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DRYADMARITIME
SPECIAL REPORT:
MARITIME CRIMEFIGURES FOR 2015
18Indian OceanRegion (IOR)
49
236Southeast Asia
(SEA)
50Rest Of World
Gulf of Guinea(GoG)
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INTRODUCTION
The media focus of maritime security shifted again in 2015 from West Africa towards Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean.
Continued increases in reported incidents of maritime crime, and considerable geopolitical unrest, have had a large effect upon
maritime trade and operations. The picture is not one of complete gloom however, with international recognition of a reduction in
piracy in the Indian Ocean and a marked increase in the quality of incident reporting throughout the rest of the world.
Dryad’s 2014 figures highlighted a drop in offshore maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea, and this has followed again in 2015
with the number of reported incidents dropping by 29% when compared to 2014. This drop in reported incidents also saw an
unprecedented 5 month break in piracy. However, it is not a time to be complacent, and the risk of kidnap remains a concern for
crew of vessels operating off Nigeria with the overall figures for the number of crew kidnapped actually surpassing 2014’s records.
The Somali pirate threat in the Indian Ocean remains broadly contained with no confirmed attacks of merchant ships, although
the hijack/detention of 3 Iranian fishing vessels gives some cause for concern. The pragmatic decision to reduce the BIMCO-
sponsored High Risk Area (HRA) is a recognition not only of this year’s crime statistics, but also of the continued decline in pirate
activity over the course of the last 3 years. The war in Yemen has so far had minimal effect on the transit of shipping through the
area, although the Saudi led coalition’s closure of the country’s ports has contributed to a humanitarian crisis ashore. The recent
increase in hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran has the potential to add to the volatile geopolitical situation in the Gulf region.
Southeast Asia saw a 10% rise in maritime crime from 2014, continuing year on year trends, but this could have been larger were it
not for the success of the various maritime authorities lead in arresting maritime criminals. The final quarter of the year saw a more
proactive and effective approach to law enforcement, in particular from the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities, resulting in a
welcome drop in crime levels. In this case, it appears that the focus of wider media and industry pressure has had a positive effect
on the region’s overall approach.
Looking at the rest of the world, 2015 saw an increase in levels of maritime crime. This may not point towards a real terms increase
though, as the quality of reporting continues to increase in multiple regions. A large portion of the incidents reported have occurred
in the Caribbean, Central and South America, but there has been an unusual recurrence of reports coming from the Tianjin area of
China.
Finally, the Mediterranean has become the area of most concern, due to the continued civil war in Libya and the expansion of the
Islamic State terrorist organisation both there and in the Sinai. Thankfully, attacks ashore, like those seen in Tunisia, have not been
mirrored with incidents at sea. Despite this, the unprecedented flow of desperate people, fleeing across the sea to Europe, has
meant that the ongoing crises and instability across North Africa and the Middle East have had a significant impact upon maritime
activities.
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2015 Maritime crime in Gulf of Guinea (GoG)In total, 2015 saw at least 37 crew kidnapped for ransom in
9 separate incidents off the Niger Delta. This compares with
14 incidents of similar attacks in the area in the previous year,
which resulted in the kidnapping of at least 34 crew members.
The number of crew taken during 2015 is on a par with 2014,
albeit from 5 fewer attacks. The majority of governments have
adopted a policy of non-financial negotiation with kidnappers,
whatever their cause or geographical location, and this
includes those active in the Gulf of Guinea. However, shipping
companies understandably have little option but to pay the
ransoms to secure the release of their mariners. Unfortunately,
this only acts as further encouragement for armed gangs
based in the Niger Delta.
The main target for kidnap is western crew, usually the
Master and Chief Engineer, due to the higher ransom that
the pirates can demand. West African crew may only fetch
several thousand pounds, whilst the criminals hold European
crew until a ransom of over $100,000 USD per man is paid.
The three crew, two Greek and one Pakistani, taken from
MT Kalamos in February this year were only released once
a $400,000 USD ransom payment was made. Nigerian
pirates have also kidnapped Polish, Lithuanian and Russian
crewmembers in recent weeks in this area.
