IMB’s weekly piracy report is reproduced here.
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IMB’s weekly piracy report is reproduced here.
Please remember to subscribe to the new site’s RSS feed to stay up with the news.
Weekly Piracy Report from the Internal Maritime Bureau
12-18 February 2008
The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 12 to 18 February 2008.
ALERT
Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh
The number of attacks has reduced since 2006. However, the area is still listed as a high risk area and mariners are advised to be cautious especially while approaching the anchorage and while at anchor at Chittagong
Nigeria
Violent attacks carried out by pirates on board vessels at anchor and vessel carrying out STS operations. Mariners are advised to exercise extreme caution in these waters.
Suspicious crafts
None reportedRecently reported incidents
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06.02.2008: 0052 LT: Anchorage no. 1, Callao, Peru.Robbers boarded a container ship at anchor from a small boat. Duty crew spotted them. Alarm raised, crew mustered. Robbers escaped. Authorities informed. Coast guard patrol boat arrived after more than one hour, patrolled the waters around the vessel for about ten minutes, and moved away. |
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17.02.2008: 0540 LT: 05:48N – 118:05E, Berth no.2, Sandakan port, Malaysia.Duty crew on board a general cargo ship reported that a boat approached from the port bow. One robber was noticed on the forecastle deck passing ship stores to the other robbers in the boat. On seeing the alert crew, the robber jumped overboard and escaped with the ship stores. The forward booby hatch lock was found broken. The IMB PRC was notified who then liaised with local police for further action. Police arrived and conducted an investigation. |
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14.02.2008: 0341 LT: 06:43.5S – 039:43.8E, 20 nm off Tanzania coast.Three pirates boarded the ship from a small wooden boat equipped with an out board engine. The ship was drifting, awaiting berthing instructions. Alert duty crew noticed the pirates and the alarm was raised, ship’s whistle sounded, crew mustered and master increased speed. Pirates fled immediately. Upon inspection, two containers were found opened. |
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11.02.2008: 0540 UTC: 13.38.5N – 050:22.0E, Gulf of Aden.Two suspicious vessels one with blue hull and the other with red hull and both with white superstructure increased speed and altered course towards a bulk carrier. Master increased speed and altered course to increase CAP. Later both suspicious vessels stopped following. |
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09.02.2008: 0030 LT: Kandla anchorage, India.Duty watchman on an oil tanker at anchor noticed robbers on the forecastle. On seeing the alert ships crew, the robbers jumped overboard and escaped. The padlock of the forecastle store was broken but nothing was missing |
Piracy prone areas and warnings
Mariners are warned to be extra cautious and to take necessary precautionary measures when transiting the following areas:
S E Asia and the Indian Sub Continent
Africa and Red Sea
South and Central America and the Caribbean waters
Rest of the World
Recently reported incidents from the International Maritime Bureau
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30.01.2008: 2130 UTC: 06:17.62N – 003:24369E, Lagos anchorage, Nigeria.
Four robbers armed with handguns and knives boarded a product tanker at anchor. Alert crew raised alarm and crew mustered. Robbers stole ship’s store and escaped in their waiting boat. |
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04.02.2008: 0330 LT: Dar es Salaam anchorage area 4, Tanzania.
Twelve robbers in a speedboat approached a general cargo ship at anchor. Two robbers boarded the ship. Alert crew raised alarm, SSAS activated and port control informed. Ship’s crew mustered and took necessary anti-piracy measures. The robbers jumped into the water and escaped in their waiting boat. Police patrol boat came for investigation |
Piracy prone areas and warnings
Mariners are warned to be extra cautious and to take necessary precautionary measures when transiting the following areas:
S E Asia and the Indian Sub Continent
Africa and Red Sea
South and Central America and the Caribbean waters
Rest of the World
<!–Inventus UAV
The Inventus UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) is a state-of-the-art reconnaissance system packaged in a highly efficient, highly stable flying wing form. Outfitted with cameras, the Inventus flies and covers a large ocean area and relays a real-time data link back to the ground station. This link provides real-time aerial surveillance and early warning of suspect or unauthorised craft movements to the coastal or law enforcement authority. Developed by Lew Aerospace, the Inventus is fully autonomous and can be launched and recovered even from a seagoing or patrol vessel. There are gas and electric formats and both fly in alht against piracy. It is a non-lethal, electrifying fence surrounding the whole ship, which has been specially adapted for maritime use. The fence uses 9,000-volt pulse to deter boarding attempts. An intruder coming in contact with the fence will receive an unpleasant non-lethal shock that will result in the intruder abandoning the attempted boarding. At the same time an alarm will go off, activating floodlights and a very loud siren. The IMB strongly recommends ship owners to install this device on board their ships. Further details can be obtained at www.secure-marine.com
–>IMB piracy reports (free) and other publications can be ordered from the publications page.
