News » General news » Weekly Maritime Security Report produced by PGI Intelligence & Protection Vessels International
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28/01/2016 |
Weekly Maritime Security Report produced by PGI Intelligence & Protection Vessels International |
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Yemen: Air strikes hit oil storage facilities at Ras Isa port 21 January
Air strikes by Saudi-led coalition forces targeted oil storage facilities at the Ras Isa port on the Red Sea. At least five people were killed at the facility, which is used to load tanker trucks with refined products for domestic distribution. Local oil workers said that oil export facilities in the area were not affected.
PVI COMMENT: Although the air strike did not directly affect maritime operations in the area as Ras Isa port remains closed amid ongoing clashes, the strike demonstrates how fighting continues to target Yemen’s ports as both sides vie for control of strategic infrastructure, potentially endangering Red Sea ports. However, it remains unlikely that either the Saudi-led coalition or Houthi militants would deliberately target functioning ports or commercial maritime operations, although outbreaks of fighting at ports could disrupt port operations.
Southeast Asia
Indonesia: Unidentified vessel fires on fishing trawler near Anambas Island 22 January
A Taiwan-flagged fishing trawler was approached and fired upon by an unknown vessel at 2218 hrs local time some 57 nm north-northeast of Anambas Island. The crew took evasive manoeuvres and after an hour the craft stopped its pursuit of the trawler. No one was injured by the gunfire and the vessel was able to continue its journey.
PVI COMMENT: It is likely the assailants were local fishermen attempting to enact vigilante justice against suspected illegal fishing, as the incident occurred around the boundary of Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Indonesian authorities previously arrested Vietnamese vessels in Anambas over alleged illegal fishing in the EEZ in August 2015.
West Africa
Congo, DRC: Two robbers board anchored vessel at Matadi anchorage 24 January
Two armed robbers boarded an anchored vessel at Matadi anchorage off the coast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The crew raised the alarm, prompting the assailants to flee. Some rope was stolen from the vessel but no crew members were injured in the incident.
Congo: Armed robbers board vessel at Pointe Noire anchorage 19 January
Two robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored vessel at Pointe Noire anchorage at 0320 hrs local time. They escaped after an alarm was sounded. It was unreported whether they stole any goods from the ship.
PVI COMMENT: Opportunistic thieves often target vessels at Point Noire anchorage and there are intermittent reports of criminal activity at Matadi anchorage. Although assailants tend to be armed, they rarely use force if discovered by crew and are easily deterred. Reports of violent piracy at West African anchorages are rare as authorities are known to be close by.
Cote d’Ivoire: Armed robbers board vessel at Abidjan anchorage 19 January
Two robbers armed with knives boarded a vessel at 2325 hrs local time while it was anchored in Abidjan anchorage. The robbers were spotted by crewmembers, who raised the alarm. The robbers escaped with stolen ropes, though nothing else was reported stolen. No crewmembers were injured.
Nigeria: Unidentified gunmen open fire on Panama-flagged vessel off coast of Brass 19 January
Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a Panama-flagged vessel from two skiffs around 64 nm off the coast of Brass, Nigeria. The master of the vessel ordered it to speed up and enact evasive manoeuvres and crew used water hoses against the assailants. The skiffs closed in on the vessel but eventually aborted the chase after three hours. All the crew were reported safe.
PVI COMMENT: The attack comes four days after pirates abducted 18 people from a passenger vessel off Brass, indicating this incident was possibly an attempted kidnapping. Kidnappings in the waters off the Niger Delta have become increasingly common throughout late 2015 and into 2016 as militants are increasingly resorting to kidnap for ransom for revenue amid low oil prices, which makes siphoning and illegal refining less profitable.
Nigeria: Unknown assailants attack passenger boat in Nembe 18 January
Unidentified assailants launched an attack on a passenger boat underway near the Obama rice farm in the Nembe waterways. The attackers abducted 12 passengers and diverted the vessels to the Okorama creeks where the passengers were taken to an unidentified location. It is not yet clear if a ransom has been demanded for the release of the victims.
