Marine Security Advisory: 04/2021 - Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom, and Reporting of Incidents
21 December 2021
Marine Security Advisory 04/2021
MARINE SECURITY ADVISORY – 04/2021
(This Security Advisory Supplements Security Advisory: 01/2021)
Subject: Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom, and Reporting of Incidents
Dear Owners/Operators/Company Security Officers/Masters:
The purpose of this Advisory is to inform Liberian shipowners, operators and Masters of the referenced security alert issued by the ECOWAS Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) regarding impending piracy attacks on ships from the eastern waters of Ghana to south of Lagos, Nigeria.
The general area which covers about 672 square miles and about 93 NM offshore Tema, Ghana has so far recorded five maritime incidents in 2021.
As of November 2021, the Office of the Naval Intelligence “Shipping Threat reports” has reported about (forty) 40 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea: https://www.oni.navy.mil/News/Shipping-Threat-Reports.
Liberian ships, anchoring, transiting, or operating in the Gulf of Guinea must continue to implement the procedures in their approved Ship Security Plan. The Liberian Administration also recommend to continue to adhere to the security practices provided in the recently issued “Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security Off the Coast of West Africa including the Gulf of Guinea” and also the “Guidelines for Owners, Operators and Masters for protection against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea region (Version 3, June 2018)” which are available for download at https://www.liscr.com/maritime/Piracy.
Owners, operators and Masters are urged to register with Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade-Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG) upon their vessel entering its voluntary reporting area and to report suspicious activity and incidents of piracy and armed robbery in a timely manner by contacting the MDAT-GoG by phone at +33 (02) 98 22 88 88, or by email to watchkeepers@mdat-gog.org.
All details for registration and reporting are contained on UKHO security chart Q 6114 and CS Carte de sûreté maritime 8801. As further, Owners, operators and Masters are encouraged to visit the new MDAT- GoG website at https://gog-mdat.org for more information.
Owners, operators and Masters of vessels operating in the Gulf of Guinea are urged to also report incidents of piracy and armed robbery or threats thereof and suspicious activity to:
- the nearest RCC,
- the flag State – Email: security@liscr.com; Phone: + 1 703 251-2490, ask for Maritime Security; AOH Phone: + 1 703 963 6216 to contact the Duty Officer; AOH Email: dutyofficer@liscr.com
- the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre - by phone +60 3 2031 0014 or by email to:imbkl@icc- ccs.org.
For more information, please contact the Security Department at telephone + 1 703 251 2490; email security@liscr.com; or visit https://www.liscr.com/maritime/Piracy.
All reports are kept confidential
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