Tuesday 7 September 2010

Best Management Practices in deterring piracy

In the post of today, we would like to discuss the Best Management Practicies (BMPs) in deterring and combating piracy including but not limited to the coast of Somalia and the Arabian Sea area. We will focus on the self-potection measures that might be within the capability of the vessel and the ship crew using equipment that is readily available. Shipowners and/or operators who frequently transit the High Risk Area are welcome to discuss alterations to the vessels beyond the scope of the "readily" available equipment in order to further reduce the risk of piracy attacks.


Prior to commencement of transit of the High risk area, it is essential to ensure enhanced watchkeeping and vigilance, therefore, binoculars for the enhanced bridge team should be available in sufficient quantity. It may be even worthwhile to consider night vision optics, if available. Also, well designed dummies placed alongside the vessel at strategic positions can give an impression of greater number of people on watch.

If the pirates are firing weaponry at the vessel, it is difficult and dangerous to monitor whether the pirates have boarded the vessel or not. The use of closed circuit television (CCTV) allows a better degree of monitoring the attack from a less vulnerable position. Install the CCTV cameras ensures coverage of the vulnerable areas such as the poop deck. Furthermore, the recorded CCTV footage provides useful evidence after an attack... .

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