Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters and Seafarers

12 March 2019 |  C19014

The Maritime Safety Committee at its 100^th session approved the Guidance to protect seafarers, the ship and cargo and, to facilitate threat and risk assessment and planning for voyages transiting areas where the threat of attack by pirates and armed robbers exists.

NOTICE TO
Ship Owners/ Managers/ Operators | Surveyors / Auditors

Piracy and armed robbery at sea is an organized and persistent criminal activity prevalent in many parts of the world. Attackers are often aggressive and subject their victims to violence and ill treatment. Ships have been hijacked, either for a ransom payment for the release of captive seafarers, theft of cargo or both. Some seafarers have been held hostage for several years.

Experience shows that applying the recommendations in the Guidance will assist ships to detect, avoid, deter or delay attacks. Not all mitigation measures in the Guidance will be applicable to every ship type or in every region. Companies, CSOs and Masters should use the Guidance when conducting threat and risk assessments. The purpose of the guidance is to protect seafarers, the ship and cargo and, to facilitate threat and risk assessment and planning for voyages transiting areas where the threat of attack by pirates and armed robbers exists. The Guidance is complementary to other industry regional guidance as well as for the latest IMO MSC Circular MSC.1/Circ.1334, as amended.

The guidance consists of:

• General advice and recommendations that are common to mitigate against attack by pirates and armed robbers;
• Guidance on threat and risk assessment, planning and the implementation of self-protection measures; and
• Appendix A providing information on other security threats and the fundamental requirements and recommendations to ensure that companies and ships can respond to those threats in a proportionate and dynamic way.
• Annexes providing information on regions where there is a risk of piracy and armed robbery and where prior planning and preparation before transiting the region is recommended.

Act now

Ship owners / Managers / Operators are should to take into account the guidance in order to be able to identify maritime security threats that may be encountered during a voyage.