naturalfeature:gulf of guinea

BIMCO Calls on EU, China and U.S. to Support Counter-Piracy Ops in Gulf of Guinea – gCaptain
▻https://gcaptain.com/bimco-calls-on-eu-china-and-u-s-to-support-counter-piracy-ops-in-gulf-of-g

https://gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/20130301_FS-Courbet-escorts-the-World-Food-Programme-ship_EU-U-1024x678.jpg

The EU, China, and the U.S. need to step up their support of counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea amid a scourge of attacks and kidnappings in the region, international shipping association BIMCO said Wednesday.

Around 40 ships have been attacked in the Gulf of Guinea in the past 12 months. Most recently, six seafarers were kidnapped from the MSC Mandy, which was on the way to Lagos, Nigeria.

BIMCO called piracy in the Gulf of Guinea an unacceptable burden to seafarers and shipping companies, BIMCO said in a press release. For this reason, BIMCO is asking on behalf of its members that maritime powers increase their presence and expand their collaboration with local states to curb piracy.

“We look towards the EU, China and the United States to join forces and deploy naval capacity in the Gulf of Guinea to end this constant threat to seafarers,“ Jakob P. Larsen, BIMCO Head of Maritime Security, says.

In the 2013 Yaoundé Code of Conduct, states in the Gulf of Guinea recognized that piracy constituted an issue and initiated several initiatives to strengthen maritime security. The Yaoundé Code of Conduct was inspired by the United Nations’ Security Council Resolution 2018 (2011) and 2039 (2012) and contains several initiatives to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

IMB Report Shows Persistent Piracy and Kidnapping Risk in Gulf of Guinea – gCaptain
▻http://gcaptain.com/imb-report-shows-persistent-piracy-and-kidnapping-risk-in-gulf-of-guinea

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All crew kidnappings reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre during the first six months of 2018 occurred in the Gulf of Guinea in six separate incidents, highlighting the persistent risk of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships in the region, the IMB said in its 2018 first-half report.
►https://www.icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/request-piracy-report

A total of 107 incidents were reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre from January through June of this year.

Maritime #Piracy Down in 2017 (and Other Key Takeaways From IMB’s Latest Piracy Report) – gCaptain
▻http://gcaptain.com/maritime-piracy-down-in-2017-and-other-key-takeaways-from-imbs-latest-pira

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Global maritime piracy has so far declined in 2017 compared to 2016 with a total of 121 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships reported in the first nine months of this year, according to the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (#IMB) latest quarterly report on maritime piracy.

The flagship global report notes that, while piracy rates were down compared to the same period in 2016, there is continuing concern over attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and in South East Asia. The increase in attacks off the coast of Venezuela and other security incidents against vessels off Libya – including an attempted boarding in the last quarter – highlights the need for vigilance in other areas. In total, 92 vessels were boarded, 13 were fired upon, there were 11 attempted attacks and five vessels were hijacked in the first nine months of 2017.

Résumé en 4 points (3 premiers trimestres 2017)
►https://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php/1237-4-takeaways-from-the-imb-s-latest-global-piracy-report

1. Malaysia’s success story
2. Nigeria remains risky
3. An uptick in violence off Venezuela
4. Tackling piracy is a team effort

rapport de l’IMB sur la #piraterie (sur demande)
►https://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php/1237-4-takeaways-from-the-imb-s-latest-global-piracy-report

Piracy Situation Still Serious In The Gulf Of Guinea
▻http://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/piracy-situation-still-serious-gulf-guinea

http://www.marineinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/piracy.jpg

European shipowners are concerned about the continued piracy, armed robbery attacks and kidnapping for ransom events in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), and particularly off Nigeria.

According to the latest International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy report in total 33 vessels were boarded and four fired upon in the first three months of 2017 worldwide. During the same period, of the 27 seafarers kidnapped for ransom, 63% were in the Gulf of Guinea.

#piraterie_maritime #golfe_de_guinée

Abandoned Tanker Mysteriously Washes Ashore in Liberia - gCaptain
▻https://gcaptain.com/abandoned-tanker-mysteriously-washes-ashore-in-liberia

https://i2.wp.com/gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Tamaya-2.jpg

An abandoned oil tanker has mysteriously washed ashore in Liberia leaving officials scratching their heads as to how it got there and what exactly happened to its crew.

According to local reports the vessel emblazoned with the name Tamaya 1 was discovered washed up on a beach in Robertsport, Liberia on Wednesday with no sign of any crew. 