The overall drop in the number of offshore attacks
compared to 2014 was due to an unprecedented five-month
period, from May to October of 2015, where no criminal
attacks occurred at sea in the Gulf of Guinea. The start
of this hiatus coincided with the inauguration of Nigerian
President Muhammadu Buhari, having ousted former
President Goodluck Johnathan in the national elections.
Some commentators believed that Buhari’s influence was
responsible for the almost complete cessation of attacks off
Nigeria’s coastline during that five month period. In reality
GULF OF GUINEADryad reported 49 incidents in the Gulf of Guinea during 2015, these include cases ranging from petty
theft to kidnapping and a single event of hijack for cargo theft. This compares to 69 incidents during the
previous year, a drop of 29%. After the five month break in piracy, kidnapping of crew offshore of the Niger
Delta recommenced when armed gangs took 11 crew members in October and November in 3 separate
incidents. Kidnap remains the most serious threat to mariners in the Gulf of Guinea, and further similar
attacks will almost certainly occur in 2016.
though, it seems that a more proactive and visual presence that
was being conducted by the Nigerian Navy off the Niger Delta,
assisted by new ships commissioned long before Buhari came
to power, is more likely to account for the prolonged break in
maritime crime.
0
5
10
15
20
AttackHijack Robbery Boarding AttemptedBoarding
SuspiciousApproach*
* High levels of inaccurate reporting make the exact number of suspicious approaches unreliable.
The overall drop in the number of
offshore attacks compared to 2014 was
due to an unprecedented five-month
period, from May to October of 2015,
where no criminal attacks occurred at
sea in the Gulf of Guinea.
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In previous years, heavily armed criminal syndicates have
conducted the hijacking of larger vessels hundreds of miles
from the Nigerian coastline, before sailing them back to the
Nigerian exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and transferring the
cargo onto illegal offload tankers; in 2014 MT Kerala was
hijacked in Angola, and MT’s Fair Artemis and Haisoon 6
were taken from Ghanaian waters. One possible explanation
for this decline in cargo theft, from the 7 reported attacks
in 2012, is the reduced financial rewards available from
black market oil due to the decline in the global price of oil.
Nonetheless, as with any potential for maritime crime in the
region, operators of product tankers should not become
complacent to the risk of further attacks.
Robbery of vessels alongside or at anchor in West African
ports continues. Fortunately, despite nearly all incidents
occurring overnight, the vigilance of lookouts on board the
vessels targeted has forced most opportunist thieves to abort
their raids. Mariners are reminded that these criminals, whilst
intent only on relatively petty theft, are often armed with
knives and should not be physically confronted if they make it
on board.
Looking ahead at 2016, thieves will almost certainly
continue to board and rob vessels on an opportunistic
basis throughout West Africa, and make the most of dark,
moonless nights and lax on board security. It is possible
that hijack for cargo theft will again increase as the country
adjusts to the lower price of fuel, but these will most likely be
in small numbers, as seen in 2015. Dryad also anticipates a
continuation of the level of kidnap off Nigeria; it is endemic
ashore and the offshore attacks are just a continuation of this
crime on land. The main indicator of changes in the maritime
security off Nigeria will be the reaction of the Niger Delta
militants to the continued presidency of Buhari, and his efforts
to balance their requirements for the development of the area
alongside maintaining Nigeria’s political integration.
The number of incidents of hijack for cargo theft also dropped
during 2015. Whilst smaller vessels and barges are taken from
within Nigeria’s vast river networks for the same purpose,
there was just a single incident of this nature reported
offshore. The small tanker MT Mariam was taken off the
coast of Warri, Nigeria in early January 2015; the gang were
eventually intercepted by the Ghanaian navy and arrested.
SPECIAL REPORT: MARITIME CRIME FIGURES FOR 2015
The number of crew taken in in 2015 is on a par with 2014, albeit from 5 fewer attacks.
Dryad also anticipates a continuation
of the level of kidnap off Nigeria; it
is endemic ashore and the offshore
attacks are just a continuation of this
crime on land.
