Two American Sailors Still Missing After Being Seized By Pirates Off The Coast Of Nigeria

Pirates Seize Two Americans Off Nigeria's Coast -- NBC

Two Americans were kidnapped by pirates after their ship was attacked off Nigeria's coast, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The U.S.-flagged oil supply vessel C-Retriever was targeted in the Gulf of Guinea early Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Maritime news website gCaptain reported that the ship's captain and its chief engineer had been abducted.

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More News On Two American Sailors Still Missing After Being Seized By Pirates Off The Coast Of Nigeria

Search Continues for Americans Kidnapped by Pirates Off Nigeria -- Voice of America
Pirates kidnap two Americans in ship attack off coast of Nigeria -- FOX News
Pirates kidnap two U.S. sailors off Nigerian coast -sources -- Reuters
2 seized in pirate attack off Nigeria, U.S. official says -- CNN
Pirates Abduct Two Americans on Oil Ship Off Nigerian Coast -- New York Times
West Africa's ferocious pirates grab two Americans -- Christian Science Monitor
Pirates kidnap two Americans off Africa coast -- USA Today
Nigerian Rebels Claim Contact With Kidnappers of Americans -- Bloomberg
Americans taken from oil ship near Nigeria. Why pirates are moving west. -- David J. Unger, Christian Science Monitor

The World's Most Pirate-Infested Waters

Armed pirates stand over French hostages aboard the yacht ''Tanit'' in this undated handout picture released by the French Ministry of Defence April 11, 2009. REUTERS/ECPAD-French Ministry of Defence

Crime At Sea: The World's Most Pirate-Infested Waters -- NBC News

Like the Caribbean of old, the waters near Somalia used to be the most heavily pirated in the world. Now there's a new king of the pirates that's quickly become a headache for governments, shipping companies, cruise lines, energy firms, global conglomerates and—perhaps most immediately—for sailors trying to ply trade.

When CNBC first examined the world’s most dangerous waters in 2008, Somalian pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden and coastal Somalia easily dominated as the globe’s most prolific, according to data compiled by the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre. Somalia and the Gulf of Aden still have treacherous waters, but no longer the worst: Over the last five quarters, examined here, a new country’s national waters have become the most heavily pirated on earth.

Also changed are the tactics used to combat piracy. National navies have become much more active in the fight against piracy, and commercial tankers and cargo vessels increasingly employ armed security—a concept that was rare and even discouraged in many maritime circles as recently as 2008.

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My Comment: This is a surprise .... Indonesia is the world's #1 spot for naval piracy.

Sea Piracy Is Still A Global Problem

Despite Declining Number Of Pirate Attacks, Seas Still Far From Safe -- Stars and Stripes

NAPLES, Italy — Pirate attacks have dropped 27 percent since 2009, when reports of armed bandits off the coast of Somalia drew navies from throughout the world to East Africa to protect trade routes.

Despite that progress, the seas are far from safe.

There were 297 piracy attacks and 28 hijackings worldwide in 2012, according to the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Center. Of those, 75 incidents were tied to Somali pirates, who captured 250 hostages last year.

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My Comment: Poverty. No Jobs. No economic future. This is the state of affairs for Africa and a perfect breeding ground for crime and piracy.

Update: Officials: Pirates Seize Oil Tanker in Ivory Coast -- AP

Global Sea Piracy Falls To A 5-Year Low

Image: Creative Commons/Jolly Rogers

Sea Piracy Falls To 5-Year Low As Somali Gangs Retreat -- Reuters

(Reuters) - International naval patrols off Somalia and armed private guards on board ships have driven pirate attacks to a five-year low in 2012, but the risk to shipping off west Africa is growing.

Somali piracy in the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden and the northwestern Indian Ocean off east Africa cost the world economy some $7 billion in 2011, according to the American One Earth Future foundation.

Global pirate attacks on ships fell to 297 in 2012, compared with 439 in 2011, and was at its lowest since 2008 when 293 incidents were recorded, watchdog the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said on Wednesday.

