Transcript Modern Maritime Piracy: Countermeasures and preventive actions

Modern Maritime Piracy:
Countermeasures and Preventive Actions
by the Greek Shipping Industry
K.Giziakis, K. Bountri
Department of Maritime Studies
University of Piraeus
Contents- Presentation structure
Part I:
Theoretical Approach
o Introduction
o Piracy attacks
o Causes
o Pirates’ Modus Vivendi
o Anti-piracy measures
o Piracy Cost
o Piracy in West Africa
Part II:
Experimental Method
o Greek Shipping
Industry
o Methodology of
research
o Study results
 Effectiveness of antipiracy measures
 Measures implemented
by Greek Shipping
Part I: Theoretical Approach
Introduction
• Piracy can be traced back in time to the age of maritime
exploration of mankind.
• Piracy definition by the International Maritime Bureau.
• 22.000 vessels transit (yearly) through High Risk Areas.
• Hotspots:
 Indonesia
 Somalia
 Nigeria
 Bangladesh
 Malaysia
Responsible for
the 59% globally
reported piracy
attacks
Causes of Piracy
• General conditions:
 Low economic growth.
 Poverty.
 State/Governments unable to deal with such phenomena.
• Somalia:
 Average Somalian earns $600 per year.
 Main bread-winning activity: fishing.
 However, illegal fishing by foreign trawlers on the
seaboard reduces the fish stock.
 Toxic and chemical dumping off the coast of Somalia leads
to the ecosystem’s disruption and fish stock erosion.
Pirates’ Modus Vivendi
• Monsoon/season-dependent “job”
 From March until June
High Season
 From October to December
• “Mother Vessels”
High-speed skiffs (up to 25 knots)
• Each attacking group is composed of 6-8 persons.
• Attacks take place mainly in the cover of twilight.
• Their armament includes:
 AK-47 assault riffles
 RPG-7 rocket launchers
 Semi-automatic weapons
Anti-Piracy Measures
• The necessity of European participation
20% of all
vessels fly the European flag.
 EU NAVFOR (responsible for Operation “ATALANTA”)
 Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA)
• Company’s measures before the voyage.
• Measures upon entering High-Risk Areas.
• Ship’s measures:
 Enhanced bridge protection.
 Visual contact with surrounding waters.
 Increased vessel’s speed.
 Razor wire, water spray, foam monitor, CCTV, citadel,
armed or unarmed security
Somali-based Piracy cost (2012)
 €4.6 billion
(source: Ocean beyond piracy)
Gulf of Guinea
•
•
•
•
•
•
28 incidents in 2013. 58 attacks in 2012.
Most of the reports seem not to be reported.
The Gulf of Guinea is a major route for oil tankers.
The pirates’ income comes from oil theft.
The stolen cargo will be sold in the black market.
Violent attacks happen, even if the ships have armed
security on them.
• Poverty/Corruption/Governments’ inability to control
their territory.
• West Africa Governments have not welcomed the idea
of western naval patrols.
Part II: Experimental Method
The Greek Shipping Industry
• 1st in EU, concerning gross tonnage.
• 7th globally, concerning gross tonnage.
• 7.000-8.000 vessels transit through High Risk
Areas.
• More than 21 ships owned by Greek Shipping
Companies have been hijacked.
Methodology of Research
• 32 Greek Shipping Companies were asked
…via questionnaires.
• Examining:
 Effectiveness of anti-piracy measures.
 Measures already in effect/applied in the Company.
• The scale was:
Not Effective
Maybe
Effective
Effective
Very Effective
Extremely
Effective
Introductory Elements
Based on the results of this survey:
• 66% of the Participants had more than 6 years experience in
the maritime industry.
• The majority of the Companies have up to 15 vessels.
• 43% of the Companies owned bulk carriers and another 43%
owned tankers.
• The average fleet’s age for the 60% of the Companies was
between 4-10 years.
• Most of the Companies had been founded before 1980.
• The 85% of the Participants’ vessels transit through High-Risk
Areas (27 maritime companies).
• 40% of them have been subjected of piracy attack or attempt.
Greek Shipping rates the effectiveness
of anti-piracy measures
• The most effective measures were:
 To avoid high risk areas.
 Naval forces to destroy pirate skiffs.
 Armed security.
 Crew training.
• Effective measures:
 Risk assessment
 Anti-piracy plan at the office.
 Registration with naval forces.
 Designation and use of citadel.
 Participation of vessel in a convoy system.
Greek Shipping rates the effectiveness
of anti-piracy measures
• The following measures are considered as a good
protection:
Vessel’s freeboard more than 10 meters.
Use of water cannons.
Enhanced bridge protection.
Use of razor/barbed wire as a fence.
Maneuvering practices.
Increasing vessel’s speed.
Greek Shipping rates the effectiveness
of anti-piracy measures
• The majority regards the following as inadequate
measures:
 Closed circuit television (CCTV).
 Blinding / dazzle weapons.
 Dogs onboard.
 Unarmed security.
 To enhance the International Legal Framework.
 To assist Somalia in setting-up a functional
Government.
Measures already applied in Greek
Companies
100%
100%
Risk Assesment
before Vessel’s transit
100%
92%
92%
90%
92%
Registration with naval forces
(EUNAVFOR, MSCHOA,
UKMTO)
80%
70%
Anti-piracy plan/crisis
management at the office
60%
50%
40%
Crew training in
antipiracy measures
30%
20%
10%
Designation and use of a
convenient citadel
0%
Anti-Piracy Measures
100%
90%
80%
83%
Increasing Vessel’s
movement speed
83%
75%
75%
75%
Use of razor/ barbed wire
used
operate as an electric fence
70%
60%
Use of water spay or water
canons
50%
40%
Use manoeuvring practices
30%
20%
Use of ARMED security
personnel
10%
0%
Anti-Piracy Measures
100%
90%
Enhanced bridge
protection
80%
67%
70%
58%
60%
50%
50%
40%
Participation of
the vessel
in a convoy
system
30%
Vessel’s freeboard
more than 10
metres
20%
10%
0%
Anti-Piracy Measures
100%
Avoid transiting all high risk
areas
90%
80%
Use of UNARMED
security personnel
70%
60%
Closed circuit Television
50%
40%
30%
20%
33%
25%
17%
Blinding Weapons / Duzzle
Weapons
17%
10%
0%
0%
Anti-Piracy Measures
Dogs onboard vessel
Opinion on the future status of the
situation in high-risk areas
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
47%
50%
40%
28%
25%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Worse
The Same
Better
A few last comments
• Somali-based piracy attacks
dropped mainly due to:
 Armed security personnel
 Active military presence
However the threat still exists.
have
significantly
• Piracy will become extinct through international
assistance for the region’s economic development and
stability;
Not through dealing with each individual attack
or hijack on its own basis.
Conclusions
• The Greek Shipping Industry appears to fully implement all
suggested piracy counter-measures, giving priority to:
 Risk assessment.
 Anti-piracy Plan prior to the voyage.
 Armed security personnel.
• With the majority believing that the maritime piracy situation wil
remain the same, their credo seems to be:
“Better safe than sorry”
Food for further thought (taking into consideration the increased
piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea): “ Where does the international
community want to fight Piracy, on land or at sea?”
Thank you!