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2015 has seen an increase in reporting and subsequent
media attention to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)
fishing in the waters off Somalia. The Puntland Coastguard
has arrested several vessels in the Gulf of Aden. We have
also seen the illegal capture of three Iranian flagged dhows
in the Somali Basin, by Somali nationals. In March 2015,
Iranian dhows MSV Jaber and MSV Siraj were captured by
Somali fishermen off the coast of Hobyo, Somalia (MSV
Jaber escaped in August 2015). On 22 November, Iranian
fishing vessel MSV Muhammidi was taken in the Somali basin
southeast of Eyl and subsequently escaped on 28 November.
Technically, these three dhows were hijacked this year, and
a clamber to announce a return to piracy was made by a
few commentators. Dryad’s view is that while further attacks
on foreign fishing vessels operating in or near the claimed
Somalis EEZ are possible, a return to the industrial level of
piracy seen at the start of this decade is unlikely.
The most significant event of the year for shipping was the
announcement in October of a reduction of the High Risk
Area (HRA) inside of the UKMTO’s Voluntary Reporting Area
(VRA). This was followed by an announcement in December,
by Lloyds Joint Warfare Committee (JWC) of a reduction in
their area. This has been widely met with a positive reaction
from the majority of the shipping community. Both these
decisions reflect the reality of the current threat of Somali
piracy and allow seafarers to focus their efforts where the
threat may actually be, rather than in areas where it is not.
Dryad believes both areas could have been further reduced
based on recent analysis, but accepts that these new areas
are a pragmatic first step.
INDIAN OCEANThere have been no confirmed attacks on merchant vessels transiting the High Risk Area of the Indian
Ocean during 2015. Additionally, there have been no reports of naval forces disrupting Somali Pirate Action
Groups (PAGs) during 2015. The reporting of suspicious vessels and approaches to MVs has continued
throughout the year with a total of 45 advisories sent by UKMTO*. It should be noted that Dryad assess
that none of these events can be considered to be an act of piracy or an attempt at piracy.
Prior to these announcements, Dryad’s records show the last
confirmed piracy incident east of 065°East was in March 2012.
Reports of suspicious craft operating close to the coast of India
since then have been classified as encounters with the myriad
fishing vessels operating out of west coast Indian ports and
harbours. To the north, in the Gulf of Oman, the last confirmed
AttackHijack Robbery Boarding AttemptedBoarding
SuspiciousApproach*
* High levels of inaccurate reporting make the exact number of suspicious approaches unreliable.
0
3
6
9
12
15
2015 Maritime crime in Indian Ocean Region (IOR)
Dryad’s view is that while further attacks
on foreign fishing vessels operating
in or near the claimed Somalis EEZ
are possible, a return to the industrial
level of piracy seen at the start of this
decade is unlikely.
*UKMTO: UK Marine Trade Operations
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the civil war has proved to be a fertile breeding ground for
Yemen’s jihadist groups, including Al Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP), which has long had a strong base in
southeast Yemen and have taken control of the port city of Al
Mukalla and moved into the city of Aden. Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL) have emerged from the chaos and are
building a following.
piracy incident was in December 2012. Again, reports of
suspicious vessels following and approaching MVs have been
classified as either encounters with fishermen or smugglers.
Effective anti-piracy patrols by naval assets, the provision of
armed security guards, implementation of BMP4 measures
and the use of timely intelligence have contained the spread
of piracy in the Indian Ocean to the stage where we have not
seen a confirmed piracy attack on a merchant vessel more
than 12 NM from the coast of Somalia since January 2014.
However, risk has not been removed entirely from the area.