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More News On Sea Piracy Falling To A 5-Year Low

World sea piracy falls to five-year low in 2012 as naval patrols deter Somali pirates -- Washington Post/AP
Piracy Plunges to Lowest in Years on $1 Trillion Trade Route -- Bloomberg Businessweek
World sea piracy falls to five-year low in 2012 -- Huffington Post
Sea piracy attacks worldwide drop to five-year low in 2012 -- National Multimedia
IMB Reports Piracy Falls in 2012, But Seas off East and West Africa Still Dangerous -- Insurance Journal
Pirates Carry Out Fewer Attacks in 2012 – IMB -- gCaptain

World Naval Piracy Is Declining

Maritime Agency Reports Falling Pirate Attacks -- Deutsche Welle

Attacks on shipping by pirates are on the decline, according to a maritime watchdog. The fall in incidents off the Somalia coast was particularly striking, with international naval operations being given credit.

The number of pirate attacks in the first nine months of 2012 fell by a third compared with the previous year, the Malaysia-based International Maritime Bureau reported on Monday.

The drop was particularly striking for the number of instances recorded off the coast of Somalia, the agency said, with the work of naval task forces highlighted as a reason for the drop.

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More News On The Decline Of World Naval Piracy

World piracy down as Somali attacks fall: report -- AFP
Piracy increasing near West Africa, declining near East Africa -- Washington Times
Worldwide sea piracy falls to lowest level in four years following international warship patrols in the Gulf of Aden -- The Independent
World Sea Piracy Falls to Lowest Level Since 2008 -- ABC News/AP
Somali pirate attacks show sharp fall -- BBC
Somali piracy at three-year low after security thwarts gangs -- Reuters
Somalia Piracy Falls to Six-Year Low as Guards Defend Ships -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Somali Pirate Attacks Drop to Lowest Level in 3 Years -- Voice of America

Naval Piracy Growing In West Africa

Image: Creative Commons/Jolly Rogers

Piracy In West Africa Reaching Dangerous Proportions, Says Watchdog -- The Guardian

While Somalia has seen a decline in hijackings in recent months, incidents are on the rise in west Africa.

Piracy in west Africa is reaching dangerous proportions, the global piracy watchdog has said, with the increase in attacks fuelled by Nigerian criminals.

As efforts continue to rescue seven foreign workers kidnapped from a vessel off the coast of Nigeria earlier this week, the director of the international maritime bureau (IMB) warned that the region was now a major focal point for armed robberies at sea, and criticised the lack of efforts by governments in the region to tackle the problem.

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My Comment: Struggling governments. Millions underemployed or unemployed. Extreme poverty. A lack of law enforcement. A perfect mix for gangs to hijack ships and commit other mayhem.

Anti-Piracy Curtain

Video: 'Anti-Piracy Curtain' Makes Boarding Ships a Wet, Dangerous Mess for Pirates -- Popular Science

It’s perfectly understandable why commercial shipping vessels are prohibited from carrying arms in international waters. But when it comes to dealing with the threat of piracy, battles that pit water hoses against small arms and RPGs are decidedly one sided. So Japanese companies MTI and Yokoi have teamed to create what they call the “Anti-Piracy Curtain,” a system that makes it difficult--and quite intimidating--for anyone to board a ship without the consent of a crew.

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My Comment: Impressive.

Global Naval Piracy Declines By 28%

Suspected Somali pirates are apprehended by a patrol of the European Union Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR), one of several initiatives to combat piracy against international shipping off the coast of Somalia. Photo: EUNAVFOR

Piracy Declines By 28% As Navies Disrupt Somalia Attacks -- Bloomberg

Global pirate attacks fell 28 percent in the first quarter as naval interventions reduced incidents off the coast of Somalia, the International Maritime Bureau said.

Pirates mounted 102 attacks, down from 142 a year earlier, the London-based bureau said by e-mail today. Incidents near Somalia dropped to 43 from 97 and the number of vessels that were hijacked also fell, it said. Incidents off the coast of Nigeria doubled to 10 and the pirates ventured further out to sea, according to the bureau.

