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                        NEWSLETTER            Vol. 4

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO PIRATE ATTACK

When someone mentions pirates, most of us imagine what it must have been like 200 years ago when "Black Beard" terrorized commercial sailing ships in the Caribbean.  Some things never change, and believe it or not, piracy on the high seas is still with us. In fact, the problem is so bad that the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has set up a Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  "According to IMB, more than 50% of pirate attacks go unreported."1   Ship owners are often concerned over the amount of time resulting investigations by port officials will take if a report is made.

Statistics show the number of pirate attacks is increasing and becoming more brutal.  According to the International Maritime Bureau, 67 seafarers were killed by pirates in 1998, 66 of which died in Asian waters.   During the first quarter of 1999 there were 10 attacks in and around Singapore Straits near Indonesia.  After the IMB issued warnings to both governments, patrols were stepped up and the number of attacks dropped to three in the second quarter.2   Other areas favored by modern day pirates include the South China Sea, the Caribbean and South America, and the African Coasts.

"Of the 15 hijacks that occurred worldwide in 1998, 11 happened in Asia."3  During the first six months of 1999, 68 out of the 115 actual or attempted pirate attacks occurred in Asian waters.  In many cases, hijacked vessels are repainted with a new identity and sailed into Chinese ports.  Under criticism for their failure to control these incidents, the Chinese government has announced that it will "not allow its ports to become a haven for ship hijackers and their stolen goods"4.

Control over pirates who operate in waterways bordered by several nations becomes a sticky issue.  As yet, there has not been a concerted effort by all countries concerned to seek out and neutralize this menace.  Quite often, questions over jurisdiction between nearby countries have left the pirates free to operate with impunity.

To fill the gap left by governments, several privately owned, anti-piracy companies have been formed.  Using high tech tracking devices and anti-terrorists tactics when necessary, these companies have been successful in obtaining the release of several hijacked ships.  They will not divulge the details, however.   There are now two satellite tracking systems available to allow ship owners to monitor the daily position of their ships through the Internet.  An unexpected ship's course change would prompt the company to suspect piracy and put their emergency response plans into effect.5

So what does the seafarer do when faced with the threat of piracy?  The International Maritime Organization has issued guidelines recommending the ship not resist in the event of an attack.  Having said that, there are precautions that can be taken when a ship is in known pirate operational areas.   These include posting additional lookouts, switching on deck lighting to make pirate's night approaches detectable early on, and using the ship's fire fighting system to repel boarders.

Here's a suggested Emergency Checklist for Pirates.

  1.     Sound general alarm.
  2.     Inform Bridge.
  3.     Muster all personnel.
  4.     Illuminate all areas.
  5.     Make a loudspeaker warning to the crew.
  6.     If pirates are not onboard, start fire pump.
  7.     Maintain watch all around deck and prepare fire hoses.
  8.     Do not approach boarders.
  9.     Make a distress call using GMDSS.
  10.     Secure all areas if possible.
  11.     Obey attacker's instructions.
  12.     All crew stay together.
  13.     Warn other vessels.
  14.     Inform authorities.
  15.     Inform company.

Unfortunately, while governments talk a lot about the problem but do very little, seamen will continue to the the anonymous victims.  IMO Secretary General, W.A. O'Neil's program for the next two years includes "promoting the intensification by governments and industry of efforts to deal with terrorism at sea, piracy and armed robbery against ships, illicit drug trafficking, illegal migration by sea and stowaway cases."6  Let's hope that steps are taken to fight back at modern day piracy.

Footnotes:

1  "International Maritime Bureau Centre - hype or help?",  Chew Wai Yee, Lloyd's List Maritime Asia, October 1999.

2  Ibid.

3  "Answers to Piracy May Pose More Problems", Chew Wai Yee, Lloyd's List Maritime Asia, October 1999.

4  Ibid.

5  "Fight Against Piracy Bolstered by Satellite Technology", Chew Wai Yee, Lloyd's List Maritime Asia, October 1999.

6  "Greener, Cleaner, and Safer", Marine Log, December 1999, page 14.

 

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Revised: 11/01/04