The region’s security in 2015 has been overshadowed by
the civil war in Yemen. President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi
and his government were chased from the country, with
the Houthi rebels taking control in Sana’a in January. The
country’s major ports were temporarily closed, and vital
supplies denied to not only the rebels but also the civilian
population. On 26 March, a Saudi led coalition of 10 Muslim
nations was established with the intentions of removing the
Houthi and re-establishing President Hadi. Early gains in the
south of the country, and a sustained bombing campaign,
have failed to dislodge the rebels and by the end of the year
a stalemate situation has occurred across large swathes
of central and western Yemen. Talks in December were
unsuccessful in finding any common ground and a temporary
ceasefire was violated daily. Unfortunately, the mayhem of
SPECIAL REPORT: MARITIME CRIME FIGURES FOR 2015
Dryad has seen the illegal capture of three Iranian dhows in the Somali Basin, by Somali nationals.
Effective anti-piracy patrols by
naval assets, the provision of armed
security guards, implementation of
BMP4 measures and the use of timely
intelligence have contained the spread
of piracy in the Indian Ocean.
With no clear sight of an end to the fighting and the political
dialogue stalled, there appears to be little chance of a
positive outcome in the year ahead. While Saudi Arabia and
Iran continue to back the opposing factions, and now the
sudden deterioration in the political domain between these
two sucking in other Gulf States, 2016 will prove to be a
pivotal year in the region. The possibility of the world’s major
international forces being drawn into the dispute is clear. If
this happens, the focus will quickly be removed from the fight
against piracy.
Unless there is a major game changer, the resumption of
industrial scale piracy in the HRA during 2016 is assessed
to be unlikely. As long as the coast of Somalia and the Gulf
of Aden continues to see an international effort to supress
piracy, the opportunities for any would be pirates are few and
fraught with danger. The illegal taking of three fishing vessels
off the east coast of Somalia during 2015 does show the
continued resentment local fishermen have towards boats
taking part in IUU fishing. This was the scenario which has
been blamed for the upsurge in piracy in the 1990s. However,
in the event of open hostilities been Saudi Arabian and Iran,
anti-piracy vessels may be redeployed thus opening the
Indian Ocean for a resumption of attacks on MVs.
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SOUTHEAST ASIA
The second half of 2014 saw an increase in robbery from
ships underway in the Singapore Strait, and an upsurge of
hijackings for the purpose of fuel theft from small, regional
product tankers. This trend continued into 2015 with tankers
boarded at a rate of almost two per month for the first six
months. At the same time, the boarding of vessels underway
in the Singapore Strait increased month on month with
criminals boarding multiple vessels on consecutive nights.
These two elements of piracy saw the region responsible for
more incidents than the rest of the world combined and hit
the headlines in the world’s media for the first time in over a
decade. This increased media attention eventually provoked
the Malaysian, and then Indonesian, governments to
announce increased initiatives to quell the rising tide in crime.
The first major breakthrough came with the arrest of the
hijackers of MT Orkim Harmony in June. This came after a
joint operation by forces from Australia, Malaysia and Vietnam
and led back to the gang boss and financier based in Jakarta.
Despite one further hijacking, that of MT Joaquim in the
Malacca Strait in August, hijacking and subsequent fuel theft
has effectively ceased in the South China Sea and Malacca
Strait.
2015 has once again seen an increase in overall levels of reported incidents across Southeast Asia, with a
10% rise when compared to 2014. Dryad’s figures show a total of 236 incidents, compared to 214 in the
previous year. The first three quarters of 2015 saw a marked increase in maritime crime and piracy in the
region in comparison with the same period of 2014. However, the final quarter saw crime levels fall back to
those of 2009, as a welcome result of arrests made by Malaysian and Indonesian authorities.
AttackHijack Robbery Boarding AttemptedBoarding
SuspiciousApproach*
* High levels of inaccurate reporting make the exact number of suspicious approaches unreliable.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2015 Maritime crime in Southeast Asia (SEA)
In total, Dryad recorded 106 reports of
incidents in the Singapore Strait during
2015, an increase of 72% from 2014.
Over 80% of these were in the eastern
bound section of the traffic separation
scheme.
