We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
MINISTER OF National Security Stuart Young says recent incidents of reported on-sea piracy and kidnappings of locals were being investigated for possible criminal links.
He was responding to a question in the House of Representatives on Friday. He was asked whether the Coast Guard has sufficient resources to treat with increased incidents of piracy in TT’s territorial waters.
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Source: newsday.co.tt
MV attacked at 2140 UTC in position 03:53N – 009:30E, around 15nm Southwest of Douala, Cameroon. Vessel reported safe. Reported (MDAT) 30 Mar. Via OCEANUSLive.org
Additional sources report that the incident also saw four crew (three Ukranian and one Filipino) kidnapped by the pirates from the Liberia-flagged containership.
By Francis Wakefield
Soldiers pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants found an arms cache in Patikul, Sulu on Tuesday, March 26.
Troops from the 13th Special Forces Company also retrieved from the Abu Sayyaf’s arms cache a 60mm mortar, two M16 rifles, bandoliers with magazines, IED paraphernalia, flags with ISIS markings, a military map, a handheld radio, and a night vision monocular in Barangay Bakong, Patikul at about 11 a.m.
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Source: news.mb.com.ph
By Godfrey Bivbere & Cynthia Alo T
The Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, NMNOWTSSA, has denied reports linking piracy attacks on the nation’s waterways to seafarers.
The Union explained that the report that was recently carried in some sections of the media is a mere move by unscrupulous individuals to tarnish the image of seafarers noting that no qualified seafarer will be involved in such illegal act.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
By Godfrey Bivbere
There are indications that the Nigerian Navy may have been over-stretched in securing the waterways in the Lagos area as only nine out of 33 security points presently along the water area are manned.
Giving this indication at the meeting organised by the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, NCS, in Lagos, the Command Operation Officer of the Western Naval Command, Capt. M. M. Braimoh said that apart from this, they have arrested 33 offending vessels in the last six months, but two of them have sunk.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has reiterated the federal government’s determination to rid the Nigerian territorial waters of criminalities through the Integrated Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, otherwise known as the Deep Blue Project.
Amaechi disclosed this in Lagos during the graduation ceremony for participants of the C4I Intelligence System Operator Course for the Deep Blue Project.
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Source: allafrica.com
Philip Nwosu
Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, has called for transnational efforts towards fighting maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.
The minister, who spoke at the closing ceremonies for the 2019 edition of Exercise Obangame Express, said maritime illegalities had become transnational and evolved beyond the scope and capability of one country to combat.
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Source: sunnewsonline.com
Reports state that a passenger boat was attacked by armed men around 30nm South of Calabar, Nigeria at 0600 LT. Seven armed robbers in one skiff approached the passenger/ro-ro ship and boarded her. They robbed passengers before making off with a reported five hostages.
I have additional details but am waiting for an official incident report before.
In late February, the Bourbon Offshore PSV Bourbon Explorer 502 escaped an attempted pirate attack that bore remarkable similarity to the boarding and kidnapping that occurred off Nigeria on March 10.
On the morning of February 28, as the Bourbon Explorer 502 was operating about 30 nm southwest of Bonny Island in the Gulf of Guinea, she was approached by 16 armed pirates in two speedboats. In response, her bridge crew increased speed and started evasive maneuvers. All non-essential personnel mustered in the vessel’s citadel.
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Source: maritime-executive.com
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