AIS data from MarineTraffic.com shows the Tamaya 1 is a 63-meter oil products tanker flagged in Panama. It’s last known position was recorded back on April 22 as the ship was steaming southward at just .7 knots after leaving the port of Dakar in Senegal.

Speculation over the ship has ranged from abandonment to piracy, although the vessel’s last known position was well north of active Gulf of Guinea pirate groups who typically stick to the waters off Nigeria.

Adding to the confusion, the Liberian government is being slammed in the media for being unaware of the ship until two days after it washed ashore, sparking criticism over safety and security in Liberian waters. Other reports have said that a fire was discovered in captain’s quarters.

Violent Pirate Attacks Increase in Gulf of Guinea Despite Global Downturn, IMB Says - gCaptain
▻https://gcaptain.com/violent-pirate-attacks-increase-in-gulf-of-guinea-despite-global-downturn-

While piracy on the high seas continues to fall across most of the globe, International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Center is highlight growing threat of violent attacks in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa, where 44 seafarers have been captured so far this year.

Worldwide, just 37 piracy and armed robbery incidents were recorder in the three months of 2016, down from 54 in the same period last year, the IMB said in it’s first quarter report. Three vessels were hijacked and 29 boarded, with 26 crew kidnapped for ransom and a further 28 held hostage.

The Gulf of Guinea dominates world piracy in terms of numbers and severity, with the waters off Nigeria and Ivory Coast accounting for two of the three hijackings recorded globally, and all 28 hostages. From January to March, the region saw 16 crew kidnapped from chemical and product tankers in four separate incidents. While ten attacks were reported off Nigeria alone, all involving guns.

“Reports in the last quarter indicate unacceptable violence against ships and crews in the Gulf of Guinea, particularly around Nigeria. The current increase in kidnappings is a cause for great concern,” said Pottengal Mukundan, Director of IMB, who has monitored world piracy since 1991.

#piraterie #Golfe_de_Guinée

United Nations News Centre - Security Council urges stronger regional approach on eradicating piracy in Gulf of Guinea
▻http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53779

United Nations officials today reiterated a call for a comprehensive regional framework to eradicate piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, with the Security Council stressing the importance of addressing underlying causes and strengthening justice systems and judicial cooperation in the region.

“The Security Council remains deeply concerned about the threat that piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea pose to international navigation, the security and economic development of States in the region, to the safety and welfare of seafarers and other persons, as well as the safety of commercial maritime routes,” the 15-member body said in a presidential statement adopted today.

Le presidential statement
▻http://www.franceonu.org/Presidential-Statement-Piracy-and-armed-robbery-at-sea

Piracy in Gulf of Guinea Surges in First Three Months of 2016, Dryad Says - gCaptain
▻https://gcaptain.com/piracy-in-gulf-of-guinea-surges-in-first-three-months-of-2016-dryad-says

Despite a global reduction of piracy across international waters during the first three months of 2016, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, including kidnappings for ransom and sabotage, has surged, according to Dryad Maritime’s Q1 2016 analysis of reported incidents of piracy and crime against mariners.

In South East Asia there has been a 50% drop in reported maritime crime compared to the same period in 2015; the lowest figures recorded by Dryad in 10 years. Similarly, the end of Q1 2016 represents the longest period without attacks on MVs underway or at anchor within the Singapore Strait since Q1 2013. Somali piracy continues to be broadly contained with no confirmed attacks on large merchant vessels since January 2014, despite some views that the pirates continue to ‘probe.’

BOURBON’s Two Crew Members Kidnapped off Nigeria | World Maritime News
▻https://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/183926/bourbons-two-crew-members-kidnapped-off-nigeria

“BOURBON confirms that one of its vessels, the Bourbon Liberty 251, was the object of an attack. Two crew members of Nigerian and Russian nationalities are considered as abducted,” the company said in a statement.

The ten other crew members are back on board the vessel in Onne port, safe and sound, the statement reads.

The French offshore vessel supplier said that an emergency cell has immediately been set up. There was no further information disclosed on the attack or potential request for ransom.

The attack comes in less then a year when three BOURBON’s crew members of Nigerian nationality were kidnapped when the company’s crew boat, the Surfer 1440, was boarded off the Nigerian coast in April 2015. The crew was released on May 8th, however BOURBON did not reveal the terms of their release.

The recent period has seen a considerable rise in attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, with Nigerian pirates resorting to kidnappings more frequently as they abandon oil cargo theft as less lucrative trade.

