IN 1493 – Piracy and armed robbery - focusing on known 'hot spots'

This information note prioritises known ‘Hot Spots’ of concern to IMCA Member companies and supplies useful links for security risk management decision making.

The IMCA Security Committee recommends the shipping industry’s Maritime Global Security website providing additional guidance and links.

The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) promotes and enhances cooperation against piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia.

Monthly and weekly reports provide up to date information on incidents involving ships in the region.

The Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) safeguards trade through the region. Owners and operators who have vessels transiting the region are strongly encouraged to register with MSCHOA. The European Union Naval Force ATLANTA (EU NAVFOR) is fully integrated with the Maritime Security Centre and provides day to day interface with seafarers.

Industry Releasable Threat Assessments (IRTAs) are issued quarterly by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and EU NAVFOR. The quarterly IRTAs are supplemented by Industry Releasable Threat Bulletins (IRTBs), which are issued when necessary or appropriate. IRTBs provide rapid and responsive information to the maritime industry.

IRTAs and IRTBs are intended to inform risk management decision making for shipping operators responsible for merchant vessels that are transiting through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and the Western Indian Ocean. IRTAs and IRTBs are released to a limited distribution and are available via registering at MSCHOA or via the relevant national authorities of CMF partner nations.

Additionally, EU NAVFOR fully supports the Best Management Practices for Protection against Piracy (BMP). The BMPs can be downloaded here.

Maritime Domain Awareness Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GOG) is a cooperation centre between the Royal Navy (UKMTO) and the French Navy (MICA-Center) in support of the Yaounde Process. The Centre runs a Voluntary Reporting Scheme, Masters, CSO’s and companies are encouraged to report incidents of piracy and armed robbery as soon as practicable.

The primary output from the MDAT-GoG is to maintain coherent maritime situational awareness in the central and western African Maritime areas, with the ability to inform and support industry. The information supplied by vessels will be treated as commercially confidential.

Both weekly and monthly reports are available here.

IMCA fully supports and recommends the recently published Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security off the Coast of West Africa including the Gulf of Guinea (BMP West Africa).

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the world’s busiest waterbodies. While the region offers safe transit to commercial traffic and entry to the Middle East and beyond via the Suez Canal, regional instability in areas such as Libya and Syria have the potential to spill over into the maritime domain and continues to pose a possible threat to commercial traffic.

The NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) is the link between NATO and the merchant shipping community. NATO Allied Maritime Command provides up to date assessments on the threat posed to commercial shipping while transiting the Mediterranean in international waters.

Latest NSC updates are available here.