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More News On the Decrease In Global Piracy

World sea piracy drops 28 percent in first quarter -- AP
Global pirate attacks down in first quarter, Nigeria risk grows -- Reuters
IMB Report Notes Piracy Increasing in W. Africa; Somalia Still Main Threat -- Insurance Journal

South Africa Kills European Plans To Combat Naval Piracy

David Cameron Anti-Piracy Operation Hits A Snag -- The Telegraph

David Cameron's plans to allow British ships travelling around Africa to carry private armed guards to combat the threat of piracy have been dealt a blow after South Africa insisted they be military.

Lindiwe Sisulu, South Africa's defence minister, told the Daily Telegraph she had already received a request from Britain and other European countries to allow ships with armed protection to pass through South African waters.

She said she would insist they were military personnel to facilitate dealings with South African marines boarding the ships to inspect them.

British military sources say the plan would be "totally unworkable" because the UK lacks the capacity to staff civilian ships with troops.

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My Comment: The reason why the Europeans (and Britain) want to implement such a policy is straight forward .....

.... Statistics show no successful pirate attack has been carried out on merchant ships with armed security.

But the South Africans prefer to deal only with military personnel .... an impossible situation in view of the traffic and ships involved. Why this stance .... your guess is as good as mine.

Piracy Costs $9B A Year For The World Shipping Industry

Pirates off Somalia

Piracy Costs World Shipping Industry $9B A Year -- Stars and Stripes/AP

NEW DELHI (AP) -- Piracy is costing the global shipping trade more than $9 billion a year, according to Indian ship owners, who on Monday demanded that the U.N. set up a maritime force to halt pirates operating off the Somalian coast in the Indian Ocean.

Increased insurance costs, longer routes to avoid pirate-infested areas, armed guards posted on board ships and ransoms paid for the release of hijacked vessels and crew push up operating costs for the global shipping industry, said Anil Devli of the Indian National Shipowners Organization.

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Update #1: Trauma and cost of piracy revealed -- Press Association
Update #2: Somalia: Pirates add billions to the cost of world trade -- Financial Times
Update #3: On World Maritime Day, UN warns of high costs of piracy -- UN News Centre

My Comment: I suspect that they are low-balling this figure. Al Jazeera has an interesting opinion piece on this issue.

Pirate-Fighting Mercs Arrested in Africa for Carrying Guns -- Danger Room

In two years of operations, a Virginia-based maritime security company has escorted commercial vessels through pirate-infested East African waters 300 times without incident. Nexus Consulting Group of Alexandria’s impressive record is the latest evidence of a surprising turn in the five-year-old international war on Somali pirates. More and more, for-profit security guards are taking over from the world’s navies on the maritime front lines.

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My Comment: The piracy business is huge in the Horn of Africa .... a situation that I am sure also involves numerous government officials who work in these countries. Since these private security companies have obviously been very effective .... and a direct threat to the pirates and their enablers .... life for them and their clients will be made as difficult as possible.

Naval Piracy Growing On The West Coast Of Africa

Pirates Of The Atlantic: Africa's Other Coast Gets Its Share -- Time

In late July, pirates stormed an Italian oil tanker, startling the 23 crew members guiding the ship toward its African port. But this was not another attack off the coast of Somalia, whose pirates have for years been the scourge of shipping lanes off its coast. The men who seized the Anema e Core work thousands of miles to the west, in the Gulf of Guinea.

In the past eight months, acts of piracy have spiked in the waters off West Africa, says John Drake, a senior consultant at the London-based security firm AKE. The wave of violence seems partly inspired by the Somali pirates and partly a result of the mixed blessings that come, countries in the region are finding out, with discovering vast oil reserves.

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My Comment: The governments in West Africa are not as dysfunctional as Somalia's .... but corruption and tribal/ethnic strife are prevalent throughout this region .... a perfect breeding ground for piracy.

