This just in from Bitter End:

The Seattle Times is reporting:

A NATO destroyer has sunk a pirate mothership in the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast after allowing the crew to leave, the alliance said Monday.

Shona Lowe, an anti-piracy spokeswoman, said the HDMS Absalon – the Danish flagship of the three-vessel NATO flotilla in the region – disrupted a pirate operation by scuttling one of the large boats used by Somali gangs to transport attack teams to piracy hunting areas far off the coast.

The complete Seattle Times post by Slobodan Lekic is here »

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Washington, DC – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today reminded mariners about the importance of taking necessary precautions and implementing best practices in the wake of recent attacks on the M/V Harriett and Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia.

“These ships’ successful defense against pirates should serve as a reminder to the maritime industry of the best practices that can keep crews safe on the seas,” said Secretary LaHood. “Mariners should heed the lessons learned from past attacks and review defensive measures so that they are prepared when traveling through high-threat areas. The U.S. government will continue to work with ship operators to protect U.S. citizens in regions where piracy still poses a serious threat.”

Last week, the M/V Harriett thwarted a pirate attack by outrunning the pirate ship. Yesterday, guards aboard the Maersk Alabama repelled a pirate attack using small arms fire. No casualties were reported in the incident, which took place 350 nautical miles east of the Somali coast.

This was the second attack by pirates against the Maersk Alabama this year. In April, pirates hijacked the ship and took Captain Richard Phillips hostage, holding him at gunpoint in a lifeboat for five days until he was freed by Navy SEALs.

A maritime advisory issued in September by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration warned vessels to avoid routes where attacks have taken place while also recommending that mariners demonstrate a willingness to defend themselves. Additional information can be found in the press release.

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Update:

Release via EU NAVFOR:

On the early morning of 18 November 2009, 350 nautical miles east from the Somali coast, pirates attacked MV Maersk Alabama, a US flagged, Danish owned, 155 meter long, Container ship.

Pirates fired automatic weapons on MV Maersk Alabama who responded with fire from an embarked Vessel Protection Detachment. The crew managed to repel the attack and no casualties were reported. The vessel was previously hijacked in April 2009.

An EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft from Djibouti was tasked to investigate the situation and the closest EU NAVFOR naval vessel was tasked to search for the pirate attack group and neutralise the area.

The Maritime Patrol Aircraft stationed in Djibouti takes part in the EU NAVFOR mission Operation ATALANTA. The main tasks of Operation ATALANTA are to escort merchant vessels carrying food of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP), the protection of vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.

More details at CNN: Pirates foiled in their second attack on Maersk Alabama cargo ship

Original Post

The following is posted by Fred Fry:

The news story out this morning is that the US-Flag MAERSK ALABAMA has been attacked again by pirates. Surely that is news in itself. However, possibly the bigger story is news that the Maersk vessel had armed guards onboard who repelled the attackers.

Maersk Alabama attacked again – MAERSK Alabama evaded a pirate attack off the Somali Coast today, seven months after it was hijacked in nearby waters.

Pirates fired on the 1,098teu box ship with automatic weapons, but guards on the US-flagged ship returned fire and repelled the attack, a statement from EU NAVFOR said. There were no casualties.

An EU NAVFOR naval vessel is searching for the attackers.

During April’s hijacking, Maersk Alabama’s captain was held hostage before he was freed in a commando assault. Three pirates were killed in the operation.

In another incident near Somalia today, pirates have eluded a Spanish military fusillade and swum to freedom.

The pirates had held the Alakrana tuna trawler hostage for 47 days. They escaped to shore after turning over the 36 seafarer hostages, Spain’s defence ministry said.

Helicopters and other forces chased the last group of pirates to leave the trawler. At least one pirate craft was hit by fire but no casualties were reported, said the ministry of defence.

The trawler was freed yesterday after the reported payment of a $4M ransom. – Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)

At least in this case, having armed guards onboard did not escalate the attack. It ended it.

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Sep 9 2009

The Maritime Administration today issued an advisory to mariners and ship operators that piracy is likely to increase off the Horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean now that monsoon season has ended.

“We must apply the lessons learned from the crew of the Maersk Alabama,” said Acting Maritime Administrator David Matsuda, referring to the U.S. crew that escaped pirates last spring. “We are urging mariners to take defensive measures and not surrender at the first sign of a threat.”

The advisory not only warns vessels to avoid routes where attacks have taken place, but also recommends that mariners “demonstrate a willingness to defend yourself.” Today’s update encourages mariners to travel at “maximum sustainable speed” through “high threat areas” and to continually conduct risk assessments during their voyage. The advisory also gives mariners information on how best to check in with authorities and how to request escort service in a convoy.

