Dryad Maritime reports ‘growing risk’ of Piracy in Southeast Asia

Marine intelligence specialist Dryad Maritime has issued a warning of an increasing hazard from Southeast Asia piracy following the release of their 2d region figures, which display that the location keeps to revel in the best variety of maritime crime incidents in 2014 while compared to different traditional piracy hot spots.

Dryad said it issued the warning “within the wake of the maximum recent hijack of a tanker, (MT Moresby 9), off the Anambas Islands on 4th July, whilst pirates boarded the vessel taking the group hostage before stealing part of the 2200 ton shipment of Marine gasoline Oil (MGO). The location of the vessel continues to be unknown.”

The bulletin stated that this yr on my own “has visible 12 pronounced cases of vessels being boarded underway and a similarly 19 reports of robberies, attempted robberies or suspicious tactics inside the anchorages to the east of the Singapore Strait. The MT Ai Maru became the 5th product tanker to be hijacked given that April 2014 when it become attacked at the stop of remaining month.”

in step with public coverage suppose-tank the Nautilus Institute for security and Sustainability (NISS), the increase in piracy in Southeast Asia is attributed to a number of causes. these include; “over-fishing, poor maritime law, prepared crime syndicates, sizable poverty and politically motivated groups. in addition, the NISS say the upward thrust in alternate in Southeast Asian waters adds in addition incentive for pirates. overall alternate in ASEAN increased via 16.eight per cent to US$2.1 trillion (S$2.6 trillion) in 2011 from 2010. in particular, ASEAN exports of mineral fuels and oils as well as their distilled products have been well worth US$228 billion in 2011.”

The expanded danger in the location comes as Dryad Maritime is planning to open new offices in the Asia Pacific location, presenting local corporations with higher get right of entry to to their expanding suite of services and products.

Dryad’s COO Ian Millen commented: “Our group of analysts have assessed that at least one gang is working to the east of Singapore, hijacking small product tankers and stealing fuel cargoes. these criminals have understanding inside the workings of ships’ device and processes for sporting out STS transfers. without extra proactive efforts by way of local maritime forces to counter this crime, we are expecting in addition incidents of this kind within the location.”

Dryad Maritime also are caution seafarers transiting the southern Philippines and adjacent coasts to hold vigilance following the assault at the yacht, MY Catherine, in the course of Q2.

Dryad’s Head of Operations Mike Edey defined: “Abu Sayyaf continues to function with impunity. even though the majority of their activity facilities on coastal terrorist assaults, the kidnap of a German couple from MY Catherine serves as a reminder of the want for warning. at the same time as there may be no evidence that Abu Sayyaf will begin to goal larger, commercial vessels inside the area, as a politically prompted group the possibility to broaden this kind of functionality remains”.

Dryad’s warning comes because the japanese Sabah security Command (ESSCOM) is stated to have initiated routing measures for commercial vessels to assist enhance maritime protection within the region.

On a greater nice mentioned Dryad stated “better information” inside the Horn of Africa segment of its quarterly figures; appreciably “the discharge of the final eleven crew individuals from MV Albedo. The bulletin recommended “the ones concerned within the release of the seafarers and help in their households;” noting that “after nearly four years in captivity and having seen different group individuals launched in 2012, the last crew continued extended distress that protected the sinking of their ship, in addition to the dying and disappearance of other team contributors.”

Millen stated the “launch of Albedo’s final team has been superb news, however it highlights the coolest, the terrible and the tragic in the story of Somali piracy. desirable in that we have visible charities consisting of the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian response application (MPHRP) paintings tirelessly with others to guide the seafarers and their households; horrific in that the owner of the vessel reportedly abandoned the group ensuing in a longer than necessary captivity and tragic in that about 40 seafarers continue to be in captivity. Seafarers who get valuable little attention from the broader media or preferred public. We ought to no longer neglect them.”