The second significant event occurred on 22 October, when
a group of five criminals were arrested after the boarding of
MV Merlin in the Singapore Strait. This led to further arrests of
five more gang members on 11 November. Quite remarkably,
the arrest of these criminals has seen the complete cessation
of the boarding on vessels in the eastbound lane of the
Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) between Pulau Karimun
Kecil and Pulau Besar. It is unlikely that this single gang was
responsible for all the earlier attacks in the Strait, but the
authorities’ success has deterred others from attempting to
carry out the robberies. In total, Dryad recorded 106 reports
of incidents in the Singapore Strait during 2015, an increase
of 72% from 2014. Over 80% of these were in the eastern
bound section of the traffic separation scheme. To the east of
the Straits, the anchorages at the OPL have seen a significant
reduction in reported incidents, from 39 in 2014 to only 5 in
2015.
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The final success came in November when the Philippine
authorities, in cooperation with the Indonesian authorities,
captured the gang leader responsible for the hijack of
MV Rehobot, taken off North Sulawesi in January.
Throughout the wider area, the boarding and robbery from
vessels at anchor or alongside in ports continues with varying
degrees of success. Ports in Vietnam have seen the largest
increase in reported crime levels with 28 cases, up from just 8
during 2014, a 250% increase. The majority of these incidents
took place in the Vung Tau anchorages, 35 NM to the south of
Ho Chi Minh City.
Despite a reduction in incidents at Balikpapan and Jakarta,
reports of crime in the port of Belawan have risen from 9 to 16
in 2015. There has also been a reduction in reported incidents
at Chittagong, Bangladesh with 12 incidents in comparison
to 23 in 2014. However, there has been an increase in attacks
and kidnappings of fishermen in the Sundarbans areas with
more than 10 separate incidents reported, many of these
report multiple kidnappings.
In the Sulu archipelago, there have been a number of vessels
approached by armed men in small fast craft which, after
the ships’ Masters took anti-piracy measures, would retreat.
However, on 18 December, approximately 7 NM northwest of
Doc Can Island Philippines, armed personnel in a speedboat
fired upon bulk carrier MV Aqua Venture, after they failed in
a boarding attempt. Whilst the initial report describes the
personnel in the speedboat as robbers, it is unlikely that
SPECIAL REPORT: MARITIME CRIME FIGURES FOR 2015
those seeking to carry out a simple theft would open fire
on the vessel. These actions appear to be more indicative
of Islamist rebels, such as the Abu Sayyaf Group, intending
to kidnap crewmembers for ransom. Dryad anticipates
that further similar incidents in this area are possible in the
coming months, but they will probably be opportunistic in
nature and are unlikely to be frequent.
Looking forward to 2016, the hijacking of small regional
product tankers is unlikely to reach the levels experienced
during 2014/15, but there has been a trade in black market
fuel across Southeast Asia for many years. Despite the
closure of at least one syndicate in 2015, there are others
willing to carry out these hijackings and fuel thefts. Dryad
assesses sporadic attempts at fuel theft will continue, but
these will be isolated events.
Dryad expects the decline in boardings of vessels
underway within the Singapore Strait seen in the last three
months of 2015 to continue. The levels of theft from tugs
and barges will, however, remain stable as the personnel
responsible for this type of crime are not those involved
in the theft of stores from passing MVs. Opportunist theft
from vessels underway in the South China Sea, particularly
in the vicinity of the Anambas Island, will also continue.
Boardings and theft from vessels either at anchor or
alongside in the major ports around Southeast Asia is a
common occurrence and underreported. Inevitably, these
crimes take place during the hours of darkness. The
majority of these incidents are opportunistic in nature,
and the sight of upper deck patrols is normally enough to
deter would be thieves. Alert crew members and a sound
security plan are generally sufficient to prevent boarding
while in Southeast Asia.
Looking forward to 2016, the hijacking
of small regional product tankers is
unlikely to reach the levels experienced
during 2014/15.
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The European Union operation against human smugglers
and traffickers, along with the Italian Coastguard, assisted by
Frontex, continues in the Mediterranean in an attempt to stem
people smuggling to Southern and Eastern Europe. Focus
has shifted slightly from the Central Mediterranean to Greece
and Turkey and the EU has seen little evidence that Turkey
has managed to reduce departures of migrants for Greek
islands since it signed an agreement to do so; an average of
4000 people per day were still reported to be crossing from
Turkey to the Greek islands during December. The shorter
transits in the area mean there is a reduced opportunity for
shipping being called to support rescue attempts, unlike in
the central Mediterranean; however, even here ships’ voyages
are occasionally disrupted.
