Round the world racers to go on pirate alert

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Eight yachts competing in the Volvo Ocean Race round-the-world event will be kept closely briefed on piracy threats and monitored by warships as they approach the troubled waters of the Arabian Sea.

Into stormy waters: the Volvo fleet are threatened more than just heavy seas on the second leg to Cochin, India.

Currently on the second leg of the race, between Cape Town, South Africa, and Cochin, India, the Volvo Ocean Race fleet is attempting to avoid the worst of the pirate danger zone, heading south east of the Arabian Sea area where pirates seized a Saudi-owned crude tanker and 25 crew members on Monday.

The U.S. Navy confirmed that the vessel, Sirius Star, had been stormed by pirates and the crew held hostage.

Piracy in the Gulf of Aden region, particularly in the waters off Somalia, has soared this year with the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reporting more than 60 incidents in the first nine months of the year.

A Volvo Ocean Race spokesman told CNN that the course had been changed to help dodge the piracy threat.

"If it went straight to Cochin they would get a lot closer to the danger area," he said.

Race organizers added a scoring way point below Mauritius, and an exclusion zone above the country to keep the fleet east and away from Somalia, he said.

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The crews were about a week away from getting close to the danger zone, and it was expected they would get no closer than about 600 miles from where attacks had been reported, the spokesman said.

They would be briefed on any potential dangers when they drew closer to the northern Indian Ocean, he added.

Before the leg began, teams were also briefed on the pirate threat by Graeme Gibbon Brooks of maritime intelligence service Dryad Maritime.

"There are places you are going to which could prove problematic. There are a places where a piracy threat exists and there are also challenges of avoiding other boats. The purpose of this briefing is advice on how to avoid a situation and what to do if you can't," he told the crews.

Ken Read, skipper of one of the race's main contenders, PUMA Ocean Racing, said before the second leg started: "It's a step into the unknown for all of us.

"The ocean arena we usually race in will now be the real world. We need to prepare right so we know what to do to avoid problems."

The position of the all the competing boats is also being monitored closely, the spokesman said.

The UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO), based in Dubai, would be monitoring the positions of the boats and feed them into a database passed out to warships to assess.

If the crews make it through the second leg unscathed they then face another dangerous jaunt through the South China Sea, the Strait of Malacca, and the waters between west Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra on leg three.

Telefonica Blue led the eight teams on Monday as the boats headed east, away from the African continent.

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Pirates seize Saudi tanker off African coast: US

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1 hour ago

DUBAI (AFP) — Pirates on Monday attacked and took control of the Saudi-owned very large crude carrier Sirius Star off the east coast of Africa, a spokesman for the US Navy 5th fleet said.

"The vessel is under the pirates' control," the spokesman told AFP following a statement saying that the tanker, which is owned by Saudi Aramco, came under attack more than 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa, Kenya.

The ship carried 25 crew members from Croatia, Britain, Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia, the statement added.

The 318,000-tonne vessel, launched earlier this year, is flagged in Liberia and operated by Vela International.

The International Maritime Bureau has reported that at least 83 ships have been attacked off Somalia since January, of which 33 were hijacked. Of those, 12 vessels and more than 200 crew were still in the hands of pirates.

Last week, the European Union started a security operation off the coast of Somalia, north of Kenya, to combat growing acts of piracy and protect ships carrying aid agency deliveries. It is the EU's first-ever naval mission.

Dubbed Operation Atlanta, the mission, endorsed by the bloc's defence ministers at talks in Brussels, is being led by Britain, with its headquarters in Northwood, near London.

Pirates are well organised in the area where Somalia's northeastern tip juts into the Indian Ocean, preying on a key maritime route leading to the Suez Canal through which an estimated 30 percent of the world's oil transits.

They operate high-powered speedboats and are heavily armed, sometimes holding ships for weeks until they are released for large ransoms paid by governments or owners.

NATO warships, along with ships and aircraft from several other nations have been deployed in the region to protect commercial shipping.

Somalia has lacked an effective government since the 1991 ouster of president Mohamed Siad Barre touched off a bloody power struggle that has defied numerous attempts to restore stability.

