We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
Nine Georgian sailors who have been kidnapped by pirates from a ship flying the Panamese flag in Nigeria have been released and will return to their homeland in several days.
Tamar Ioseliani, head of the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia, said that a special flight will be carried out to bring the sailors back home.
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Source: agenda.ge
By Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Nigeria Navy has said it recovered N75 billion worth of stolen petroleum products in five years. The products recovered between 2015 and 2019 include crude oil, diesel and petrol.
It said a total of 2,287 illegal refineries were discovered and destroyed within the same period.
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Source: thisdaylive.com
Operatives of the Western Marine Command of Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) have intercepted drugs suspected to be Cannabis Sativa valued at N1,002,050,000 during a seagoing patrol on Lagos waters.
The Controller of the command, Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, revealed this in a statement in Lagos on Thursday.
Peters described the seizure as the “largest single seizure” of such drug on the waters in the history of the Nigeria Customs.
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Source: pulse.ng
The product tanker Tosna Star was boarded and robbed by armed pirates off the port of Port-au-Prince, Haiti last Sunday, according to one of her crewmembers.
In an account posted on Facebook, crewmember Claudio Omar Benitez said that the Argentine crew of the Tosna Star has been stuck on board for months due to the novel coronavirus, unable to return to their homes. Their ship is currently at the anchorage off Port-au-Prince, and on Sunday, a group of armed Haitians boarded the tanker by the stern.
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Source: maritime-executive.com
By Eromosele Abiodun
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has restated its commitment to collaboration among relevant agencies and stakeholders for the security of the country’s maritime domain.
The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, stated this in Lagos during the official handover of pirates arrested by the Nigerian Navy for prosecution.
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Source: thisdaylive.com
SafeSeas is pleased to announce the first report resulting from collaboration with Stable Seas: What we know about Piracy
Authored by Lydelle Joubert, the report draws on desk-based research conducted between June 2019 and March 2020. It provides a systematic overview of data, answering the questions:
To download the report, please click here.
MarsecNews: This is a good overall read and covers the topic very well. Full marks to Lydelle and the team.
The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), which ends tomorrow, has been extended until June 4.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Zaini Jas said the curfew covered the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran.
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Source: bernama.com
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 21st May, 2020) Pirates have attacked a cargo vessel sailing under the Cypriot flag in the Gulf of Guinea near the Nigerian southern state of Bayelsa, Dryad Global company specializing in maritime security said on Wednesday.
All crew members of the ESL AUSTRALIA vessel managed to hide in a specially equipped room, according to the company.
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Source: urdupoint.com
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a weekly cabinet session on Wednesday, General Hatami said the US and other countries are well aware that Iran will not hesitate to take serious action against any threat to its oil tankers that are bound for Venezuela.
Causing any disturbance to the oil tankers would be in violation of the international law and must draw a reaction from international organizations and countries that care about the security of maritime routes, he added.
Describing any action against the trade vessels as an act of piracy, he said, “Our policy is clear and we have announced explicitly that we will not tolerate any disturbance.”
If the disturbance continues and escalates, Iran will definitely show a decisive and crushing response, the defense minister added.
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, warning the US about sending troops to the Caribbean Sea with the aim of interfering with the transfer of Iran’s fuel to Venezuela.
Zarif has stressed that the US must give up bullying on the world stage and respect the rule of international law, especially free shipping in the high seas.
Source: tasnimnews.com
The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) monitored an incident involving a United Kingdom flagged tanker which was approached in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, May 17.
Initial reports indicated the Stolt Apal tanker was approached by two speed boats approximately 100 miles off the coast of Yemen. The incident occurred in IMSC’s area of operations.
“While we do not yet know who is responsible for this incident, it serves as an example of the behaviour IMSC is here to deter,” said Commodore Rob Bellfield, IMSC commander.
No immediate threat to the free flow of shipping was assessed, and no further action was taken by IMSC vessels or aircraft.
The multi-national, British-led IMSC deploys ships and aircraft throughout the region as part of the international surveillance and detection effort, ensuring freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce in international waters.
Source: dvidshub.net
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