MEDITERRANEANDuring 2015, the Mediterranean has continued to be an area of ongoing concern to the shipping community
due to the action of Islamic State (IS) in Libya, as well as the ongoing migrant crisis. Events such as the
Bardo museum and Sousse beach attacks have brought security issues to wider media attention. The
Libyan Air Force bombing of ships at sea, as well as the terrorist attack on an Egyptian patrol boat off Rafah,
have influenced decision makers’ assessment of the security situation in the area. However, it is the mass
migration across the Mediterranean that seems to have had the most impact on ships transiting the region.
Shipping is often diverted away from operations in order to
assist with the flow of migrants in distress off the Libyan coast.
Commercial vessels transiting between the coasts of Libya
and Sicily must have a plan in place (MSC.1/Circ. 1447, IMO
guidelines for the development of plans and procedures for
recovery of persons from the water) to deal with interaction with
migrant vessels, which are often heavily overcrowded and sink
as rescue craft approach. During the winter months, traffickers
will wait for a break in the weather before sending hundreds,
sometimes thousands of people into the Mediterranean in
inadequate boats. Any improvement in winter weather will lead
to a spike in those attempting the perilous crossing.
A total of over 1 million maritime migrants managed to successfully enter Europe via Greek and Italian islands, or by being rescued in attempts to do so, during the last 12 months.
As 2015 came to a close, it was reported that nearly 3,800
migrants had died attempting to enter Europe by sea. Whilst
over 800 of those fatalities occurred in the Aegean Sea
between Turkey and Greece, the vast majority who died had
left Libyan shores before drowning. A total of over 1 million
maritime migrants managed to successfully enter Europe via
Greek and Italian islands, or by being rescued in attempts to
do so, during the last 12 months.
As we enter 2016, serious tension remains between Turkey
and Russia after Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian
warplane that was conducting bombing raids against militant
targets in Syria. Whilst movements of private and commercial
vessels through the Bosphorous continue unhindered, some
Russian commercial vessels have experienced delays as
Turkish authorities challenge them. The possibility that this
tension will boil over to hostilities at sea is unlikely. However,
as evidenced by the warning shots fired by a Russian warship
in the Aegean in December, a misunderstanding could
possibly result in further deterioration of the relationship.
Despite the signing of a United Nations plan to form
a Government of National Accord by the rival Libyan
governments in Morocco in December 2015, Libya remains
a long way from establishing a secure and safe security
environment and this will continue to affect adjacent nations.
The recent attack by IS militants on As Sidra oil terminal is
indicative of the current lack of co-ordinations in dealing with
this threat. Without military intervention, be it unilateral or
international, to push IS back from the area, further ground
attacks on security checkpoints, and rocket attacks on the
facilities at As Sidra and Ras Lanuf, are likely. Some fear that
IS in Libya will attempt to conduct the same policy as in Syria
and Iraq, by capturing the As Sidra and Ras Lanuf terminals
and then selling the oil to fund further operations. In reality,
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however, it would be practically impossible for IS to trade in
Libyan oil. Any gains that the group may make would be for
land they could take, and in the publicity and propaganda that
they could achieve by doing so.
Unlike the central and eastern Mediterranean, the western
Mediterranean witnesses far less migration via maritime
routes. Drug smuggling continues to be a major concern for
both Spanish and Moroccan authorities, as Morocco and
then Spain become transit countries for large quantities of
cannabis and cocaine. The presence of extremist elements
in Tunisia, as well as the collapse of security in neighbouring
Libya, continues to pose a significant threat to foreign
travellers. Jihadist gunmen killed 21 foreign tourists who
were visiting the Bardo Museum in Tunis in March, and in
another attack, 38 people died on the beach and hotel area
SPECIAL REPORT: MARITIME CRIME FIGURES FOR 2015
Migrants rescued as part of Operation Triton. (Source: Irish Defence Force)
The Mediterranean has continued to be a cause for concern for the shipping community in 2015.
of Sousse. These incidents highlighted the vulnerability of
foreign visitors to such an attack in North African countries,
away from the relative security of ports or of their cruise
vessels.
