West African pirates are now using motherships to stage attacks, according to an article published by Tradewinds citing a report from Bergen Risk Solutions, a risk analysis and mitigation firm specializing in oil and gas and shipping companies operating in West Africa.
According to the report, at least four staging vessels, or motherships, were used to aid attacks on ships and oil rigs in the first quarter of 2012 off the coast of Nigeria.
Specifically, Bergen notes a January attack on a bulk carrier approximately 290nm off the coast of Lagos, the farthest noted attack on a vessel since bergen began conducting assessments in the area in 2007.
Container ship underway on 9 January near position 03:00N – 007:28E, approximately 85 nm south of Bonny Island, Nigeria, was chased and fired upon by eight pirates armed with AK47s in a single skiff launched from a nearby from a fishing trawler. The Master increased speed, took evasive maneuvers, and crew mustered in the citadel, prompting the pirates to abort the attack and move away. via gCaptain Piracy Update
Most recently, on March 22, a Nigerian flag chemical tanker 80 nm south of Brass was attacked by a speedboat deployed from a fishing vessel.
NIGERIA: Chemical Tanker was chased on 22 March 100nm SW off Bonny Island, Nigeria at position 02:57 N – 006:12 E. Armed pirates in two boats chased a chemical tanker. The Master raised the alarm and sent a SSAS alert and instructed the crew to proceed to the safe room. A US warship responded to the alert and offered assistance. The pirates later aborted and left. via Captain Piracy Update
As we have mentioned in the past, West African pirates operate much differently than their Somali counterparts, typically opting for snatch-n-grab items or a vessel’s cargo, rather than holding vessels and crews for ransom, and also not venturing too far from shore. But despite these differences, the use of motherships by west African pirates is certainly alarming in more ways than one.
Swiss marine power company WinGD will record the first installation of its new X-S short-stroke engine design following successful factory acceptance tests with engine builder Dalian Marine Diesel in March....
The European Union’s counter-piracy naval operation off the Somali coast, known as Operation Atalanta, has reiterated its warning that ransom payments could potentially exacerbate the piracy issue off the Horn...
By Abdiqani Hassani (Reuters) – Somali pirates released a hijacked ship, MV Abdullah, and its crew of 23 early on Sunday after a $5 million ransom was paid, according to...
April 14, 2024
Total Views: 2322
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.