PVI COMMENT: Militants are known to operate in Nembe, making it likely that the perpetrators of the attack were part of a militant group looking to fund their operations. In August 2015, unknown gunmen attacked the military base in Nembe, killing four soldiers and seizing guns. The kidnapping comes amid uncertainty over whether or not Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will be able to pay former militants sufficient stipends to ensure they do not resort back to militancy, as Lagos struggles to cope with low oil prices.
Select Maritime News
Australia: Union calls off nationwide strike at bulk, container ports 24 January
A national strike by workers from the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) was temporarily halted at the container ports operated by Patrick Stevedores. The MUA and Patrick Stevedores will now spend 35 days negotiating a new Enterprise Agreement. Patrick operates almost half of the country’s containerised ports.
Bangladesh: Port workers threaten to strike on 27 February 24 January
Workers for the River Vessel Workers’ Federation, an alliance of six trade unions, have threatened to strike on 27 February if their demands are not met. The federation is demanding a USD 127 raise in monthly minimum wages for workers on river vessels, to match reported rising costs in recent years. The union said that the strike by some 200,000 workers will be indefinite should the government refuse the demands.
Brazil: Court gives Vale approval to resume operations at Port of Tubarão 22 January
A Brazilian appeals court overturned a 22 January ruling that ordered mining company Vale to suspend operations at its Port of Tubarão amid environmental concerns. Vale can resume iron ore and coal operations under the condition it devises a plan to fix the environmental issues at the port within 60 days. Activities were initially suspended after a police investigation found air and water pollution in the surrounding areas of Vale’s coal and iron docks. The initial ruling followed a police investigation into the bursting of a BHP Billiton and Vale dam at the Samarco iron ore mine near Mariana on 5 November 2015.
China: Washington, Beijing progress on protocols for unplanned maritime encounters 20 January
Top officers from the US and Chinese navies have made progress in talks over protocols for unplanned maritime encounters, amid growing tensions in the South and East China Seas which have led to naval stand-offs in recent months. The US Navy has said crucial face-to-face dialogue will help reduce risks of miscalculation between the two navies in the future. China is engaged in territorial disputes over the resource-rich Spratly and Paracel islands with Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan, and over the Senkaku islands with Japan.
China: Beijing claims South China Sea oil rig not in disputed waters 20 January
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has claimed that its USD 1 bn deepwater oil rig in the South China Sea is not drilling in disputed waters. The announcement is a response to ongoing warnings and monitoring of the area by Hanoi, which claims jurisdiction over the Paracel Islands, about 150 km east of the oil rig. The Haiyang Shiyou 981 rig will be operating at the location until 10 March, and Beijing has warned all foreign vessels to stay 2 km away during this period.
Colombia: Authorities discover nine bodies on beach in Choco 21 January
A Colombian official reported that nine bodies were discovered on a beach in the municipality of Unguía between 14 and 20 January. The causes of death remain unknown, although investigators suspect the bodies could come from a recent shipwreck.
Greece: Strike to halt ferry services on 27-29 January 26 January
The PNO seamen’s union will launch a 48-hour strike form 0600 hrs local time on 27 January. The strike is being staged in opposition to planned social security reforms, and is expected to halt all ferry services. Port workers previously staged a 48-hour strike on 20-22 January.
Greece: China’s Cosco to buy USD 402.5 mn stake in Piraeus Port 20 January
Athens approved Chinese-owned Cosco’s offer to buy a 67 percent stake worth USD 402.5 mn in the country’s largest port, Piraeus Port. The move, originally opposed by the government, is part of the country’s privatisation reforms after Athens agreed to more stringent measures to cut state debt in order to obtain its third bailout from EU lenders in August 2015.
Egypt: Alexandria, Dakahlia ports close for second day over weather 24 January
Authorities closed the Alexandria and Dakahlia ports due to heavy winds and high waves of up to four meters. It was the second consecutive day that the ports were closed due to weather. Authorities said poor weather conditions were likely to persist until 26 January.
Egypt: National gas company delays LNG delivery, denies payment troubles 22 January
Egypt’s state-owned EGAS has postponed a delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from BP, but has rejected suggestions that this was due to payment difficulties. The LNG tanker British Sapphire was diverted to Brazil instead of discharging in Egypt. Gas traders have said that Egypt has struggled to pay for oil products and LNG shipments since the October 2015 crash of a Russian airliner in Sinai. An affiliate of the Islamc State group, Sinai Province, claimed it was responsible for downing the aircraft, resulting in severe disruption to Egypt’s tourism sector.
