Protection Vessels International

26/01/2022

The European Union (EU) intends to carry on with the deployment of its member states' warships in the Gulf of Guinea to stem the recurring menace of piracy.

After a review of the Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) pilot program in which member states have been deploying warships to the region over the last two years, the EUfeels it needs to maintain its presence, considering the ongling threat of piracy and other illegal activities in the Gulf of Guinea.

The bloc is proposing a two-year extension of the CMP mandates starting January this year and has outlined deployments of Danish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish warships into the region.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3qVVtSZ

The European Union (EU) intends to carry on with the deployment of its member stateswarships in the...

25/01/2022

Pirates only attack tankers… right?

Wrong. Pirates attack fishing vessels, bulk carriers, container ships and even smaller working vessels.

Every vessel can be viewed as a target. The value target to the pirates is crew, and they base their attack on the vulnerability of the vessel including how much potential time they need to board the vessel, take hostages and disembark before assistance arrives.

In 2020, the type of ship most attacked by pirates was a bulk carrier. That year, there were 51 attacks on bulk carriers recorded. Product tankers were targeted by pirates 43 times and container ships 27 times.

See graph below: Number of pirate attacks on ships worldwide in 2020, by ship type (source: Statista)

Talk to our team today to find out about our fully compliant supply chain and maritime security solutions in West Africa via [email protected]

24/01/2022

Our weekly Maritime Security Threat Assessment is out now.

What's inside?

🔥 Houthi rebels have declared a period of operations targeting US, Saudi and UAE targets called Operation Hurricane in response to what they describe as an escalation.

👉 It comes as the UAE confirmed that they intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles over Abu Dhabi with another missile injuring a civilian at the industrial zone at the Saudi port city of Jizan.

👉 This activity follows a drone and missile attack on an oil facility and the Abu Dhabi International Airport on the17th January 22.

Whilst a period of heightened tension exists we continue to assess that the risk remains localised within the parameters outlined in the following threat assessment.

Read the full security assessment: https://bit.ly/3wsr9Ak

17/01/2022

Our weekly Maritime Security Threat Assessment is out now.

What's inside?

👉 Reporting early on Monday 17th indicates that Houthi rebels conducted a drone attack, striking targets within Abu Dhabi airport and the ADNOC Oil facility.

👉 Attack follows a heightening of tensions in recent weeks between Houthi rebels and Saudi and UAE forces operating in Yemen.

👉 United Nations has requested an inspection of the Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Al Saleef ports following the Saudi-led Coalition’s claims that the Iran-backed Houthi rebels were using them to import and assemble Iranian ballistic missiles and secretly make explosive-laden boats to attack commercial ships.

Read the full global security assessment by downloading your copy here: https://bit.ly/3wsr9Ak

17/01/2022

Nigeria is one of eight countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea which is a high-risk area for piracy, kidnapping, and other maritime crime. Waters off Nigeria will likely remain the most prone to piracy and maritime kidnapping incidents, however, incidents have been occurring in areas previously considered low risk, such as Ghana and Togo. Pirates in the Gulf of Guinea regularly target commercial ships, bulk carriers, cargo ships, and their crews.

In our latest in-depth report we give an overview of what ship operators need to know about maritime security in Nigeria.

Read now: https://bit.ly/3fpVqsa

11/01/2022

Over the past couple of years, pirates have become far more sophisticated in enabling their own operations to be conducted further offshore.

By using mother ships, the pirates can head deeper offshore for longer periods of time while targeting areas of the Gulf of Guinea that are less secure. Furthermore, the pirates do not recognise the JWC War Risk Area and can easily operate outside the bounds of that area.

We have seen attacks and approaches up to 100nm from the JWC WRA, within domestic and international waters. Vessels should approach the region with a full risk assessment and prepare their security accordingly.

In the image (courtesy Dryad Global) below you can see the reported maritime incidents in 2021 across the Gulf of Guinea and beyond the JWC designated area.

Talk to our team to find out about our fully compliant supply chain and maritime security solutions in West Africa via [email protected]

10/01/2022

Our weekly Maritime Security Threat Assessment is out now.

Access the latest intelligence analysis on the considerable escalation of tensions between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the Saudi Coalition following the Houthi successful interdiction of UAE flagged MV RWABEE 23nm West of Ras Isa Marine Terminal.