The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration routinely issues advisories, which usually warn of possible hazards and inform ships at sea of the measures they can take to avert danger. The text of the advisory can be found at the Maritime Administration web site, www.marad.dot.gov. In addition to posting on the website, advisories are broadcast by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to all U.S. flag ships and to other maritime interests.

(source: Maritime Administration)

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Somali pirates aboard a hijacked ship fired at a U.S. Navy helicopter yesterday, Navy officials said.

According to the Navy, the helicopter from the USS Chancellorsville was not hit, there were no injuries and the helicopter did not return fire.

The chopper received fire while on a surveillance flight over a Taiwanese-flagged vessel that pirates had captured in April. Footage taken from the SH-60B helicopter shows at least one pirate opening fire with what appears to be “a large-caliber weapon,” officials said.

Somali pirates hijacked the Taiwanese-flagged Win Far vessel April 6, and since have used it as a “mother ship” to conduct attacks, most notably on the U.S.-flagged Maersk-Alabama in April. The incident occurred in the Indian Ocean south of Garacad, Somalia, where the Win Far is anchored.

During the flight, the aircrew members observed pirate activity, but did not confirm they were fired on until their return to Chancellorsville and review of the infrared surveillance footage. The helicopter was about 3,000 yards from Win Far when it happened.

Luckily for the pirates, the aircrew members were not able to confirm they were fired on until a review was done of the infrared surveillance footage captured of the incident (shown above). The helicopter was about 3,000 yards from Win Far when it happened.

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Yesterday’s attack on the U.S. flagged Liberty Sun was strikingly reminiscent of last weeks attempted hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, which we all know ended in the kidnapping of the ships Captain.  Both vessels had a crew of some 20 US nationals, both were carrying food aid to Mombosa, Kenya, and both vessels could only use evasive maneuvering and blockading themselves inside the engine room while waiting for military forces to respond to distress calls and, just like last weeks attack, help came in the form of the USS Bainbridge… SOME FIVE HOURS LATER!

Since Sundays rescue of Capt. Phillips, two vows have been made:

1. President Obama vowed that “[the US] is resolved to halt the rise of piracy” and to achieve that goal the is going to have to work to prevent further attacks, be prepared to confront the attacks when they arise and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable.
2. Somali pirates vowed retaliation in the form of killing hostages if the US and other countries try to attack. It was even stated that “U.S. forces have become our No. 1 enemy.”

So what happened yesterday? [Continue Reading →]

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M/V Biscaglia and her security team. Via the Dailymail

In a well researched article titled Mercenary Guards Jump Ship as Somali Pirates Remain Undeterred Bloomberg exposes private security efforts to protect ships in the region. What is not well researched however, is the title incident aboard the M/V Biscaglia.

In last week’s edition of Maritime Moday, Fred Fry posted the wired magazine article Sonic Blaster Firm Disputes Pirate Tale which shares LRAD’s investigation into the failed attempt to use of non-lethal weapons aboard the Biscaglia. Specifically Fred asked the question “I wonder if this explains why some stories mention that the attack lasted forty minutes and others mention that it was all over in ten?”. Finally, Bloomberg gets an answer straight from the French Navy:

“As the Biscaglia attack was under way, its distress signal was picked up by the Nivose, a French frigate escorting 18 merchant ships 40 miles away. When a Panther helicopter from the Nivose arrived 15 minutes later, the pirates were already in control”

APMSS, the security firm protecting the Biscaglia, did not respond to Bloomberg’s statements but said in a statement that its crews have prevented three hijackings recently. Regardless of their response, which has been inconsistent, it’s clear to us that the LRAD was not deployed in time to be of much use which leads to the question “Are alternatives to armed guards still a viable answer?”    Master Mariner and friend of gCaptain, Kennebec Captain, recently commented: [Continue Reading →]

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View Larger Map

From the Associated Press:

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — On the same day Somali gunmen seized two more ships, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize nations to conduct land and air attacks on pirate bases on the coast of the Horn of Africa country.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was on hand to push through the resolution, one of President George W. Bush’s last major foreign policy initiatives.

Rice said the resolution will have a significant impact, especially since “pirates are adapting to the naval presence in the Gulf of Aden by traveling further” into sea lanes not guarded by warships sent by the U.S. and other countries.

The council authorized nations to use “all necessary measures that are appropriate in Somalia” to stop anyone using Somali territory to plan or carry out piracy in the nearby waters traversed each year by thousands of cargo ships sailing between Asia and the Suez Canal.

That includes the use of Somali airspace, even though the U.S. appeased Indonesia, a council member, by removing direct mention of it, U.S. officials said. READ FULL ARTICLE

This is a major advancment in the fight against pirates off the Somali coast.

