UPDATE (Mar. 21): Italian Marines Agree to Return to India to Stand Trial, Diffuse Diplomatic Row By John A.C. Cartner, Special to Piracy Daily Amidst all the head-wagging and hand-gesticulating marking the anti-pirate controversy between the Indian and Italian governments and the laws, we should step back and look at both the shorter and longer implications of the … [Read more...]
Ships Seen Using Illegal Armed Guards Against West Africa Piracy, Says P&I Club
By Michelle Wiese Bockmann (Bloomberg) -- Some merchant ships are using illegal armed guards to deter pirates off West Africa, prompting at least one country to suspend use of legitimate guards, said North of England P&I Association Ltd. Regional laws require ships to use guards provided by the security forces of local nations, the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England-based … [Read more...]
BIMCO Publishes Standardized Contract for the Use of Armed Guards on Ships
BIMCO, an international shipping association that shipowners controlling approximately 65 percent of the world's tonnage, announced today the publication of its highly anticipated GUARDCON, a standard contract for the employment of security guards on vessels. The new contract has been developed following the industries unfortunate need to provide ship owners and private … [Read more...]
Italy and India Stand Off Over M/V Enrica Lexie Incident [UDPATED]
![Italy and India Stand Off Over M/V Enrica Lexie Incident [UDPATED]](http://3kbo302xo3lg2i1rj8450xje.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Ship-207x125.jpg)
Tensions are escalating between Italy and India over who exactly holds jurisdiction over last weeks incident involving the killing of two Indian fisherman by Italian guards onboard the M/V Enrica Lexie. The two Italian guards, identified as Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone from Italy's San Marco Regiment, were arrested Sunday in Kochi after four days of negotiations … [Read more...]
Volvo Ocean Race Reveals Anti-Piracy Plans
The Volvo Ocean Race has revealed its anti-piracy plan, which will see the fleet transported by armed heavy lift ship from an undisclosed Safe Haven Port in the Indian Ocean and resume racing from a set-down point along the Sharjah coastline in the northern Emirates, within a day's sailing of the Leg 2 finish in Abu Dhabi. Race organisers announced in August that the route … [Read more...]
BIMCO to Develop Standardized Contract for Employment of Armed Guards on Ships
International shipping association BIMCO announced today that it will be moving forward with the development of a standard contract for the employment of armed guards onboard ships to weed out "second rate" security firms. The announcement comes in response to the worldwide escalation of piracy and maritime crime incidents and the rise in the number of private armed security … [Read more...]
U.S. Goes Public with Support for Hired Guns Against Piracy
Former Anti-"Mercenary" Sec. State Clinton is Now the Industry's Biggest Booster By Robert Young Pelton, Somalia Report Somalia Report leaked the internal memo from Hillary Clinton directing all regional embassies to pitch the use of armed contractors on board ships. This is in line with and expands upon the UK's approval of private security companies on just their ships. … [Read more...]