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Warnings on Nigeria and Cambodia as IMO debates piracy
29 May 2009
Piracy is high on the agenda of the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee, currently meeting in London (27 May to 5 June).
The committee will focus in particular on the continuing armed attacks on shipping off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, despite the presence of international naval forces.
It is expected to agree new recommendations and guidance on cases where seafarers are kidnapped or held hostage for ransom, and advice where naval vessels and military aircraft seek to provide assistance or protection.
Meanwhile, there are warnings of threats to shipping in other waters. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has warned that the fight against increasingly violent attacks on shipping and personnel in Nigerian waters has been hampered because of under-reporting of incidents.
The warning came at a recent Lloyd’s List seafarers conference in Singapore. IMB manager Cyrus Mody told delegates that the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre had received reports of just 10 attacks this year, whereas it knew of at least another 25. If owners do not report such attacks, the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre is unable to issue warnings to shipping about risk in the area, he said.
Jon Whitlow, secretary of the ITF seafarers' section, told the conference that seafarers who have been held hostage by pirates face post-traumatic stress, and that: “seafarers need to be guaranteed they will not lose their jobs as a result of the trauma they might experience.”
Cambodia has also drawn attention to the threats of piracy, drug-running and people trafficking, and has called for international aid. The call for help from Australia, US and other nations follows Cambodia's recent appeal to the international community to help it set up a coastguard.
All attacks and suspicious sightings should be reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, Tel: +603 2031 0014 (24 hours), Email:imbkl@icc-ccs.org.
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