Ocean Trade Lines

News

June 18, 2012

According to the NATO shipping center’s (NSC) weekly piracy update for the week of June 7 thru 13, 2012, piracy is down in the world’s high risk area (HRA). The HRA includes the entire Gulf of Aden and extends 400 miles east of Somalia. This area, which is usually extremely dangerous for sea faring, has remained clear of incidents this past week. It is assumed that this has to do with the south-west monsoon season that takes place between June and September, which makes the oceans conditions very unpredictable and unsafe for smaller boats, which are usually used by pirates to hijack larger ships and vessels. Although this past week has seemed to show signs of hope that piracy is decreasing, the amount of incidents has steadily increased in the HRA every year. As a result of this annual increase, boat transportation companies have been in high demand as boat owners that have no choice but to pass through these danger zones feel more comfortable shipping their vessels to their destination, rather than sailing through these areas themselves.

When no incidents are reported, it is always good news, but unfortunately, the pirates are constantly evolving their strategies and getting around the obstacles that they may face, such as monsoon season in this case, that may hinder their malicious actions. And keep mind that hijacking vessels is not a unique tactic of Somali gangs only as West African pirates target small tankers to offload their cargo and occasionally members of the crew as well. Also, some South-East Asian criminal gangs have been reported to target barge-towing tugs for their value on the international market. But overall, Somali piracy has seen the highest-profile hijacking for ransom model, which last year generated nearly $200 million in payments.

Although this past week we have seen a decrease in the HRA, the threat of piracy is still a major problem, and has become a global phenomenon that has become the center of shipping news as it has directly and adversely affected the industry on a major scale. It is expected that companies that specialize in commercial and leisure boat transportation will continue to increasingly be sought by boat owners seeking the piece of mind provided by using their transport services.

Ocean Trade Lines, a company based in the U.S. servicing global trade routes worldwide, is a highly-respected company that specializes in international maritime shipping utilizing heavy-lift and submersible ships enhanced by on board security personnel to ensure maximum safety of passage for the ship and its cargoes. “We are well aware that the threat of piracy is a major obstacle for the international maritime shipping industry. That’s where we come in,” said Kostas Constant, Operations Manager at Ocean Trade Lines.

Written by: Admin

OCEAN TRADE LINES

[Source: thetriton_risk.com]

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