Piracy appear on the rise in Gulf of Mexico
Overview
So far, April 2020 has seen five violent attacks on ships operating in the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico. Ships in that region are advised to exercise caution.
In what appear to be worrying trend, the first three weeks of April 2020 has seen violent attacks on three offshore support vessels, one cable laying vessel and one accommodation barge. The attacks have occurred up to 75 nautical miles from the cost. The pattern during the three incidents have been similar: The perpetrators have approached in a fast boat, fired their firearms against the bridge area of their targets and have subsequently managed to board the vessel and subdue the crew. The objective of the perpetrators appears to be valuables on board, and there are no reports of kidnaps. In at least one of the cases one crew members was hurt, but there is no information regarding the nature of the crewman’s injuries or the reason they were sustained.
Ships in the area are advised to implement security measures according to level 2 in the ship’s security plan, and are also encouraged to seek inspiration for further antipiracy measures in the Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters and Seafarers – see link below.
BIMCO will continue to monitor the situation and keep members informed about developments.
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Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters and Seafarers 2.9 MB
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Posted:
21 April 2020
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