ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, has published Good practices for Cybersecurity in the Maritime Sector – Port Security, a report providing guidance for ports to strengthen their cybersecurity.
The agency says ports must address cybersecurity as a top priority in order to ensure their safety, security, compliance and commercial competitiveness, while unlocking the full capabilities of their digital transformation.
Details of how a decommissioned Irish naval vessel, the LÉ Aisling, sold by the Government for €110,000 in 2017, was bought by a Libyan warlord for $1.5 million (€1.35 million), are contained in a report that has been submitted to the UN Security Council.
The former Irish coastal patrol vessel has since been fitted out with three cannons it was originally designed to carry, and renamed the Al Karama (Dignity).
THE Ports Facility Security Officer Forum of Nigeria, PFSOFN, has said that collaboration among agencies of government was key to security in the maritime industry, a development that will attract more investment in the sector.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the just concluded annual conference of the PFSOFN, Chairman of the Forum, Barrister Emmanuel Onyeabadi, said that a better synergy and collaboration among agencies will go a long way in eliminating conflicts between government security agencies.
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MarsecNews: In my opinion, one of the main issues in Nigeria is the number of agencies all competing in the same maritime space. If anything, the answer is to combine those agencies and create a proper hierarchy which can then offer real leadership and task personnel accordingly, without worrying about treading on other agencies’ toes.
The Nigerian Navy Ship Victory patrol team has intercepted a wooden boat conveying 432 drums of illegally refined automotive gasoline oil from Nigeria to Cameroon.
The Commander of NNS Victory, Rear Admiral Vincent Okeke, said seven suspects were arrested in connection with the seized products at Agbana West Point by Tom Shot Island.
Itoruboemi Benson Lobia, one of the Nigerian pirates, arrived on Thursday (4 December) at Schipol airport from South Africa, and immediately transferred to Dutch justice, according to the NOS television channel. This after a procedure that lasted almost two years.
The Dutch-flagged FWN Rapide of Groningen , owned by the shipping company ForestWave, was attacked by pirates off the coast of Harcourt Harbor on the night of 21-22 April 2018. It was coming from Tadokari in Ghana. Eleven of the 14 crew members were abducted and held hostage for several weeks. The remaining men – who had been hiding during the attack – managed to maneuver the ship for shelter. The hostages were released a few weeks later, on May 18, after paying a ransom. The pirates were asking for $ 2 million, they finally got $ 340,000 according to the Dagblad Noorden.
Despite ongoing incidents of piracy in Asia, international co-operation efforts are having genuine success at containing the issue. Various policy initiatives are showing promise for the security of the region’s sea lanes, now and into the future, Sam Bateman writes.
Since I wrote on the subject of piracy in Asia for Policy Forum in 2016, the situation has shown marked improvement. According to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), there were 76 incidents in Asia in 2018 as compared with 203 in 2015. In the first nine months of 2019, 54 incidents occurred in the region as compared with 64 in the same period of 2018, a significant drop by any measure.
We are delighted to confirm that late on Friday evening, December 6, 2019, the nine crew members from MV Bonita held as hostages, were released in Nigeria and brought to a safe place in southern Nigeria, after 35 days in captivity.
All crew members have gone through medical examinations Friday and Saturday. The doctor declared all nine fit to fly/travel on Saturday. Needless to say, the captivity has been a very difficult experience for them. The crew members will receive further care and follow up after arrival in the Philippines. Ugland will continue to work with our crew members throughout their recovery process.
After being safely transported out of Nigeria, the crew members have now safely arrived in Manila, Philippines, to reunite with their families and colleagues.
Representatives from Ugland headquarters’ in Grimstad, Norway and other parties have been actively engaged in the process of bringing the hostages home and have been present both in Nigeria and the Philippines.
We are very thankful and relieved that the crew are now free and back home. President Øystein Beisland says: “We are truly happy that the nine crew members are now reunited with their families and have their wellbeing at heart. I would on behalf of the company like to sincerely thank all parties that have contributed to resolving this difficult situation”.
FREE AND SAFE: Eight of the nine hostages from MV Bonita en route to Manila, the ninth crew member is behind the camera. Executive Vice President in Ugland, Arnt Olaf Knutsen, behind
Maritime security concerns in the Sulu-Celebes Sea, like kidnap for ransom and terrorism, are expected to be addressed as the Philippines and Indonesia renew their commitment to enforce security in the said sea.
The Philippines, through the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Indonesia, through the Indonesian Maritime Security Force also known as Humas Bakamla RI (BAKAMLA), aim to intensify maritime security cooperation through the re-signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with implementing arrangement (IA) that will be held in Bali, Indonesia next year.
ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre Conducts Anti-Piracy Capacity Building Programme for Senior Officers of Maritime Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies in Cooperation with Vietnam Coast Guard ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) in cooperation with ReCAAP Vietnam Focal Point (Vietnam Coast Guard) today convened the Capacity Building Senior Officer’s Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The three-day programme will gather senior officers from 16 ReCAAP Member Countries as well as Malaysia and Indonesia to review the situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia including the incidents of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas, share specific case studies, and discuss ways to improve the maritime safety situation in Asia.
Complementing the programme is a lecture on international maritime laws and their applications, as well as a scenario-based exercise facilitated by Professor Max Mejia of the World Maritime University.
Participants of the programme will also have an opportunity to have a dialogue with the shipping industry based in Vietnam to better understand their concerns.
“The ReCAAP model is unique because it gives emphasis on information sharing among a network of 20 ReCAAP Focal Points across Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States as an approach to fighting maritime crimes,” said Mr. Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP ISC. “Thanks to the regional and international cooperation, incidents of piracy and sea robbery in Asia are decreasing. We will continue to strengthen the capability and cooperation of ReCAAP Focal Points and regional authorities to keep Asian waters—one of the most economically vital in the world—safe for seafarers, ships and cargoes.”
The ReCAAP Member Countries represented at the Capacity Building Senior Officers’ Meeting 2019 in Hanoi are Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
Mr. Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre noted that the ReCAAP model of information sharing among a network of 20 ReCAAP Focal Points across Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States is an effective approach to fighting maritime crimes
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy unveiled a homegrown combat drone on Saturday.
The unmanned aerial vehicle, dubbed Simorgh, was unveiled at a ceremony in the southeastern coastal city of Konarak, attended by Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi.
With a flight endurance of 24 hours, the drone can be used for combat, reconnaissance, and tactical operations, and electronic warfare.
Simorgh has a range of 1,500 kilometers and a service ceiling of 25,000 feet. It is the naval version of Shahed-129, a powerful combat drone that was mass-produced in 2013.
Shahed-129 is now in service in the fight against drug-traffickers and terrorists, patrol and reconnaissance missions along the territorial and sea borders, environmental operations, and for taking aerial images.
The combat version of Shahed-129 can carry a payload of 8 bombs or smart missiles and is designed to hit both fixed and mobile targets.
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