Piracy
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An old problem is making new
headlines in the Maritime
community worldwide.
It's piracy.
With the increased
use of mother ships,
pirates now have a platform
for staging their attacks
over a dramatically
extended range.
You never realize how vulnerable
you are as a merchant mariner
until the attack comes
to the vessel you're on
An alarming increase
in ship attacks
requires ever greater
preparation, diligence,
training, and proper
procedures to assure the safety
of ships' crews and cargoes.
Welcome to our
program on piracy.
Piracy describes acts of
hostage taking, hijacking,
armed robbery, or other
malicious accidents
ships and crews,
in port or at sea,
in local or
international waters.
The IMO has defined a
high-risk area for piracy
based on where most Somali-based
pirate activity and attacks
have taken place.
Somali-based pirates have
been known to conduct attacks
throughout this area leading
to the drafting of a set of IMO
standards known as the
best management practices.
These standards can help ships
avoid, deter, or delay piracy
attacks in the affected areas.
To help you better understand
the best management
practices, in this
program, we'll
point out five key
vulnerabilities
that can increase
the threat of piracy.
We'll introduce the
preparations and training
needed to reduce the threat.
We'll look specifically at
precautions ships should
take when entering
high-risk areas
and we'll outline
response measures
if an attack is imminent or if
pirates have boarded your ship.
Piracy can occur at any
time, not just at sea.
The armed robbery that
I experienced firsthand
several years ago
occurred at a dock.
And we'll get expert
advice and commentary
from master mariner
Captain Kelly
Sweeney, whose ship survived a
piracy attack in the Dominican
Republic.
And so I don't
believe that you have
to be any less vigilant just
because you're at the dock.
In some ways you have
to be more vigilant.
Recently, pirate activity
has increased dramatically
and the toll on ships'
personnel have been horrifying.
Over 800 crew members were
taken hostage, 11 crew members
killed, and 21 missing
and presumed dead.
Especially in areas that
are high risk for piracy,
a ship and its crew can
increase their chances
by making themselves
less vulnerable.
There are at least five
key vulnerabilities
that can increase your risk.
Ships are more vulnerable to
pirates at a low speed, less
than 15 knots.
Pirates will look for a low free
board for easier boarding, 8
meters or less.
A low sea state
heightens vulnerability.
Calm water allows pirates access
that heightened sea states.
Ships are made more vulnerable
through inadequate planning
procedures and
training, and pirates
will be encouraged by a
visibly low state of alert
and slow or confuse responses.
The "Ship Security
Plan" can help
you prepare for prevent
piracy in a high-risk area.
It should spell out
in detail the steps
you need to take to
prevent piracy well
before any threat or attack.
Your ship security
plan should be
adapted to the particulars,
your own ship, crew,
and course of transit.
Every ship is
different and I think
it's essential that the ship's
crew and the ship's officers
have an input in the development
of that plan in accordance
with regulations.
Ships should be prepared before
entering a high-risk area--
notifying international
agencies of transit plans,
using recognized
transit corridors,
planning night
travel, if possible,
checking equipment and
provisions, and of course,
continuing to conduct
regular drills and training.
Conducting drills,
piracy drills,
is part of life at sea today.
And the crew from the master
on down to the galley attendant
have to take those seriously.
Because this is a real
threat and when it happens,
there's not going to be a
lot of time to think twice
or to make a plan then.
You have to be
ready and the plan
has to be able to be implemented
at a moment's notice.
Your ship security
plan should also
specify potential
defensive measures,
such as readying fire pumps and
fire hoses to deter invaders.
Use your training
and drilling time
to double check
all equipment that
might be employed to discourage
or fend off a piracy attempt.
Every ship will prepare
for piracy in its own way
and that may include one
or more new technologies
and specialized equipment.
Night vision equipment
can allow the lookouts
to see a possible attack
during hours of darkness.
Long-range acoustic devices
direct high-intensity sound
at pirates and have
been proved effective.
Water cannons are
more than fire hoses.
They're remotely controlled
high-pressure water nozzles
and can fend off small boats.
More traditional
security equipment
can also be used
to prevent attacks.
Consider anti-piracy razor
wire and hoistable spikes
which can be installed before
a ship enters high-risk areas
and dismantled afterwards.
Tear gas can also deter pirates
from coming aboard a ship.
Think about tools or
machinery that might be
used by a pirate as a weapon.
Then if you're entering
a high-risk area,
secure those potential
weapons in a safe area
out of harm's way.
A well prepared and
trained ship and crew
takes further precautions
when actually entering an area
at high risk for piracy.
These may include raising
the Maritime security level
and implementing
heightened security.
Take additional precautions.
Lock doors to restricted
and accommodation
areas, station additional
lookouts for each watch,
and post these
additional lookouts
so they maintain a
360-degree coverage,
minimize on-deck work, and
maintain full sea speed,
if possible.
Additionally, more
and more ships
are choosing to employ armed
guards in the high-risk areas,
especially large vessels
traveling with valuable cargo.
In some flag states, laws
regarding the embarkation
of firearms and other security
related weapons are not always
clearly defined.
Vessel operators must be
sure to check local rules
and regulations as they
differ between flag states.
The very best defense
against piracy
is prevention, not allowing them
the opportunity or the access
in the first place.
If that fails, you must rely on
sound procedures and training.
If a pirate attack is
imminent, do everything
possible to prevent the
pirates from boarded,
but if pirates do board
your ship, be submissive.
Protect your life and the
lives of all the crew.
When attack is imminent,
the ship's master
will sound the ship's alarm.
Give immediate notification
to all appropriate agencies
and company personnel,
activate all defensive systems,
and maximize the ship's speed.
Take defensive measures spelled
out in your security plan.
Here are some
recommended responses.
If under attack, lock all
doors to all restricted areas.
Issue flashlights and
radios to crew members
to ensure good communication.
Leave all alarm systems
on and operational.
Use evasive maneuvering.
The bow wave and stern wash
may deter or swamp small boats.
Activate fire pumps and used
previously-affixed fire hose
nozzles to repel boarders
with a strong spray.
And take measures
to protect the crew
in a specially designated piracy
muster station, often called
a citadel.
There should be a safe
area that's designated
and that everybody is aware of.
It could be locked
from the inside
and it has provisions
and facilities
that could accommodate
the crew there
for an extended period of time.
This safe haven or
citadel allows the crew
to isolate itself
from the pirates
and to hold out in
a protected area.
If emergency notifications
have been made
and you're well provisioned and
prepared, time is on your side.
Make sure you have
adequate plans for escaping
the citadel in case of
emergency and maintain
tight control over access to
all locked and secured areas.
The keys should be in the
control of a senior officer.
And if there is a common area
where keys are normally held,
they should be taken away and
put in a secure area where
a pirate or some armed robber
who's boarded the vessel cannot
access them.
If pirates have succeeded
in boarding our ship,
try to stay calm.
If possible, notify authorities
and shore side personnel,
be submissive and cooperative
with your attackers,
and wait for instructions.
An attack by pirates is
not a time to be a hero.
Be calm, respond, and cooperate.
Do not antagonize
your attackers.
Be alert for communications from
the captain and other officers.
This may include
shutting down parts
of the ship and other
passive defensive measures.
A well prepared and trained
crew is the best defense
against pirates
and armed robbers.
Your responses should be
well rehearsed and automatic.
Continually update your
"Ship Security Plan"
to respond to the most current
threats and for best practices
in defense and in survival.