Piracy appear on the rise in Gulf of Mexico
Overview
So far, April 2020 has seen five violent attacks on ships operating in the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico. Ships in that region are advised to exercise caution.
In what appear to be worrying trend, the first three weeks of April 2020 has seen violent attacks on three offshore support vessels, one cable laying vessel and one accommodation barge. The attacks have occurred up to 75 nautical miles from the cost. The pattern during the three incidents have been similar: The perpetrators have approached in a fast boat, fired their firearms against the bridge area of their targets and have subsequently managed to board the vessel and subdue the crew. The objective of the perpetrators appears to be valuables on board, and there are no reports of kidnaps. In at least one of the cases one crew members was hurt, but there is no information regarding the nature of the crewman’s injuries or the reason they were sustained.
Ships in the area are advised to implement security measures according to level 2 in the ship’s security plan, and are also encouraged to seek inspiration for further antipiracy measures in the Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters and Seafarers – see link below.
BIMCO will continue to monitor the situation and keep members informed about developments.
Download RELATED Documents
-
Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters and Seafarers 2.9 MB
Download now
Feedback or a question about this information?
Posted:
21 April 2020
VPS Bunker Alerts
Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) publish regular Bunker Alerts based entirely on fuel samples and have kindly permitted BIMCO’s Members to access this information.
The Bunker Alerts are not intended to be an evaluation of overall bunker quality in the port or area concerned, but usually highlight a specific parameter within the fuel which has raised a quality issue.
Latest ice reports for members
Latest piracy reports
Latest industry releasable threats
Related event
SHADE 52 Conference
- Manama,Bahrain
- 16 December, 2024
Jakob P. Larsen, BIMCO’s Chief Safety & Security Officer, will attend the 52nd SHADE (Shared Awareness and De-confliction) Conference in Bahrain.
Related publication
Shipmaster's Security Manual
The BIMCO Shipmaster’s Security Manual is the industry guide to safely navigating threats to maritime security.It contains guidance to shipo...
ELSEWHERE ON BIMCO
Contracts & Clauses
All of BIMCO's most widely used contracts and clauses as well as advice on managing charters and business partners.
Learn about your cargo
For general guidance and information on cargo-related queries.
BIMCO Publications
Want to buy or download a BIMCO publication? Use the link to get access to the ballast water management guide, the ship master’s security manual and many other publications.
About a new business partner
We can help members check new business partners. We also help to recover millions of USD (undisputed) funds every year.
