Major International shipping companies have announced they are drafting a policy towards dealing with piracy and maritime risks in the world’s most dangerous ocean trade routes including the Gulf of Guinea, off Nigeria’s coast.
Jakob Larsen, Head of Maritime Safety and Security at BIMCO, one of the world’s largest associations of shipping companies, disclosed this in an interview with Bloomberg.
He said the plan with other stakeholders, including the International Chamber of Shipping, would enable shippers analyse risk in cases of re-route if possible.
“The Gulf of Guinea is the biggest piracy headache vessels face, and these plans will help to directly assess this threat by widening the way in which the industry views risk,” Larsen said.
The report added that the plan will also include policies to deal with high-risk area in the Indian Ocean due to the declining risk of piracy near Somalia and allow for more efficient and faster trade.
The International Chamber of Shipping said the move will allow trade to move more quickly and cut out much of the inconvenience vessels experience in high-risk areas.
What you should know
- Nairametrics reported last month that Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, which has become the global epicentre for sea piracy fell to the lowest since Q2 2019, in the last quarter, according to a report published by the International Maritime Bureau.
- Globally there were 68 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships – the lowest total since 1994 – down from 98 incidents during the same period last year.
- The report added that the region led globally with 32% of all reported incidents, and accounted for all 50 kidnapped crew and the single crew fatality recorded during the first half of 2021
- Meanwhile, the US Navy ship, USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, arrived in Lagos last week to enable Nigeria in the fight against Piracy, which has made the Gulf of Guinea the global epicentre for piracy. The ship would also be permanently assigned to Africa.
