” as per the Lucknow Declaration adopted by the ministers after the meeting.
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Source: bignewsnetwork.com
International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says the number of ship’s crewmembers being kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea increased by more than 50% in 2019 and this year has begun with a further escalation of violence, armed robbery and kidnaping. The crisis is deepening – pirates are bolder and taking greater number of hostages. Levels of violence are high, and deaths have occurred both during attacks and during captivity of seafarers and military personnel. This is not business as usual. For example, 20 crewmembers were kidnapped from the MT Duke on 15 December last year with one of those crewmembers dying in captivity – this not acceptable.
Over 90% of global kidnappings reported at sea took place in the Gulf of Guinea. It remains an uncomfortable fact that the vast majority of attacks are launched on shipping from within Nigerian territorial waters. We recognise that Nigeria is improving its maritime security capability through programmes such as the Deep Blue Project and ICS applauds and encourages these measures. However, now is the time to see real results in terms of action at sea and in the capture and prosecution of pirates.
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Source: en.portnews.ru
New research examines how illegal fishing hurts Somalia’s economy, exacerbates conflicts, and upsets political stability.
In Somali waters, illegal fishing is a pervasive problem. It triggers clashes between foreign and domestic fishers, and destabilizes Somali life.
For at least seven decades, foreign fishers have harvested Somalia’s fish with little or no deterrence. The clashes escalated with the 1991 collapse of the government. As civil war took hold and warlords scrambled to rule, the longest coastline in continental Africa, at 3,333 kilometers, was suddenly unprotected.
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Source: hakaimagazine.com
The Nigerian Navy has intercepted suspected smugglers on the Cross River State waterways, with 692 bags of foreign rice and 181 drums of Premium Motor Spirit or petrol.
Five suspects arrested aboard four boats on two separate occasions are all Nigerians: Clement Okon Chali, Michael Ita Effiong, Felix Sunday, Aniefiok Effiong and Sunday Etim Bassey.
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Source: thenationonlineng.net
The departing CEO of international shipowning organisation BIMCO has hit out at Nigerian authorities’ complete failure to rein in the horrendous piracy situation in West Africa.
In a note to members entitled ‘We must speak the truth about Gulf of Guinea’ Angus Frew wrote: “In the past year, the complete absence of effective law enforcement against Nigerian pirates has allowed them to operate largely with impunity in the Gulf of Guinea and we must conclude that the current capacity building initiatives have had no effect whatsoever.”
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Source: splash247.com
In reaction to the departure of Japanese destroyer to the Persian Gulf, Iranian Embassy in Japan said that the maritime security should be provided by the countries of the region and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a Monday tweet, the Iranian Embassy in Japan reacted to the departure of Japanese destroyer Takanami with some 200 sailors to the Middle East. “The principle position of the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the historic guards of security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is that the presence of foreign forces in the region will not contribute to security and stability,” the statement said.
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Source: en.mehrnews.com
SINGAPORE – The Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) plans to restructure to deal with piracy at sea, including beefing up its assets, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Monday (Feb 3).
“That review is expected to be complete in the next few months,” he said in a written reply to a parliamentary question by Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC).
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Source: straitstimes.com
By Benjamin Alade and Sulaiman Salau
[Nigeria’s] Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said the new Maritime Security Infrastructure will be launched before June. The minister, who spoke on a national television broadcast yesterday, decried the insecurity challenges in the maritime sector, and promised that with the new security infrastructure, the problem would be solved.
“Between now and June, we should be launching. We have assured Nigerians that we will secure our waterways. Those who make money from the maritime security challenges are already battling us. We are ready for the battle, and the president (Muhammadu Buhari) is behind us.
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Source: guardian.ng
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