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Just over a year since the launch of the Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suppression of Piracy, the fight against piracy in the region seems to be progressing well. Here are some of the developments seen over the past 12 months.
States in the Gulf of Guinea region must take responsibility and step-up prosecution efforts when pirates are apprehended by international navies, following the release of three suspected pirates held in custody on board Danish frigate Esbern Snare.
Ships operating in the Gulf of Guinea can benefit studying the new website run by the UK/French security reporting centre MDAT-GoG (Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade for the Gulf of Guinea). It is also highly recommended to report ship's movements, suspicious observations and security incidents immediately as they occur.
The Chairpersons of the Round Table of international shipping associations (RT) met in Rome in February to discuss current issues including piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
International support for anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea by non-regional navies is growing. BIMCO strongly supports the efforts and is committed to stimulating discussions and finding solutions to repress piracy in the region. A recent plenary meeting saw support from many nations in the region and beyond.
Following the incident in the Gulf of Guinea on 24 November involving the Danish frigate Esbern Snare and a suspected pirate vessel, BIMCO calls on all naval forces in the area to further increase the pressure on piracy groups and hopes a continued naval presence will act as a deterrent.
London: Friday, 7 June 2019. Members of the shipping community, Flag States and Agencies from Gulf of Guinea gathered at the Headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for a day-long symposium on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea. The event, co-sponsored by BIMCO, IMCA, ICS, ITF and OCIMF, featured speakers from regional maritime agencies as well as shipping officials, academics and military staff. The shipping industry, along with seafarer groups, organized the event to highlight the continuing danger to seafarers operating in the Gulf of Guinea.
Watch a recording of the webinar held on 14 December.
In response to growing concerns and increasing attacks in the region, a taskforce of stakeholders from across the shipping industry drafted the Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suppression of Piracy.
Historically, piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea see a spike during the dry season which normally lasts from October/November to March/April. What is different this year is that Nigeria has launched a comprehensive set of anti-piracy capabilities and at least two international navies will have very capable warships equipped with helicopters on anti-piracy missions in the area too. In parallel with the number of signatories to the Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suppression of Piracy steadily growing, a rising number of stakeholders are calling for action. The coming of this year’s dry season could potentially be a defining moment, but it is too early to rest on our laurels, says BIMCO’s Head of Maritime Safety & Security, Jakob P. Larsen.