Private Security Firms Positioning Themselves To Counter The Growing Threat Of Naval Piracy

Helicopters from USS Dubuque provide aerial watch as Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s maritime raid force board and seize control of the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged, German-owned vessel M/V Magellan Star, left, Sept. 9, 2010, a day after pirates attacked and boarded the vessel. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class William Farmerie

'Private Navy' Aims To Cash In On Surge In Horn Of Africa Piracy -- Scotsman

WITH the Somali pirating season about to begin in earnest, one US company is proposing a radical solution to increase maritime safety around the lawless Horn of Africa country - privately operated warships.
Several dozen international warships already mount anti-piracy patrols, but mandates end at the water's edge and commanders say they are far too few to cover the vast Indian Ocean.

"Our aim is to offer close protection for money for ships passing through the danger area," said Greg Stenstrom, founder of US-based firm Marque Star - which has put down deposits on two ships and has ambitions for more than a dozen more.

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My Comment: I do not know what their profit margins will be in this business venture, but I do know that naval piracy is a problem that will only grow with time, and i am sure there will be clients willing to spend good money to insure the protection of their cargo.

A New Naval Piracy Threat Rising?

Map showing the location of Indonesia's Mangkai island. Image from AFP

Spike In Pirate Attacks In Indonesian Waters Raises Warnings -- Voice of America

In the latest of a series of attacks in Southeast Asian waters, armed pirates attacked a Japanese chemical tanker off the Indonesian island of Mangkai in the South China Sea. Indonesia and its neighbors are coordinating efforts to fight the pirates.

Pirates armed with guns and knives are increasing their attacks on ships passing by three Indonesian islands off the east coast of Malaysia.

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More News On The Rise Of Naval Piracy In Indonesian Waters

Pirates Rob Tanker as Attacks Rise In S.China Sea -- New York Times/Reuters
Pirates attack Japan tanker,no crew injured-govt -- Reuters
Japanese Chemical Tanker Attacked, Crew Robbed by Pirates Off Indonesia -- Bloomberg
Japanese tanker attacked off Indonesian island -- AFP

Book Review: Two Books On Today's Problem Of Naval Piracy

Modern-Day Blackbeards -- Wall Street Journal

There is nothing new about menace on the high seas—or about the solutions that would make it disappear.

Pirates are an age-old menace. They are also a useful index of the advance and decline of civilization. Sea-roving brigands infested the waters of the ancient world until the Roman Empire stamped them out. With the fall of Rome and the onset of the Dark Ages the pirates returned. They thrived for centuries with the connivance of England's Queen Elizabeth I and other monarchs who were willing to tolerate a level of disorder and barbarism if it meant that hired privateers like Francis Drake would cut them in on the loot.

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My Comment: Considering the impact that naval piracy can have on our shipping lanes, and the realization that naval shipping accounts for 80% of our international trade .... these two books are a valuable addition to a discussion that I am sure will only increase with time.

Five New Weapons The Maersk Alabama Could Use To Foil Pirates

Picture: U.S. Navy
LRAD Weapon: Loud, annoying noises have been a "weapon" at the personal level for millennia, but recently the world's security and military forces have been using a far more potent sonic weapon known as the "long range acoustic device" or LRAD. Just under 3 feet in diameter and weighing 45 pounds, the black circular device emits an intense 15- to 30-degree-wide acoustic beam -- a high-pitched shrill tone similar to a smoke detector alarm -- that can easily cause permanent auditory damage at close range. At 100 yards, the LRAD beam is extremely painful, but it is typically used at ranges of 300 to 500 yards as a warning or deterrent weapon. LRAD's are used by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard to warn off approaching vessels, and the weapon has been tested in Iraq in various capacities.

From Christian Science Monitor:

Armed guards on the Maersk Alabama helped repel Wednesday's attack by pirates. An array of nonlethal weapons – from acoustic devices to a system that fires nets or even golf balls – is coming onto the market.

London - Got "stingers" or laser guns on your ship?

While armed guards have been credited with repelling today's Somali pirate attack on the US-flagged Maersk Alabama, a separate industry based on the development of nonlethal weaponry to protect ships is booming.

BCB International, a British firm, has developed a pirate-busting "stinger," a device designed to stop attackers by tangling their propeller up in ropes.

In a demonstration last week off England's south coast, the company showed how the device can be fired at short notice into the path of pirate skiffs.