Download your copy here: https://bit.ly/3wsr9Ak

06/01/2022

Protection Vessels International offers a different (and uniquely hazardous) form of salvage response. In the Gulf of Guinea, maritime kidnapping has become all too common. Nigerian pirates, emboldened by lax maritime security measures, range far from their usual territory to attack vessels as far away as Togo or Ghana.

When one of these attacks occurs, PVI often gets the call to respond. The company operates private armored patrol boats which can pick up military servicemembers from any of the coastal states in the region. Once armed personnel from the right coastal state are safely on board, PVI’s boats can get under way to the scene of the pirate attack, ripping along at up to 45 knots. On arrival, the soldiers on board respond to the pirates, if needed. If the pirates have fled already (and usually they have), the operation shifts gears to vessel recovery.

“You go on board a vessel and what you're likely to find is some crewmembers are missing,” says PVI West Africa specialist Craig de Savoye. “Those are people, and they've got families at home. Ransoms get paid and crewmembers get released, but those people will be traumatized. And then that also affects the rest of the crew. They've just seen their buddies taken off a vessel by force.”

As with any salvage response, a big part of the mission is securing the right assets on a tight schedule. Getting hold of a technician or a tug from a nearby oilfield takes connections and experience. “That’s the complexity of West Africa,” de Savoye says. “There's no Yellow Pages directory. It's about figuring out what angles to work to get the assets you need to help with that operation, and fast. It's really an all-hands-on-deck situation because the last thing you want to see is loss of life or a vessel in distress.”

Read this article in full via The Maritime Executive : https://bit.ly/31rTImG

04/01/2022

Catch up on everything that you need to know this week, including analysis on:

🇨🇳 Chinese fishing vessel attacked whilst operating in the offshore Equatorial Guinea Mbini area. 6 crewmembers kidnapped. This is the third offshore attack in December 2021.

🇮🇱 An Israeli airstrike hit the container yard at Syria’s Latakia port on the 28th of December sparking a fire. Syrian media has stated the airstrike caused “significant material damage” to the port.

🇸🇴 In Somalia there is an escalating power struggle between the country’s President and Prime Minister. This week Somalia’s president suspended the country’s Prime Minister over allocations of corruption. This comes amidst heavily armed factions conduct- ing patrols across the Mogadishu capital.

Download your weekly Maritime Security Threat Analysis here:
https://bit.ly/3wsr9Ak

31/12/2021

Gulf Of Guinea: Crew Member Killed, Six Abducted In Pirate Attack On Chinese Fishing Vessel

Reporting indicates that a Chinese fishing vessel has come under attack whilst operating offshore Equatorial Guinea Mbini Area. The attack is reported to have occurred within territorial waters.

Read the latest analysis from our Maritime Intelligence partners Dryad Global: https://bit.ly/3Jt65Qt

29/12/2021

Who needs private security when foreign navies are on patrol in West African waters?

It's positive news that many foreign defence forces have offered their assistance to the various navies of the Gulf of Guinea, often conducting joint exercises in the region in a capacity development effort. However, without a tangible improvement in the conditions onshore that create a fertile setting for piracy, it is near impossible to argue that there has been any alteration or deterrence against individuals’ intent to engage in piracy despite the presence of foreign navies.

Vessels must still take active risk mitigation strategies to ensure safe passage, with the most effective being the use of a Security Es**rt Vessel.

Download our latest Security Es**rt Vessel information sheet to find out more: https://bit.ly/3dxR2Xs

27/12/2021

Maritime Security Threat Assessment for the week commencing 27th December 2021.

Get the latest security analysis on:

👉 Libyan presidential elections postponement & National Oil Corp's declaration of force majeure on crude oil exports from the Zawia and Mellitah terminals plus military mobilisation and roadblocks in Shara’as Al Zawiya and Bab Benghashir as well as in Ain Zara and Khallet Al-Furjan.

👉 Clashes between two rival factions of the security forces in the port city of Bosaso. There is a concern that further clashes could lead to a deterioration in vital counter-terrorism efforts in the region particularly as the Puntland Security Forces are the premier counter-terrorism unit operating in the region.

👉 Arab Coalition has claimed to have destroyed another explosive-laden boat in the Southern Red Sea. This is the sixth instance of the Arab Coalition destroying a waterborne WBIED since October. This is contextualised by an escalation of tensions between the Houthi Militia and the Arab Coalition.

Download your copy via: https://bit.ly/3wsr9Ak