Maritime Security Updates Archive

15th September 2021
Mariners in the Red Sea have long been threatened by pirates, but they now must deal with unmanned explosive boats threat as well

25th August 2021
The IMO has assisted in the strengthening of maritime security governance in East Africa by participating in the Strategic Maritime Security and Blue Economy course held in Kenya, and also the annual Cutlass Express maritime security exercise conducted in the Western Indian Ocean

23rd August 2021
Maritime security and sanctions concerns are mounting, with the continued threat of increasingly violent piracy, cyber risks and interruptions and AIS-related compliance and safety risks.

19th August 2021
A continued downward trend in Somali piracy has prompted a number of global shipping organisations to reduce the geographic boundaries of the ‘High Risk Area’ (HRA) for piracy in the Indian Ocean, which will apply from 1 September this year.

30th July 2021
The ancient trade routes of East Africa’s Swahili Coast is riddled with illegal trading. These networks are connected to political instability in the wider region as well as the emergence of extremist movements which threaten to undermine and corrode the region’s fragile institutions

13th July 2021
Piracy and armed robbery at sea fell to the lowest level in 27 years in the first half of 2021, but don’t let the numbers fool you, the International Maritime Bureau warns.

13th July 2021
Piracy and armed robbery at sea fell to the lowest level in 27 years in the first half of 2021, but don’t let the numbers fool you, the International Maritime Bureau warns.

30th June 2021
The IMO has taken part in the annual meeting of G7 Group of Friends of the Gulf of Guinea which focuses on dealing with illegal activities at sea in the Gulf of Guinea.

2nd June 2021
Pirates operating in the Gulf of Guinea appear to be expanding their range of activity, possibly in response to the increased patrols and planned enhancement in security by Nigerian and other authorities.

26th May 2021
In an effort targeted at collective synergy to curb the alarming trend of criminality in the Gulf of Guinea, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and the Danish Government recently organised a maritime security summit-cum-training.

19th May 2021
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has called for increased collaboration and action to tackle an escalation in the number and severity of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea region, which threatens the lives and well-being of seafarers and the safety of shipping.

19th May 2021
Maritime security experts under the aegis of the Support for West African Maritime Security (SWAIMS), on Thursday pledged to partner the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) toward addressing maritime security and safety.

17th May 2021
The new Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suppression of Piracy has been launched on 17 May 2021, with 99 signatories pressing for an end to the attacks on merchant shipping in the region by Nigerian pirates.

14th May 2021
Last week, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) once again described Nigerian waters as most volatile in the Gulf of Guinea, accounting for half of the 38 piracy incidences reported in first quarter (Q1) of 2021 in the Gulf of Guinea.

13th May 2021
On March 23, the vessel Ever Given ran aground and blocked the Suez Canal, and while now resolved, the next time a vital maritime chokepoint is blocked, it may not be an accident – but terrorism.

4th May 2021
Given its increased capabilities and proximity to nearby maritime trade routes, the insurgency now poses a serious maritime security threat. In fact, all the right elements appear to be in place for the Mozambique Channel to follow the Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of Guinea in becoming the next hotspot for piracy.

29th April 2021
Nigeria and the Interregional Coordination Centre for the Implementation of Regional Strategy for Maritime Safety and Security in Central and West Africa have announced the formation of a Maritime Collaboration Forum to provide shared awareness and deconfliction of activities in the Gulf of Guinea.

16th April 2021
Coalition Task Force Sentinel, the operational arm of the International Maritime Security Construct, is a multinational maritime effort to promote freedom of navigation and reassure merchant shipping by deterring and exposing state-sponsored malign activity that threatens security of the maritime commons in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Southern Red Sea.

14th April 2021
The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) released its quarterly report on maritime piracy showing that there was an overall decline in incidents in the first quarter of 2021. However, they cautioned that while the number of reported piracy attacks against commercial shipping declined in 2021, violence against crew is on the rise with the Gulf of Guinea remaining the world’s piracy hotspot in 2021.

19th March 2021
The waters off Mozambique are becoming a major new security hotspot in the Indian Ocean.

9th March 2021
Operating in the Gulf of Guinea continues to present a serious and persistent threat to the safety and security of crews and vessels.

4th March 2021
Recent developments reveal island states to be major players in regional efforts against organised crime at sea and other maritime problems.

2nd March 2021
The international community is on the spot for slow action against the rising menace of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, which has become the most dangerous environment for commercial maritime operations in the world.

26th February 2021
Nigeria has been advised to review its maritime security rules and enlist the support of private security companies to tackle rampant piracy on its waters.