It is possible that we will see an improvement in Libya’s
security situation in 2016 as the GNA starts to exert its
authority, but a more likely scenario is the continued instability
and bi-partisan conflict that allowed IS to expand in 2015.
The possible deployment of western troops to the country,
as considered after the Paris terrorist attacks in November,
could thwart the expansion of IS, but will require a high level
of support from almost all parties involved in the Libyan Civil
War. The recent attacks on As Sidra and Ras Lanuf, coupled
with the presence of over 3,000 IS militants on the coast
between Sirte and Ben Jawad, may expedite those plans into
taking place within a matter of weeks, not months.
The migrant crisis is likely to continue unabated, although
whether 2016’s figures exceed 2015 remains to be seen. The
EU’s actions, along with support from Turkey, is expected to
at least maintain the current levels and is hoped to actually
reduce the numbers. However, shipping is still likely to be
affected by calls to support rescue operations in the Central
Mediterranean.
Some fear that IS in Libya will attempt
to conduct the same policy as in Syria
and Iraq, by capturing the As Sidra and
Ras Lanuf terminals and then selling
the oil to fund further operations. In
reality, however, it would be practically
impossible for IS to trade in Libyan oil.
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The boarding of anchored yachts in coves and off harbours
throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America has
been occurring for many years. A hallmark of these crimes
is the use of violence, which has been occasionally fatal.
This was seen again in an incident in the Rosario Islands,
Columbia, in September where the wife of a yacht owner was
killed. Around Trinidad, there has been an increase in attacks
against local fishermen and yachts, reportedly by Venezuelan
nationals. Major ports in Columbia and Venezuela have again
seen sporadic boardings of MVs for the purpose of cargo
theft.
REST OF THE WORLDDryad has recorded a marked increase in crime levels during 2015, up from 16 to 50. The majority of these
have been acts of robbery from sailing vessels around the Caribbean, Central and South America. This
has been attributed to better reporting from the cruising community, and Dryad suspects that this increase
during 2015 better reflects the actual number of incidents taking place annually.
During December, there have been five reports of incidents
against ships at anchor off the Chinese port of Tianjin, the first
reported incidents in China since 2012. Elsewhere, incidents
have been reported in Papua New Guinea, French Polynesia and
the United States.
Dryad expects 2016 to provide much of the same pattern
of maritime crime, with the robbery of anchored yachts in
the Caribbean making up the majority of reported incidents.
There are some emerging hot spots namely around Trinidad
and Tobago and the Chinese port of Tianjin; however, we
would expect that Chinese authorities would clamp down on
consistent acts of crime in their ports.
a
50Rest Of World
Total number of incidents in 2015
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12Vessel Safety Monitoring
Transit & Port Risk Assessments
Resource to Requirement (R2R)
Vessel hardening audits
LOOKING AHEAD
• Looking ahead at 2016, the threat of kidnap and theft in
West Africa will continue, while hijack for cargo theft may
again increase as criminal enterprises adjust to the lower
price of fuel, but these will most likely be in small numbers
and of smaller vessels, as seen in 2015.
• The resumption of industrial scale piracy in the HRA during
2016 is assessed to be unlikely. As long as the coast of
Somalia and the Gulf of Aden continues to see an
international effort to supress piracy, the opportunities for any
would be pirates are few and fraught with danger.
The illegal taking of the fishing vessels off Somalia could
be seen as a precursor to the return of Somali piracy but this
seems unlikely.
• In Southeast Asia, the hijacking of small regional product
tankers is still a possibility as there has been a historical
trade in black market fuel across Southeast Asia, but it is not
anticipated to reach the levels seen in 2014/15.
• Looking to the Mediterranean, it is possible that we will see
an improvement in Libya’s security situation in 2016, but
there is a long way to go.