Mapped: The sensitivity of the world’s ecosystems to climate - Carbon Brief
▻http://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-the-sensitivity-of-the-worlds-ecosystems-to-climate

Research out today, published in Nature, maps how sensitive these different types of vegetation are to the ups and downs of the climate from one year to the next.

The map below illustrates the study’s new “vegetation sensitivity index”, which indicates to what extent plant growth is affected by fluctuations in the climate. Ecosystems that are most sensitive to climate variability are shaded red, while those with low sensitivity are shaded green.

You can see there are highly sensitive regions around the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, along the mid-to-high latitudes of the northern hemisphere, in the tropical forests of South America, and along the eastern side of Australia.

http://www.carbonbrief.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Seddon-et-al.-2016-Fig1.png

▻http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature16986.html
#climat #écosystèmes #végétation #cartographie

Murder at Sea: Captured on Video, but Killers Go Free - The New York Times
▻http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/20/world/middleeast/murder-at-sea-captured-on-video-but-killers-go-free.html

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The oceans, plied by more ships than ever before, are also more armed and dangerous than any time since World War II, naval historians say. Thousands of seamen every year are victims of violence, with hundreds killed, according to maritime security officials, insurers and naval researchers. Last year in three regions alone — the western Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa — more than 5,200 seafarers were attacked by pirates and robbers and more than 500 were taken hostage, a database built by The New York Times shows.

Many merchant vessels hired private security starting in 2008 as pirates began operating across larger expanses of the ocean, outstripping governments’ policing capacities. Guns and guards at sea are now so ubiquitous that a niche industry of floating armories has emerged. The vessels — part storage depot, part bunkhouse — are positioned in high-risk areas of international waters and house hundreds of assault rifles, small arms and ammunition. Guards on board wait, sometimes for months in decrepit conditions, for their next deployment.

(...)

Radar advancements and the increased use of so-called fish-aggregating devices — floating objects that attract schools of fish — have heightened tensions as fishermen are more prone to crowd the same spots. “Catches shrink, tempers fray, fighting starts,” Mr. Southwick said. “Murder on these boats is relatively common.”

#mer #piraterie #pêche #meurtres

et des photos des #armureries_flottantes (#arsenaux_flottants en bon français)

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/07/08/world/OCEANS-VIOLENCE-02/OCEANS-VIOLENCE-02-master1050.jpg

Discerning threats is difficult. Semiautomatic weapons, formerly a pirates’ telltale sign, are now found on virtually all boats traversing dangerous waters, they said. Smugglers, with no intention of attacking, routinely nestle close to larger merchant ships to hide in their radar shadow and avoid being detected by coastal authorities. Fishing boats also sometimes tuck behind larger ships because they churn up sea-bottom sediment that attracts fish.

Challenging the Myths of Pirate Violence - Dirk Steffen (maritime global news)
▻http://maritimeglobalnews.com/news/challenging-myths-pirate-violence-b6rbdg

Like most forms of maritime “piracy” (which often technically do not even qualify as piracy under the UNCLOS definition) Bangladeshi piracy is an acknowledged local phenomenon that primarily affects locals and local or regional economic interests. (...) whenever a region grabs the headlines for pirate attacks, we read bizarre news about “the world’s most violent pirates”, but only when their attacks cause casualties amongst the crews of internationally-trading vessels. *Some of this has a whiff of *fear-mongering about it and generally leaves seafarers confused and frightened about the nature of the piracy threats in the various parts of the world. This is not to say that those casualties reported are not a cause for concern, but what appears to be lacking is a discussion informed by the most basic analysis of the facts. For starters, violence levels in piracy worldwide would appear to be much higher than what is commonly circulated.

(...) This is true for Somalia, where many of the original pirates were involved in criminal activity against Somali and Yemeni fishing vessels. It is also true for the Gulf of Guinea, where the same Niger Delta youths who prey on inshore traffic and kidnap oil workers are also hired by organised criminals to hijack tankers. Finally, in South East Asia, local criminals (including active or former military personnel) form the operational nucleus for many of the maritime scams including tug-jacking and product theft.

(...) Fear-mongering and perpetuation of unfounded myths are unhelpful in alleviating anxieties amongst seafarers and in preparing them for dealing with the problem.

The Author

▻http://www.riskintelligence.eu/dyn/images/normal_items/thumb/51-image.jpg.jpg?cache=1378373721

Dirk Steffen is the Director Maritime Security for Risk Intelligence. He has been covering the Gulf of Guinea as a maritime security consultant and analyst since 2004.
▻http://www.riskintelligence.eu

#piraterie #violence #inégalités #médias #peur (lire tout le papier !)