In addition, Rice also called on the shipping industry to strengthen the defenses of commercial vessels and urged countries victimized by piracy to detain captured pirates and prosecute them in their own courts. An unwillingness to apprehend and prosecute pirates captured on the high seas has hindered the global response to the threat, Rice said.

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Somalia Piracy Update for December 12, 2008 is provided by NATO Shipping Centre

2 December – a cluster of possibly co-ordinated approaches made to 5 merchant vessels in Gulf of Aden, successfully repelled by Italian destroyer, Luigi Durand de la Penne
MV CENTAURI was released 27 November (ransom payment amount not known)
MV MAERSK REGENSBURG was attacked approximately 450n miles east of Dar es Salaam (350nm west of Seychelles). Two pirate skiffs made two attempts to board the vessel and used small arms and 3x RPGs in the attack causing small fire on board. This is the most southerly incidence of piracy yet reported.
The last successful hijack was of MV BISCAGLIA 28 Nov
MV CAPTAIN STEFANOS was released 7 December; tbe vessel is now on route to Suez (ransom payment amount not known).
13 vessels remain hijacked comprising 11 merchant ships 1 fishing vessel and tug boat Yenegoa Ocean

The current slide displays last known position of hijacked vessels.

Over 200 merchant seamen are still held by pirates. The use of mother-ships seems to be on the rise, and potentially, vessels are hijacked with the sole intention of using them as such.

In short, the trends in latest piracy incidents are as follows:

• Targeting larger cargo / oil / gas / chemical tankers
• Approaches / attacks conducted from 2-3 small speedboats with 3-5 armed persons each. The number of boats involved in each incident seems to be increasing.

Given the significant increase in piracy (and piracy related) incidents in the Gulf of Aden, the NATO Shipping Centre asks any ship or ship owner to report to us with any details of (perceived) suspicious activity (e.g. ships on radar shadowing their movements, changing course to intercept, changing speed to match or intercept)

• course and speed of vessel if available
• positions and date/time
• identity or description of suspicious vessel(s)
• photograph if available

Please report any such activity to the NATO Shipping Centre’s (NSC) free call centre: +44 (0)1923 956574, or by fax: +44 (0)1923 956575, or E-mail: info@shipping.nato.int

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Related Posts:

• Blackwater to Provide Assistance in Gulf of Aden
• Pirates Choose Wrong Ship to Mess With
• Secretary LaHood Reminds Mariners of Best Practices Following Recent Attacks on the Maersk Alabama and M/V Harriett
• Maersk Alabama Thwarts Another Pirate Attack Using Armed Guards
• Maritime Administration Warns of Likely Increase in Piracy

Without question, piracy off the soast of Somalia is a problem that is costing time, money, headaches and lives. As of right now there is really no end in sight. Many shipping companies are taking extreme measures, like re-routing their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, in order to avoid the possibility of being hijacked. Broken down, this means that the costs associated with avoiding Gulf of Aden (i.e. fuel, daily charter rates, longer transit times of cargo) are less than the of the risk associated with a vessel being hijacked and held for ransom.

Last week we reported on the attempted hijacking of two cruise ships holding hundreds of passengers, one of which was even fired upon withing the UKMTO Transit Corridor. Now, one cruise line company is deciding to take measures to protect its civilian passengers from any harm. AFP reports:

The MS Columbus cruise ship will drop off its 246 passengers before the ship and some of its crew sail through the Gulf on Wednesday, the Hamburg-based company said in a statement, without saying exactly where they would disembark. It said the passengers would take a charter flight Wednesday to Dubai and spend three days at a five-star hotel waiting to rejoin the 150-meter (490-foot) vessel in the southern Oman port of Salalah for the remainder of a round-the-world tour that began in Italy.

The company said it was sending its passengers on the detour as a “precautionary measure,” given rampant piracy off the coast of lawless Somalia that recently has targeted cruise ships as well as commercial vessels, including a Saudi oil tanker and a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and other weapons.

For this company, the costs of detouring the passengers through the area far out-weigh the risk of any harm or inconvenience done to them. Now void of any tourists, we will just have to see how the MS Columbus fares in the dangerous waters.

In fact, it would be interesting to see the analysis that these companies are doing before making the decision to avoid the area.

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Related Posts:

• Piracy In Somalia – FAQ Part 1
• Pirate Attacks and Hijackings – Weekly Report
• La Ponant Captured By Somali Pirates
• Secretary LaHood Reminds Mariners of Best Practices Following Recent Attacks on the Maersk Alabama and M/V Harriett
• Maersk Alabama Thwarts Another Pirate Attack Using Armed Guards