UK – update re sinking of ICE PRINCE The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) issued a press notice stating that the estimated clearance over the wreck of the ICE PRINCE is 46.8 meters, but that an Irish Lights vessel will examine and confirm the clearance. In the meantime, a temporary exclusion zone of 1000 meters is in effect. Bundles of the floating timber are breaking up, but may still present a hazard, particularly for smaller vessels. An incident report provides further details. (1/17/08).
Bourbon Dolphin findings delayed
BBC News – UK
The publication of an official report into the sinking of the Bourbon Dolphin off Shetland has been delayed. The vessel capsized during an anchor handling
Man attempts suicide in protest at SKorea oil spill payout
AFP –
A barge drifting in stormy weather smashed into the 147000-ton Hong Kong-registered tanker Hebei Spirit on December 7, causing the tanker to spill some
Harbor pilot pulled from chilly gulf
The News Herald – Panama City,FL,USA
Knowles guided a 300-foot cargo ship bound for Mexico through the St. Andrew Pass and out to sea Wednesday afternoon. The captain used a ladder to climb out
Ship Hits Bay Area Bridge…Again
KCBS – CA,USA
(KCBS) — For the third time in three months a ship has collided with a Bay Area bridge. The US Coast Guard says that around 2:30 Wednesday morning,
Grounded Fishing Vessel’s Damage Assessed Transit Plan Developed
SitNews – Ketchikan,AK,USA
… boom continued to surround the vessel as a precaution and there have been no reports of petroleum leakage after the vessel’s initial grounding.
FG explains oil vessel explosion in PH
The Tide – Port Harcourt,Niger Delta,Nigeria
… Harcourt on Friday was caused by an accident. Our correspondent reports that a ship carrying 5000 tonnes of petrol exploded at the Port Harcourt Wharf.
San Francisco Bay – initial report on Cosco Busan incident prepared
The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that the initial report on the COSCO BUSAN incident has been prepared and forwarded to Headquarters for review. The report, prepared by the Incident Specific Preparedness Review (ISPR) team, focuses on the first two weeks of the response to the November 7, 2007 allision of the freighter with a pier of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the ensuing oil spill. Public release of the report is expected in approximately two weeks. (1/16/08).
Savannah River – grounded vessel refloated
The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that the container ship that grounded in the Savannah River has been refloated with the assistance of two towing vessels. The ship has been moved to an anchorage area until the problem causing the grounding has been identified and repaired. The incident is under investigation. (1/16/08).
Duluth – salvage plan approved for partially sunken laker
The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that the salvage plan has been approved for the laker that partially sank after striking a submerged object while approaching its pier in Duluth. Deballasting is expected to take several days. Then repairs can be effected. (1/16/08).
Dock owner stands firm over pilot’s sacking
Liverpool Echo – UK
The member of trade union Unite was dismissed after an incident involving the grounding of a pilot vessel. No-one was hurt but he lost his job after
1 Confirmed Rescued after Bulgarian Cargo Ship Sinking
Sofia News Agency – Bulgaria
Bulgaria: The Bulgarian mechanic Nikolay Dimitrov has been rescued after the cargo ship Vanessa sank Thursday morning near the Kerch Strait, Maritime
Master Missing After Tug Sinks
The Coast Guard is searching for the captain of the 52-foot towing vessel, Gate-Way, that sunk with two people onboard near Norco, La., on the Mississippi River. At approximately 12:30 a.m on January 2, 2008, Sector New Orleans received a call from the towing vessel Secretariat as well as from the dispatch operartor of the Saint Rose Fleet.
Lifeboat aids hurt tanker crewman
BBC News – UK
The Holyhead all-weather lifeboat was called out by coastguards in poor weather to take the man, who is in his mid-20s, to Holyhead marina.
Owwa assures support for killed seafarer’s family (12:42 pm)
Sun.Star – Philippines
Cruz, “an electrician of the fire-gutted tanker vessel M/T Keno, was the lone fatality when militants attacked Port Harcourt last December 19,” he added.
Transport Canada probes collision in harbour in St. John’s, NL
The Canadian Press –
JOHN’S, NL – Transport Canada is investigating a New Year’s Day collision in the harbour in St. John’s, NL The freighter Cabot broke free of its moorings,
Tug boats refloat grounded ship
The Press Association –
A 90000-tonne sea tanker that ran aground in the Dover Strait has been refloated and tugged away, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has said.
South Korea indicts vessel owners in oil spill
Oil & Gas Journal – Houston,TX,USA
The collision occurred Dec. 7 in the Yellow Sea near Taean, South Chungcheong, causing South Korea’s worst-ever oil spill. SHI also owned the two tugboats
NY judge dismisses Spain’s claims over oil spill
Reuters – USA
… single-hulled vessel as fit to carry fuel cargoes six months before the disaster. The bureau disputed Spain’s allegations, saying the sinking of the
Setusamudram channel, an ecological disaster
By kalyan97
… Assessment for the Proposed Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project” http://tinyurl.com/38hjqs ) The researchers conclude that going purely by the amount of traffic in the channel, and with the global accident rates prevailing world-wide,