Landing the Big One

Landing the Big One

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Latest ICC CCS Weekly Piracy Report (to 26 Nov 07) & ONI WWTTS (to 21 Nov 07)


Latest ICC Commercial Crime Services Weekly Piracy Report (to 26 Nov 07) can be found here. Highlights:
24.11.2007: 0345 LT: 06:17.8S – 003:21.2E, Lagos anchorage, Nigeria.
Four armed robbers in a small wooden boat boarded a container ship from aft.
They stole ship’s store and escaped. No injuries to crew.

21.11.2007: 0212 LT: 06:12N-003:18E (15 miles from shore), Lagos, Nigeria.
Five pirates armed with knives boarded a tanker drifting around 15 nm from shore. Duty crew spotted the pirates and informed the duty officer. Alarm raised and crew mustered. Pirates escaped with ship stores
***
08.10.2007: Panaji, off the Yermal coast in Udupi: Karnataka: India.
Pirates in canoes boarded a vessel carrying scientists on a
Marine research project. After a brief struggle with the scientists, the pirates took the scientific instruments. It is unclear if the instruments were thrown into the water or stolen. The scientists are reported to be safe.
Latest ONI Worldide Threat to Shipping Report (to 21 Nov 07) here. Highlights:
1. SOMALIA: The French Navy began escorting two WFP vessels to Somalia, 16 Nov 07
to protect them against pirate attacks. The Freighters (ROZEN) and (SEMLOW) were escorted
on a two month arrangement by the French Navy from Mombasa, Kenya and arrived at Merka
port (south of Mogadishu) on 19 Nov 07. This is part of a two month arrangement with the
French Navy to deter threatening food shipments to Somalis (REUTERS, AFP).
***
1. GULF OF ADEN: Vehicle Carrier reported suspicious approach 17 Nov 07 at 0550 local
time while underway. The vessel spotted three suspicious crafts on the starboard side and one
suspicious craft on the port side at a distance of 0.4NM. The Master took all necessary
preventive measures and the suspicious crafts later moved away (IMB).
.
2. GULF OF ADEN: The Panamanian-flagged chemical tanker (GOLDEN NORI) hijacked
28 Oct at 0216 UTC, approximately 70 NM north of Caluula, Somalia in the Gulf of Aden. The
vessel sent out a distress call on 28 Oct after coming under attack. Combined Maritime Forces
Command (CMFC) responded to the distress call and directed a nearby coalition warship to
investigate. The warship fired warning shots, but the vessel did not heed the warning and
continued toward Somali territorial waters. The warship then fired on the 2 skiffs that were used
by the pirates to board the vessel and sunk them. Coalition warships continue to monitor the
vessel. The hijackers have made no immediate demands. There are 23 crew members onboard.
The vessel was transporting highly flammable benzene (IMB, CMFC incident report).
.
3. GULF OF ADEN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 24 Oct 07 at 0730 UTC, while
underway in position 14:05.0N-054:44.5E. The vessel was approached by a fishing boat on the
starboard beam asking to trade water for fish. When the vessel declined the suspicious craft
altered its course and increased its speed to join a group of three other fishing vessels 4-5 miles
northeastward. The vessel was in good condition and relatively new. There was wooden
construction with grey house aft and white awnings rigged. An attempted call on any coalition
ship in the area was made, but no reply was received (Operator).
.
4. GULF OF ADEN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 22 Oct 07 at 0350 UTC while
underway in position 12:32N-045:24E. Initially, seven boats were following the vessel and the
vessel managed to out maneuver five of the boats. Two boats continued following the vessel at
a distance of about 3-4NM. At the time of the reporting, all efforts by the vessel to shake off the
following boats were unsuccessful. The Master of the vessel was advised to transmit an urgency
signal to shipping in the vicinity as well as convey the situation to the local security authorities to
Yemen, the nearest Coastal State (Operator).
.
5. GULF OF ADEN: LPG tanker reported suspicious approach 21 Oct 07 at 2250 local time
while underway in position 13:14N-048:13E. The vessel was warned by other vessels up ahead
about unlit boats that had failed in approaching them. The master of the tanker raised the alarm,
mustered the crew on the bridge, and briefed them. The target boat was picked up on radar and
was seen approaching the vessel from the front. The master carried out evasive maneuvers. The
boat tried to pursue the vessel but could not keep up. The entire incident lasted almost an hour
and a half (IMB).

***
N. ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC NON-STATE ACTIVIST GROUPS:
.
1. GREENPEACE: Tanker (MT WESTAMA) was blocked while at berth by Greenpeace
activists 16 Nov 07, Dumai, Sumatra Island, Indonesia. Activists reportedly anchored the
Greenpeace vessel (RAINBOW WARRIOR) beside the (MT WESTAMA) blocking the vessel
from leaving its berth destined for India with its palm oil cargo. The protest aimed to highlight
the role palm oil plays in driving global deforestation and peatland destruction, which are major
contributors to climate change. The vessel was finally able to depart from its birth on 18 Nov 07
(LM: REUTERS, AFP).
.
2. GREENPEACE: Activists blocked shipment 14 Nov 07 at port Tarragona in
northeastern Spain. Activists blocked a shipment of coal in a protest over climate change.
Police arrested six protestors along with four journalists and press photographers in
Greenpeaceís motorized inflatable boats. Other Greenpeace activists attached themselves to
cranes offloading some of the 155,000 tons of coal from the ship. The protest was still
continuing in the early afternoon. About 20 Greenpeace activists took part in the protest,
aimed at drawing attention to the burning of coal as a source of greenhouse gas emissions (AFP).

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