Another Freighter Seized By Pirates Off Tanzanian Coast

Pirates continue to attack ships, this time off the Tasmanian coast. According to the article below, this attack follows three previous attacks this week on freight vessels off the Tanzanian coastline. There are no reports of any contact with the vessel since she altered course early this afternoon. With the seasonal increase in pirate raids, vessel owners and operators are warned by the authorities to be extra vigilant and take all possible precautions against attack. I hope they're OK
   . . . June


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Pirates Seize Another Freighter Off Somalia
Latest industry shipping news from the Handy Shipping Guide:

SOMALIA – In yet another pirate attack, the most southerly reported this year so far in the region, a UAE owned tanker was seized around 100 miles South of Dar es Salaam after unloading its cargo of bitumen at Mombasa in Kenya. The attack follows three previous attacks this week on freight vessels off the Tanzanian coastline.

The vessel was once again Panamanian flagged and was manned by an all Indian crew of 15 according to local reports. We have had no word so far from the vessels owners Bitumen Invest. The ship is the MT Asphalt Venture an asphalt carrier en route to Durban when radar observation showed her turn suddenly and set a course for Xaradheere, about 300 miles north of Mogadishu on the Somali coast.

We have no reports of any contact with the vessel at this time since she altered course early this afternoon. With the seasonal increase in pirate raids, vessel owners and operators are warned by the authorities to be extra vigilant and take all possible precautions against attack.

Read entire article

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Can Pirates Be Defeated by 'Panic Room' Or Blocking Controls?

 According to the article below Owners of Spanish vessels fishing in Somali waters have proposed installing hermetically sealed rooms to protect the crew in case of an attempted hijacking by pirates. These will be connected with Atalanta forces, which fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean. This is a similar tactic used by the Greek cargo ship which was boarded by pirates earlier this week. The crew of this ship locked themselves in the engine room and blocked controls. The pirates gave up after failing to gain control. Good stuff!
    . . . June

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'Panic room' creates new way to fend off pirates:
FIS - Worldnews Wednesday, September 29, 2010, 03:30

Owners of Spanish tuna vessels fishing in Somali waters have proposed installing hermetically sealed rooms to protect the crew in case of an attempted hijacking by pirates.

The pilot project is to build 'panic rooms' which will be connected with Atalanta forces, which fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean.

The initiative provides that once you are alerted about the attack, the protocol is activated, the military intervene quickly, overpower the pirates and free the kidnapped fishermen.

For now, the owners of the vessels have been granted approval by the Ministry of Defence of Spain to launch the self-protection project.

Specifically, the defense minister, Carme Chacon, called the proposal 'very positive', reports Diario Montanes.

While it is impossible to guarantee total safety, the construction of hermetically sealed rooms would abort a potential pirate attack 'which private security could not do,' said the minister.

Chacon also said that the preventive measures imposed against pirate attacks have been successful so far, and early warning systems that connect tuna vessels with the Atalanta controls have been effective.

Owners who met with Chacon thanked the "full readiness" of the government to prevent piracy.

Currently, there are 30 tuna vessels fishing in the Indian Ocean, of which, 13 fly the Spanish flag and all have private security.

Spanish fleets have invested EUR 1 million in security: half of which is paid by the boat owners and the rest is covered by the government.

Read entire article

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Ukrainian Crew Members Foil Somali Pirates

Ship's crews are getting more creative about taking care of their ships against pirates.According to the following article, the crew of this ship locked themselves in the engine room and blocked controls, the Ukrainian government said. The pirates gave up after failing to gain control.
    . . . June

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AFP: Crew foils Somali pirates:

KIEV — Pirates who hijacked a Greek-operated cargo off Somalia finally let it go because the Ukrainian crew members prevented them from taking over command, the Ukrainian government said on Monday.

The foreign ministry in Kiev said the pirates had given up after failing to take control of the MG Lugela because the 12 crew had locked themselves in the engine room and blocked the helm and other controls.

'In line with a prepared plan, the crew shut themselves in the engine room with sufficient food and water,' the ministry said. 'Keeping command of the controls, they did not allow the pirates to change course for the Somali coast.'

'After two days aboard an uncontrollable ship, the pirates finally gave up and abandoned it.'

George Tripakis, managing director of TDM Carrier, the Athens-based operator of the Lugela, said earlier that the captain had contacted the company late Sunday.

"He informed us that everybody is OK, alive, the pirates not on board, and the vessel is proceeding to Bombay (Mumbai, India)."

Pirates attacked the vessel on Saturday some 900 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, after it left the Gulf of Aden, the Brussels-based the European Union NAVFOR command said.

The ship had left the Egyptian port of Alexandria and was heading to Mauritius carrying steel bars and cable, the owners said. Following its release it was ordered to change course for Mumbai to undergo an examination.

"We would like to check the vessel" in the Indian port, Tripakis said, though he did not know if the ship had been damaged.

Read entire article . . . 

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Is The West Wasting Money On ANTI-PIRACY SHIPS?

According to the article below, Kenya's foreign minister said Saturday the millions being spent to fight pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia should be spent instead on helping the country become a functioning state. He said that nobody is stepping up to help with much needed money and equipment to support the restoration of law and order. 
"Piracy is not born at sea. It's born on land', he said. He may well be right.
   . . . June


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Kenya says West wasting money on anti-piracy ships
Yahoo! News:

UNITED NATIONS – Kenya's foreign minister said Saturday the millions being spent to fight pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia should be spent instead on helping the country become a functioning state.

Moses Wetangula said in an interview with The Associated Press that Uganda has offered troops to expand the African Union force in Somalia from 7,100 to 20,000 to support the restoration of law and order.

But he said that nobody is stepping up to help with much needed money and equipment.

"Piracy is not born at sea. It's born on land. And if you are able to patrol and protect your coastline, it's unlikely that pirates will find a way to the high seas to cause the menace," Wetangula said. "Instead, what are we seeing? 52 warships patroling ... the waters of the Indian Ocean, but piracy is still going on."

Wetangula said the flotilla should be disbanded and the money should be used instead to help Somalia "become a state."

He warned that neglecting Somalia amid increasing attacks from militants and Jihadists trying to overthrow the weak U.N.-backed transitional government "may end up being a tragedy that would vibrate far and wide."

Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991 when warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other, plunging the country into chaos. African Union peacekeepers have struggled to protect the small enclave in the capital, Mogadishu, where the Somali government operates.

Read More . . . 

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Another Ship Seized by Pirates Off Somalia's Coast

It's pretty frightening to think that a ship could be so easily boarded and hijacked. Evidently, it happens frequently. According to the article, Somalia's lawlessness during the past 19 years has allowed piracy to thrive off its Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden coastlines. Many ships who must trade in the region have security in place for just such a reason.
    . . . June


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Pirates seize cargo ship off Somalia's coast
Yahoo! News:

NAIROBI, Kenya – The European Union's anti-piracy force says Somali pirates have hijacked a cargo ship carrying steel bars and wires off the coast of Somalia.

The force said in a statement that the MV Lugela sent a distress call to its Greek operator Saturday when pirates attacked it about 900 nautical miles east of the Somali pirate den of Eyl.

A short while later, the ship altered its course toward Somalia.

The statement said Saturday that there had been no contact with the ship throughout the incident.
The 4,281-ton-ship, which transited through the Gulf of Aden and had 12 Ukrainians onboard, was headed for the Mauritius.

Somalia's lawlessness during the past 19 years has allowed piracy to thrive off its Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden coastlines.

Read More . .
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