In an interview with the newspaper VG, Department Director Arild Wegener says the following regarding the recent piracy activity outside Madagascar: 'This confirms a tendency showing that pirates now operate in a wider area and that they have moved both farther south and farther east'.
Expects the piracy activity to increase
Comments from Hans Christian Seim, Director Offshore Energy & Special Risks, Norwegian Hull Club:
'We can't do anything but join the Association in their observations and worries and conclude that as long as the sanctions for committing this type of activity is not of a more serious character; we will probably see a constant if not increased activity expanding both in geographical circumference and in number of attacks. This happens despite the enormous resources the world community today uses on military presence to provide protection for crew and vessels during the voyage through Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
According to our resources it has also lately been registered attacks aimed at land based aid stations'.
Best Management Practice
A document - called Best Management Practice v2 - has been drawn up. It gives ship and organisation an extensive introduction to preventive measures. You can find the document on our web site, and we recommend all our customers and members to read it through carefully if you plan a transit voyage in these areas.
Last week the vessel "UBT Ocean" was boarded by pirates. Up till now - according to Wegener of the Shipowners' Association - the pirates kept themselves solely to the areas around Gulf of Aden. Now they have extended their operation radius radically.
'This is a development that worries us', Wegener told VG's net edition.
"UBT Ocean" came from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and was on its way to Dar-Es-Salaam in Tanzania.
The hijacked vessel is a tanker of 117 meters and has a gross tonnage of 6149.
Read more:
Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia
