En: Maritime Security

If we look at some of the statistics and statements produced by the major organisations operating within the HRA (High Risk Area) of Somali based piracy, you get a feeling of not only the size of the problem but also how little the international community can do and how alone you and the rest of the merchant shipping industry must feel:

Piracy Attack Damage

''There is a 1 in 500 chance of being pirated in the HRA that covers an area of 2.8 million square miles. To effectively cover this entire area and provide a response within 1 hour there would need to be 83 warships with helicopter capability deployed at any one time.,,
(Colonel Richard Spencer, Former Chief of Staff, EU NAVFOR)

''The failure to comply fully with BMP4 places the ship owners/operators, Master and crew at unnecessary financial and personal risk.''
(Captain Pottengal Mukundan, Director IMB)

Self-protection measures have been proven the most successful means of preventing a pirate attack and 80% of attacks outside the GOA (Gulf of Aden) have disrupted a pirate attack with correct implementation of BMP4. The vast majority of successful pirate attacks are where vessels have not been applying BMP4 to the fullest possible extent.
(Colonel Richard Spencer, former Chief of Staff, EU NAVFOR)

These statements speak for themselves and the importance, for crew safety and sound economics, to abide by BMP4 is paramount. The difficulty however is the understanding of how to apply this effectively. In most cases Masters and crew believe they have implemented a sound plan in accordance with BMP4. What we have found however, is that in over 80% of these cases the anti-piracy security plan and hard fortifications have not been implemented to a sufficient level. This is not through a lack of desire or seamanship but that of limited knowledge of piracy tactics and military defensive experience to combat an attempted boarding.

For the mariner, military type defensive tactics and knowing the right approach to mitigate these increasing threats is a maze of uncertainty. When an SSO (Ships Security Officer), Master or crew look at their vessel they, unconsciously, undertake their role of seamanship with confidence and to great effect. This is akin to the trained maritime security consultant where the implementation of BMP4 is second nature, they instinctively understand the principles of defence and the tactics that pirates use to board and gain control of your vessel.

The security of maritime interests is a huge concern for you, shipping companies and ship owners and when you consider the cost implications adds to this increasing problem.

One of the biggest decisions expected to be made on the European Unions (EU) commitment to combatting Piracy off the Horn of Africa, did not produce the response many were expecting. The House of Lords extension of Operation Atlanta, which is deployed to protect fishing, the world food program and provide assistance to merchant shipping from piracy is due to end in 2014, was not formally extended.

For many this has been the foreseen agenda, which is strengthened when compared with the EU’s commitment to producing its latest mandate on the use of Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP), a clear sign of its intention to place this increasing problem into the hands of the commercial security sector. It is believed that the EU has also been under extreme pressure form individual states that, after little direction or commitment form the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), decided to take decisive action and provide a mechanism for their flagged vessels to protect themselves. The UK Prime Minster being the most prominent in October 2011 when his government made the announcements public!

       General John Craddock, NATO’s top commander in 2008 pointed out that we cannot continue to chase around the 2.8 million square miles of open sea in multi million Dollar warships looking for a needle in a haystack, its not economically sound or practical. He concluded that the only way to eradicate piracy was through land-based operations. If we look back in history to the rise and fall of piracy we can see that this has been proven as the only means so far of “getting the job done”. The rival of Julius Caesar, Pompey or The First Man of Rome, was the republic of Rome’s leading general. In 3 months he eradicated piracy in the Mediterranean by not looking for them on the high seas but destroying around 150 pirate land bases.

What conclusions can we decipher therefor from what works and what national government and international organisations have decided to do commit to the piracy problem. It all comes down to cost over commitment! There is clearly a moral element to the private sector dealing with a state problem, but if dealt with correctly with transparency them there is no reason why it cannot work.

The UK government have appointed SCEG (Security in Complex Environments Group), which is part of the ADS group, to help with regulating private security companies. What this means is that frameworks are currently being developed in line with the UN’s mandate for humanitarian law and human rights which I’m sure everyone will agree is a positive move. Areas that they will focus on will be Training Standards and national/international law and its interpretation through the use of working groups.

     These positive moves by the government and SCEG will certainly raise the bar within the security industry but also help provide confidence for those business areas that seek to use the services of private security companies in complex international environments. Now, if the government are content, the security sector are happy and ultimately the customers of private security companies feel confidant and safe, then for me this is a triumphant situation for all concerned!

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