We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
NEW DELHI : External affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Monday introduced a bill in Parliament that provides for stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those involved in piracy at sea.
The introduction of the bill comes days after some 18 Indians aboard a crude oil carrier were kidnapped off the coast of Nigeria. India is still negotiating the release of its nationals.
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Source: livemint.com
The Times of India carried an article on Dec. 8th, which stated that Kandla Marine Police had opened a case against three unknown suspects who carried out ‘mid-sea piracy’ against the MV Jeetsagar on November 13th.
According to the report, three ‘pirates’ boarded the cargo ship off the Indian cosat, between Kandla and Navlakhi ports during the night.
Japan plans to send one escort ship, one patrol aircraft and 270 sailors from the Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to the northern part of the Arabian Sea to protect international merchant vessels, the Nikkei business daily said yesterday.
The Japanese government is expected to green light the deployment plan by the end of this year. The JMSDF assets will be deployed on a one-year mission that could be renewed on an annual basis. Japan said it would not join the U.S.-led coalition Sentinel the Pentagon is forming in the region with countries such as Australia, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
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Source: navalnews.com
By Genalyn Kabiling
To thwart any threat from Islamic State-linked militants, President Duterte has ordered the deployment of more battalions to help keep peace and security in Mindanao.
The President said he had asked Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to send 20 to 35 battalions from the Philippine Army, admitting he was worried that ISIS threat in Sulu might spill over to other parts of Mindanao.
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Source: news.mb.com.ph
UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted Resolution 2500 renewing the authorization for Somalia anti-piracy measures to December of 2020.
The United States-drafted resolution has decided to renew for 12 months the authorization for states and regional organizations cooperating with Somalia to enter into Somali territorial waters and use all necessary means for the purpose of repressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea.
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Source: xinhuanet.com
Nine fishermen have been convicted in Suriname for the fatal piracy attack in April last year in which over a dozen Guyanese fishermen were killed off the coast of the neighbouring country.
Three persons were acquitted of the crime after the judge ruled that there was no evidence to convict them.
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Source: stabroeknews.com
The president mentions working with Indonesia and Malaysia to protect the seas from pirates, amid warming ties with China which is occupying the West PH Sea
MANILA, Philippines – In alleging that much of the Philippines’ drug problem is brought about by piracy in the seas, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Saturday, November 30, that he was ordering the Philippine Navy to kill pirates if they spot them.
“My orders to the Navy, I repeat my orders to the Navy, if they are positive that they are pirates, you blow them [until] kingdom come, patayin mo na lahat at matapos na ang problema ko at ng Pilipinas and so with the drugs (kill them all so all my problems and the Philippines’ problems will all go away, and so with the drugs),” Duterte said on Saturday at the celebration of Andres Bonifacio’s 156th birth anniversary.
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Source: rappler.com
Commodore Ed Ahlgren OBE Royal Navy, Commander CTF150 (CCTF150), visited Mombasa, Kenya to deliver a maritime security threat update to the Djibouti Code of Conduct Conference (DCoC).
The Djibouti Code of Conduct has been instrumental in repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. In 2017, under the Jeddah Agreement, it saw its scope significantly broadened to cover other illicit maritime activities, including human trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Commodore (Cdre) Ahlgren’s speech focused on the threats, as seen by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), to law abiding shipping, the fishing industry and recreational craft in the region. Cdre Ahlgren briefed the attending delegates on how CMF operates and how collaboration, information exchange and the sharing of best practices makes the 33 nation coalition a formidable force.
“Maritime Security is a huge undertaking given the size of the ocean against the assets that are available. It cannot be done by one entity alone, we must collaborate, share information and pool our resources if we are to combat those that wish to do us harm. These problems are not just national, nor regional but international. It’s everybody’s business” Cdre Ahlgren said.
21 countries are signatories to the DCoC and they meet on a six-monthly basis to discuss how the maritime domain can be protected from a wide range of threats including piracy, threats to oil and gas installations, dangers to transport systems and illegal and unreported fishing. DCoC works closely with other security organisations in the region including European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to tackle these threats.
While in Mombasa, Cdre Ahlgren took the time to meet with the Director General of the Kenyan Coast Guard, Brigadier Loonena Naisho and Kenyan Deputy Fleet Commander, Colonel Lawrence Gitumo. The senior officers discussed how Kenya can engage further with CMF.
Cdre Ahlgren concluded, “This visit was particularly rewarding as it showcased how CMF can work with security organisations to make the western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden a safer, more sustainable and increasing prosperous region of CMF’s area of operations.”
Source: combinedmaritimeforces.com
By Abdul Seye
The House of Representatives has asked for an end to the burning of seized bunkered petroleum resources due to its impact on the environment.
The House urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas and Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, to put an end to the current system.
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Source: dailypost.ng
MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he would order the Philippine Navy to search and “blast” pirates, weeks after 11 Filipino sailors were reportedly abducted in separate incidents in waters off the West African nations of Togo and Benin.
“I will send the Navy there, kapag nakita nila ‘yung mga…patayin nalang nila. Tabla-tabla na lang (…if they spot those pirates, kill them),” Duterte said during the awarding ceremony for the Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities in Malacañang.
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Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
Maritime Security News 