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My Comment: Armed guards with machine guns is the best guarantee to not be boarded by pirates .... acoustic weapons, propeller nets, water canons .... these are all gimmicks.

The British Navy Is Not What It Use To Be

Paul Chandler and his wife Rachel: a British ship was yards away
as they were taken hostage by pirates Photo: AFP

Royal Navy Watched Helpless As Pirates Kidnapped Yacht Couple Paul And Rachel Chandler -- The Telegraph

The crew of a Royal Navy vessel watched helplessly as a British yachting couple were taken hostage by Somali pirates just yards away from them, it has emerged.

The 100-strong crew of the RFA Wave Knight were under orders not to open fire as Paul and Rachel Chandler, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were taken from their yacht for fear that the couple could be executed by the pirates.

With the nearest warship, HMS Cumberland, two hours away, the lightly armed Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, which was carrying a helicopter crew and 75 merchant seamen, was forced to play a high stakes waiting game, the Royal Navy said.

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More News On The Kidnapping Of A British Couple While The Royal Navy Watched

Royal Navy witnessed Somali pirates kidnap British couple -- The Independent
MoD vessel 'watched yacht hijack' -- BBC
UK navy ship watched as pirates took 2 Britons -- AP
Royal Navy failed to open fire as pirates seized Britons -- Times Online
Navy 'looked on helpless as pirates took Brits -- The Sun

How To Fend Off A Pirate Attack

Suspected pirates arrested by the US navy in the Gulf of Aden on 11 February 2009
(Photo: Reuters)

From CNN:

London, England (CNN) -- Sailors who've been hijacked often say they never saw the pirates coming.

That's because pirates like to strike at dawn and dusk, when the light is lowest, sneaking up on ships in small skiffs at great speed.

"Sometimes it's not until the pirates have come over the helm that people realize they're under attack," Royal Navy Cmdr. John Harbour told CNN. Harbour is with the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) that monitors the Horn of Africa.

"They often fire a Kalashnikov into the bridge [of the ship] to scare the crew. Sometimes they will go further and fire rocket-propelled grenades.

"Once they think the crew have their heads down, they will throw grappling hooks over the ledge with ropes and ladders to climb on board," he said.

The very first piece of advice we give is to keep a good look out."

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My Comment: One day something terrible is going to happen, and these silly rules of conduct and how to respond to pirate attacks will change completely.

'Lost' Cargo Ship Arctic Sea Gives Up Its Secrets

The Arctic Sea

From Times Online:

The crew at the centre of the hijacked cargo vessel tell of their ordeal for the first time.

It had been an uneventful night for the Russian sailor steering the cargo ship Arctic Sea across the Baltic when, at 2.10am, he was confronted by eight masked men. Armed with AK-47 assault rifles and handguns, they forced him into the vessel’s living quarters. They swiftly tied up the rest of the crew in their cabins.

Speaking English, the gunmen claimed to be Swedish drugs squad officers acting on a tip-off that the ship was smuggling heroin. One had “Polis” on his uniform. Their accents, however, were east European.

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My Comment: Another mystery "solved".

Russia Unloads 'Piracy' Evidence From Arctic Sea

A partial map of Europe and Africa showing route of the missing cargo ship, Arctic Sea

From AFP:

MOSCOW — Russia on Friday unloaded evidence from the Arctic Sea ship onto a Russian warship, as mystery still surrounded the identity of its cargo one month after it was recovered from alleged pirates.

Russian investigators said evidence, including arms and masks which showed the vessel was prey to piracy, was now on its way to Russia for use in a trial against the suspected hijackers.

"The evidence will be delivered to a Russian port, where the warship Ladny and its escorting vessels will dock," the investigative committee said in a statement posted on its website.

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More News On The Arctic Sea

Russia finds no secret cargo on Arctic Sea - report -- Reuters
Russian prosecutors: No suspicious materials found on Arctic Sea -- Jerusalem Post
Russian investigators say no compromising cargo on board Arctic Sea -- RIA Novosti

My Comment: The message from the Russians is obvious .... nothing here to see .... move on.