We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
Location detail:Callao Anchorage Narrations:14.04.2019: 0645 UTC: Posn: 12:01.9S – 077-11.2W, Callao Anchorage, Peru.
Five robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier using a rope attached with a hook. Duty AB on routine rounds was attacked, threatened and beaten. Alarm raised and crew mustered. Seeing the alerted crew, the robbers escaped with the duty AB’s personal belongings. Incident reported to local Authorities who boarded the vessel for investigation.
Via: IMB
Four persons in a speed boat armed with automatic weapons approached an anchored product tanker at 2020 UTC in position 04:28.1N – 007:10.1E, Bonny River Inner Anchorage, Nigeria. Two persons managed to board the tanker and open fire towards the accommodation. The onboard Nigerian naval guards returned fire resulting in the persons retreating into their boat and escaping. Alarm raised, PA announcement made and crew mustered in the citadel. Bonny Signal Station and Nigerian Navy notified. One guard was injured during the shooting and was given first aid by the crew. Two security boats responded and approached the tanker. The injured guard was transferred to a security boat and taken ashore for medical assistance. Remaining crew reported safe. Reported (IMB) 15 Apr.
Via: OCEANUSLive.org
BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME WARRI
The Nigerian army has smashed one of the biggest camps operated by oil thieves in Delta state, destroying about sixty Cotonu boats, 150 storage tanks, 700 drums used by the oil thieves for their illicit trade.
Commander Sector I, Operation Delta Safe,OPDS, Warri Delta state, Colonel Baba Manu led his men with two swamp boggy into the camp covering about 20 kilometres located between Ogevughe to Otujeremi in Ughelli north local government area
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Source: vanguardngr.com
Speaking at a meeting with 120 representatives from Iranian trade and economic sectors held in Muscat, ambassador Nouri Shahroudi said the two countries will be staging a joint military drill in the coming days.
“Currently, our joint military committee is present in Oman, and we will hold a joint maneuver in the coming days,” he said.
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Source: en.mehrnews.com
A total of 10 incidents of armed robbery against ships (comprising nine actual incidents and one attempted incident) were reported in Asia during January-March 2019 compared to 21 incidents (comprising 15 actual incidents and six attempted incidents) during January-March 2018. This accounts for a 52% decrease in the total number of incidents reported during January-March 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
The number of actual incidents has also decreased by 40% during January-March 2019 compared to January-March 2018. Both the total number of incidents and number of actual incidents reported during January-March 2019 are the lowest among the period of January-March of 13-year (2007-2019).
The full report is attached here as a PDF.
Source: recaap.org
Operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN) and their United States (US) counterparts have arrested 10 suspected pirates within the Nigerian end of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
The suspects, comprising three Greece, two Americans and five [others], were arrested onboard a logistic boat allegedly belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Sunday evening, by the crew that was on-board Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) CENTENARY for a joint operation codenamed ‘Junction Rain’.
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Source: thenationonlineng.net
Maritime Security News:
An interesting mix of nationalities in terms of a ‘pirate’ gang operating off Nigeria. The article notes that several Benelli rifles were recovered rather than the more standard and cheaper AK-47 and variants. Call me a skeptic, but I think these are gamekeepers rather than poachers…
By Nurudeen Oyewole
The New Nigeria Foundation (NNF), a civil environmental group focusing on crude oil theft in Niger/Delta, has raised the alarm that the rising crude theft in the region is massively depleting the country’s revenue base and crippling the environment.
NFF Senior Programmes Manager Mrs. Olayide Adesanya told newsmen in Lagos that crude theft had become a hydra-headed monster crippling the socio-economic, environment and economy of the country.
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Source: dailytrust.com.ng
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — President of the Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (YSATT), Tommy Johnson, has called on yacht owners to travel in “a convoy if possible” after a 55-foot sailboat came under attack from Venezuelan pirates over the last weekend.
In a statement posted on the YSATT’s Facebook page, Johnson said on Sunday, the Sylph, a 55-foot Beneteau sailboat, which was positioned about 15 nautical miles north-east of the Hibiscus oil platform, was approached by a group of eight Venezuelans in an attempted piracy attack.
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Source: stluciatimes.com
Late report: Underway Trinidad & Tobago-flagged monohull yacht approached by open piroque with 8 POB at 1030 LT in position 11:24N – 061:36W, around 39nm North of Trinidad coast. Pirates, in white/blue and orange bow 40ft boat w/ 2 large O/B motors approached from eastward direction, fired warning shots into the air and indicated they wanted the yacht to stop. Yacht w/ 2 POB continued resulting in pirates firing further warning shots.Due to high sea state the pirogue was able to approach the yacht for boarding. Yacht maintained full speed and began zigzag manoeuvres. Addition shots fired which damaged yacht hull and coach roof; no injuries sustained. Reported (S&S Net) 4 Apr. Via OCEANUSLive.org
BY DR. IAN RALBY, DR. DAVID SOUD, AND ROHINI RALBY
A floating storage and offloading (FSO) terminal less than five miles off the coast of Yemen has turned into a massive bomb—capable of explosion due to its contents and lack of maintenance. The risk of explosion increases by the day, and if that were to happen, not only would it damage or sink any ships in the vicinity, but it would create an environmental crisis roughly four and a half times the size of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
The consequences of that explosion and corresponding environmental devastation would likely be 1) to rupture the fragile aid-focused ceasefire in Hodeidah established under the December 2018 Stockholm Agreement; and 2) to accelerate the already dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen where roughly fourteen million people are on the brink of famine, surviving at the moment on international aid. There is nothing benign about this situation—even in a region with countless immediate needs, this matter is of the utmost urgency.
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Source: atlanticcouncil.org
Maritime Security News 