We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
By Joke Falaju
Country gets meagre 40 percent of fishes in the ocean
Nigeria may be losing billions of dollars to illegal fishing yearly following the unabated fraudulent activities of poachers on the nation territorial waters.
Nigerian ship owners are worried that they only take 40 percent of what they should be getting while 60 percent is lost to illegal and irresponsible fishing.
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Source: guardian.ng
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 8): The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), which ends today, has been extended to Oct 23, said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah.
The curfew from 6pm to 6am covers the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran, he said in a statement on Monday (Oct 7).
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Source: theedgemarkets.com
KOTA KINABALU — The Malaysian police are working with their Philippine counterparts to secure the release of three Indonesian fishermen kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen off Lahad Datu on Sept 23.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said the kidnappers made their ransom demand during a call to one of the victim’s sisters in Sandakan on Sept 30.
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Source: globalnation.inquirer.net
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A British businessman and his Filipino wife were snatched by at least four gunmen in a coastal village in Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur on Friday.
Allan Hyrons, 70, and his wife Wilma were seized at Hyrons Beach Resort, which the couple own, in Barangay Alindahaw at around 6:50 p.m., Maj. Helen Galvez, Zamboanga peninsula police spokesperson, said.
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Source: philstar.com
MarsecNews: Although there has so far been no confirmation of the kidnappers’ identity, the Abu Sayyaf Group remain the most likely suspects. Of key concern is their violence; they are known to execute hostages if ransoms are withheld. We hope for a speedy resolution. Reports in the last 24 hours indicate that the AFP organised a naval blockade in an attempt to prevent the suspects from escaping. It would appear that this was unsuccessful.
By Sulaimon Salau and Joke Falaju
Worried by the impact of maritime crime on the regional economy, Nigeria has sought partnership with other countries to tackle the menace headlong.
The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside, who made this call at the ongoing Global Maritime Security Conference, in Abuja, said maritime insecurity remains one of the significant challenges affecting international trade, and the quest for sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihood and job creation.
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Source: guardian.ng
MarsecNews: If NIMASA is genuinely looking to collaborate with other nations on maritime crime, then it could be a significant move for the Gulf of Guinea. Traditionally, navies in the region have been slow to cooperate with one another but when they have, it has paid dividends. Overall intelligence sharing in the Gulf of Guinea between states has been poor, but efforts in recent years have improved the situation slightly. There remains, however, an issue with certain nations who have multiple agencies all vying for government funding and competing with one another for relevance. As organised criminal gangs have shifted from petro-piracy to crew kidnap for ransom, the speed of naval response becomes more crucial; it’s a lot harder to track a skiff full of hostages than a tanker.
Genuine cooperation between nation states in the Gulf of Guinea would go a long way to suppress maritime crimes such as piracy and armed robbery, allowing for faster response times. However, as long as some countries continue to downplay the threat of piracy, the situation will persist.
They added that in the latest case Indian security agencies detected the boat on September 30 about 500 nautical miles or 926 km off the Kochi coast.
Sudhi Ranjan Sen
At least 150 kg heroin worth millions of dollars was on Saturday seized in a joint operation of coast guards of India, the Maldives and Sri Lankan from a boat on his way from Pakistan days after it was detected in international waters in the India-Ocean Region (IOR) off Kerala’s Kochi coast, according to officials aware of the development.
The officials said it is the fifth haul of drugs shipped from Pakistan through the sea that has been recovered over the last three months. The Sri Lankan Coast Guard seized 140 kg heroin from a vessel registered in Iran in July 2019 in a similar coordinated operation.
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Source: hindustantimes.com
Information Fusion Centre — Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) was set up last year
The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) set up last year has started functioning as an information sharing hub of maritime data and “cuing incident responses” to maritime security situations through a collaborative approach, Navy sources said.
At the just concluded Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC), National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had offered countries in the IOR use of the facility to track movement of vessels on the high seas.
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Source: thehindu.com
Operation ‘King Crab’ led by CTF 151 has successfully ended using assets from 9 nations. It involved a concentrated effort over four days, with increased counter-piracy patrols, air reconnaissance and visits to merchant vessels and local dhows. Information sharing and boarding exercises also took place. Rear Admiral Yu said: “Ultimately we all have the same goal of promoting security and stability in the region to legitimate seafarers by defeating piracy. Operations such as ‘King Crab’, greatly increase our ability to do this.”
Source: combinedmaritimeforces.com
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have invaded Amariari community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State and kidnapped two persons, according to a report by PUNCH.
The gunmen, according to a source from the area, came into the community on Wednesday morning and forced themselves into some houses.
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Source: saharareporters.com
KOTA KINABALU: The family of one of three recently abducted Indonesians fishermen has received a ransom demand from their kidnappers.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said according to their Philippines counterparts, the kidnappers had made the call a few days after the Sept 23 incident.
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Source: thestar.com.my
Maritime Security News 