France: Migrants board ferry in Calais, disrupting port 23 January
Around 50 migrants in Calais briefly boarded a ferry as it was unloading, disrupting transport services and resulting in the temporary closure of the port. The incident occurred during a pro-migrant protest at Calais that attracted around 2,000 people. Authorities reported the resumption of normal operations after several hours and port operators renewed their calls for intervention by French security forces to prevent further incidents. Large numbers of UK-bound migrants reside in makeshift camps around Calais, and their crossing attempts result in regular disruption to cross-border transport.
France: Freight worker strike causes disruption at Calais, Dover 20 January
A freight worker strike by MyFerryLink employees and former employees disrupted ferries travelling between Calais and Dover in the morning hours. MyFerryLink said workers staged industrial action over the company’s decision to hire new employees. The port of Dover remained open and P&O ferry operations were not affected. Normal service was restored to the entire port by the afternoon. Local reports said employees were burning tyres at the port, causing a plume of black smoke, reducing visibility.
India: Robbers steal LPG tanker’s stores at Visakhapatnam Anchorage 23 January
Robbers boarded and stole ship’s stores from a Singapore-flagged LPG tanker anchored at Visakhapatnam Anchorage, on the east coast of India. The robbers escaped unnoticed although duty crew later discovered foot prints on board, prompting crew to conduct a search and find that ship’s stores had been stolen. Robbers at Visakhapatnam Anchorage are occasionally reported, although it is likely many other incidents go unreported.
Lebanon: Severe weather closes ports in Tyre 24 January
Transport officials said that severe weather forced authorities to close the commercial port and fishermen’s harbour in Tyre. The storm also threatened to damage buildings in coastal areas. A barrier wall in Tal Hayat, Akkar, collapsed, flooding areas of the town. It was not immediately clear when the ports were due to reopen but conditions were expected to improve the next day.
Libya: IS strikes Ras Lanuf, threatens further attacks on oil ports 22 January
Suspected Islamic State (IS) militants attacked oil installations close to Libya’s Ras Lanuf terminal. Officials at the facility said at least two storage tanks from the Harouge Oil Operations company had been set on fire near Ras Lanuf, while a pipeline leading from the Amal oil field to the Es Sider terminal had also been attacked, and clashes were reported between militants and Petroleum Facilities Guards at the port. In a video posted on the group’s official Telegram channel an IS fighter warned: “Today Es Sider port and Ras Lanuf and tomorrow the port of Brega and after the ports of Tobruk, Es Serir, Jallo, and al-Kufra.” The fires were put out two days later on 24 January.
Namibia: Port workers reach agreement to end strike at Walvis Bay, Luderitz 20 January
Some 1,200 workers for the Metal, Mining, Maritime and Construction Union (MMMC) reached an agreement with the government for better wages, allowing for a near end to their general strike at Walvis Bay and Luderitz. More than 200 seamen will return to work on 22-23 January. The demands agreed with the government also include a reduction in working hours to a 12-hour maximum continuous shift, and a 48-hour rest period between periods at sea.
Tunisia: Port workers strike in Tunis 25 January
According to reports from local media, around 100 workers at Radés port in Tunis began a sit-in to denounce a lack of regular salaries despite having state worker permits. It was not immediately clear whether the demonstration was affecting port operations. The demonstration comes amid a series of protests nationwide over working conditions and unemployment.
Turkey: Police foil people smuggling ring, arrest 35 suspects 20 January
German and Turkish police announced that they had broken up a sophisticated people smuggling ring and arrested 30 people linked to the ring in raids across Turkey and a further five in Germany. The investigation into the ring commenced in 2014 after it was linked to some 1,766 people who had been smuggled across the Mediterranean in freight ships for up to USD 6,500 per person. Turkish police made arrests in Istanbul, Mersin, Izmir and Hatay and some 500 German police officers raided 16 homes and businesses across six states. Turkey is one of the main transit countries for migrants arriving from North Africa and the Middle East.
Source: Protection Vessels International, hellenicshippingnews |
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