The migrant crisis is likely to continue unabated, although
whether 2016’s figures exceed 2015 remains to be seen.
The EU’s actions, along with support from Turkey, is
expected to at least maintain the current levels and is hoped
to actually reduce the numbers.
Shipping is still likely to be affected by calls to support
rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean.
96 crewkidnapped in 2015
Killed
Kidnapped969
47Estimated total number of crew currently in captivity
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I&A
Incidents & AdvisoriesMaritime Security Circular
Daily Regional Intelligence Report
Weekly Intelligence Summary
Country Risk Map
SPECIAL REPORT: MARITIME CRIME FIGURES FOR 2015
© Dryad Maritime Ltd. 2015
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14Vessel Safety Monitoring
Transit & Port Risk Assessments
Resource to Requirement (R2R)
Vessel hardening audits
This Special Advisory is a compilation of research and intelligence from Dryad’s Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) products; a suite of reports designed to help owners and operators manage risk and uncertainty at sea arising from maritime piracy, crime and other waterborne threats.
Stay up to date on maritime crime developments via some of our other products and services.
DRYAD SERVICES Want more updates on maritime crime in your operating area?
Managing risk is just one aspect of uncertainty at sea that Dryad Maritime manages for vessel owners, charterers and managers. Why not speak to us about our Voyage Efficiency and Weather Routing services.
MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS
VESSEL SERVICES
Country Risk Map – an online risk portal for those who need to fix cargoes
quickly and need a snapshot of the risk landscape in their
chosen areas.
Maritime Security Circular – a monthly
round-up of on and offshore risks in some of the popular cruising destinations around
the world.
Incidents & Advisories – a single, reliable source of reporting and analysis on
incidents affecting maritime trade.
Daily Regional Intelligence Report – daily
intelligence reports on maritime crime delivered
straight to your inbox
Weekly Intelligence Summary – weekly
summary of maritime crime events occurring in high risk
maritime regions.
Transit & Port Risk Assessments – bespoke assessment of risks to your
vessel underway or alongside.
Vessel Safety Monitoring – 24 hour vessel/fleet
tracking by experienced mariners.
Resource to Requirement (R2R) – Privately contracted
and managed armed security personnel or
unarmed maritime security liaison officers.
Vessel hardening audits – detailed audit of security defences and procedures
on-board.
I&A
To find out more or to speak to a Dryad representative, contact [email protected] or call 023 92 658313.
© Dryad Maritime Ltd. 2015
www.dryadmaritime.com9715
I&A
Incidents & AdvisoriesMaritime Security Circular
Daily Regional Intelligence Report
Weekly Intelligence Summary
Country Risk Map
SPECIAL ADVISORY: MEDITERRANEAN
About Dryad Maritime
Dryad Maritime provide guidance and assistance to mariners facing the daily uncertainties and threats at sea that arise from criminal acts, piracy, the environment, commercial and/or regulatory pressure.
From its 24/7 operations room, Dryad Maritime delivers safety assistance and operational advice for ships at sea and their shore-based teams to optimise performance whilst also reducing management fatigue across organisations, at sea and ashore.With over 500 years of collective naval maritime experience, Dryad’s team understand the risks and uncertainties of life at sea.Their fully manned operations are conducted with the rigour of naval discipline, process and procedure and delivered with seafaring alacrity.
We welcome observations and contributions from readers. If you wish to submit your comments or find out more about our services please contact us on 0845 060 0072 or email [email protected]
The information is intended for use only by the individuals or entity named above, and is not for onward transmission without the specific permission of Dryad Maritime Ltd. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify me by telephone immediately. Advice given and recommendations made do not constitute a warranty of future results or an assurance against risk. Recommendations are based on information provided by you and other information available at the time of writing/publishing. No express or implied warranty is given in respect of any judgment made or to any changes or unforeseen escalation of any factors affecting any such judgment. Reports are intended for the recipient company only and may not be disclosed to any third parties without our prior written consent. You agree to indemnify us against any claim and any resulting damages that may be caused by any unauthorised disclosure of such documents.
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