26th January 2021
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has declared its intention to work in partnership with the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in the fight against piracy and other crimes in the country’s maritime domain.

26th January 2021
Pirate attacks may grab most headlines, but maritime security is important for wider reasons. Illicit activities at sea limit the potential benefits of economic activities linked to the sea – what’s referred to as the “blue economy”.

25th January 2021
The Council approved conclusions launching the first pilot case of the Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) concept in the Gulf of Guinea.

18th January 2021
After a limpet mine was found attached to the hull of a tanker engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer in the Arabian Gulf, a joint industry group has released an Industry Update Following Incident in the Persian Gulf, recommending guidance to vessels operating in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.

13th January 2021
With the enormous havoc wrecked by the activities of the pirates in the Gulf of Guinea last year, shippers are yet to heave a sigh of relief as they are still in fear as to what the year holds for the seaborne trade.

25th December 2020
The fourth edition of the industry cyber risk management guidelines, Guidelines on Cyber Security Onboard Ships is now available and lays the foundation for further improvements and refinement of companies’ cyber security risk assessments.

23rd December 2020
The Council prolonged the mandates of its two Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions in Somalia and Operation ATALANTA until 31 December 2022.

8th December 2020
When Mozambican insurgents known as Al-Sunna captured the port of Mocimboa da Praia in early September this year, it meant the ISIS-inspired group added a maritime dimension to the conflict in northern Mozambique.

20th November 2020
Maritime piracy is and has always been a crime with a severe detrimental impact on both the shipping industry and global economy, and, most importantly, in human lives lost, injured or psychologically traumatised.

11th November 2020
The recent flurry of incidents within the Gulf of Guinea has increased the risk profile to a unique and exceptional level. The risk profile for all maritime operations within the Gulf of Guinea at this time is CRITICAL (incidents are highly likely, expected daily).

4th November 2020
Maritime activities are an important aspect of the modern militant’s portfolio. Though there are technical and logistical barriers to entry, coastal and oceanic waters offer militants opportunities for both operational and financial gain.

21st October 2020
As the dry season approaches and sea conditions abate, an increase in attacks has traditionally been seen, so maritime security risks to vessels operating in the Gulf of Guinea require renewed attention. Masters and crews need to be extra vigilant and ensure all security measures are taken.

20th October 2020
On 5 October 2020, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) issued a notice warning its clients and other stakeholders that the Nigerian Navy will investigate, and has arrested, ships that switch off their automatic identification system (AIS) when operating in Nigerian waters.

19th October 2020
An LNG carrier has been boarded and attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, resulting in the kidnapping of one crew member.

14th October 2020
The number of seafarers kidnapped by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea has surged so far this year as pirates abduct bigger groups of seafarers further offshore, the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reported Centre revealed today.

13th October 2020
Violent extremist groups operating in East Africa such as al-Shabaab, Ansar al-Sunna and the Islamic State in East Africa Somalia (IS-Somalia) are increasingly making use of gaps in maritime security.

3rd September 2020
The IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre recorded 98 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the first half of 2020, up from 78 in the first half of 2019.

12th August 2020
The Federal High Court Port Harcourt yesterday convicted three of the nine accused of hijacking an Equatorial Guinea flagged vessel, MV ELOBEY VI off Equatorial Guinea coast during March this year.

6th August 2020
The disaster puts a spotlight on the global trade in hazardous materials and the importance of port security

4th August 2020
The Yaoundé Code of Conduct was signed in 2013 by 25 countries in West and Central Africa. It provides the structure for joint operations, intelligence sharing and harmonized legal frameworks.

31st July 2020
Addressing the Gulf of Guinea’s challenges is a significant task, while ocean governance is a daunting issue which demands an interdisciplinary approach and innovative solutions.

24th July 2020
To govern maritime piracy through state cooperation, three agreements have been set up in different regions of the world. The members to these regional agreements agree to arrest, investigate, and prosecute pirates on the high seas, and to suppress armed robbery in their respective territorial waters.

15th July 2020
International Commercial Crime services on 15 July 2020 said violent attacks against ships and their crews have risen in 2020, with 77 seafarers taken hostage or kidnapped for ransom since January, reveals the ICC International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) latest piracy report.

13th July 2020
Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom (KFR) continues to serve as a significant threat to U.S. flagged operators with vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

6th July 2020
The authorities could do more to make Nigerian waters safe

26th June 2020
Six incidents were reported across the whole of 2019, yet by the midway of 2020, there have been eight incidents reported within the Gulf of Aden alone.