Hell and High Water for Filipino Seamen

Link to Article By Cher S Jimenez  HONG KONG - On Sunday, 18 Filipino seamen were abducted in the Middle East's Gulf of Aden as a Korean cargo ship was attacked by pirates, representing the latest incident in a spate of high-sea hijackings that threatens to stifle crucial Middle Eastern-Asian trade at a time of global economic weakening.  As one of the world's leading labor exporters, the Philippines has been particularly hard hit by the maritime lawlessness, with at least 110 Filipinos taken captive since this July. So far 61 of them, including the body of one Filipino crewmember killed during one of the takeovers, have been released after ship owners agreed to  pay ransoms, according to Philippine Labor Secretary Marianito Roque.  A Philippine official who requested anonymity said that 26 additional Filipino sailors were due for release by Somali pirates as their employer had agreed to pay ransom. Seven vessels from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US 5th Fleet now patrol the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, where an average of 106 vessels pass daily through the strategic waterway.  The increased presence of international patrols has done little to halt ransom-seeking mainly Somali gunmen, as pirate attacks from the conflict-ridden African nation surged this month, with at least six successful hijackings since November 7, according to figures from the International Maritime Bureau.  Filipino sailors, whom Philippine government agencies estimate represent as much as one-third of the world's shipping personnel, have become unwitting targets of the pirate attacks. Official statistics from the Philippine Labor Department show that about 270,000 overseas foreign workers (OFWs) are currently employed by foreign maritime firms that transport oil, cargo and passengers across the globe.  With over 9 million Filipinos scattered across 200 countries worldwide, the Philippines is one of the globe's leading exporters of labor. Foreign remittances topped US$14 billion last year, representing over 10% of national gross domestic product. Filipino seafarers contributed an estimated $2.2 billion of that total, according to government statistics. Remittances by OFWs had risen by 17.2% from January to August this year compared to the same period in 2007, statistics from the Central Bank of the Philippines showed.  President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has expressed her hopes that OFW deployment would top the 1 million mark to help the Philippines weather the mounting global economic storm. Some say the desire to keep foreign remittances flowing explains why her government has maintained a controversial no-ransom policy for the growing number of abducted Filipino seamen.  Migrant organizations in the Philippines have asked the government to temporarily stop the deployment of Filipino seamen to ships that cross the Gulf of Aden. The government's no-ransom policy, meanwhile, stems from its dealings with the homegrown Abu Sayyaf terror group, which has a long history of using kidnapping for ransom to fund its operations.  Impractical policy Arroyo's administration instead has responded by imposing limp new regulations governing the deployment of Filipino maritime workers. The state-run Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), an agency attached to the Labor Department which regulates the deployment of OFWs, recently requested the owners of foreign ships scheduled to pass through the Gulf of Aden to allow their crew to disembark before reaching the pirate-infested waters or double their hazard pay.  Critics, including a Filipino labor official in Hong Kong who also acts as a consultant for recruitment agencies, believe that the newly implemented measures miss the mark and offer scant protection for overseas workers in a de facto conflict zone. Manny Geslani, a consultant to many shipping agencies, says the new policy is "impractical" because no ship owners would actually allow their crew to disembark, including in New Delhi, Mumbai or possibly Mozambique, before completing their journeys.  In a telephone interview with Asia Times Online, Labor Secretary Roque admitted that the safety of Filipino sailors is mainly at the mercy of the international contingents now patrolling the Gulf of Aden. "We can't do anything about it. It's the rest of the world that can protect them. [NATO is] running the whole show," he said.  Despite the POEA's new policy permitting Filipino sailors to disembark to a safe port before their ship crosses the Gulf of Aden, most still opt to brave the danger in exchange for increased hazard pay. Filipino sailors make anywhere between US$1,000 to $3,000 per month, considerably more than they could earn at home and in lower-end jobs such as housekeeping and construction.  The willingness of Filipino sailors to shoulder the added risk speaks to the growing desperation of OFWs to keep their jobs in a softening global economy. Roque said that most ships thattravel between Asia and Europe still choose to pass through the Gulf of Aden despite the danger since a detour around the Horn of Africa would tack a costly two weeks onto their journey.  Manpower agencies in the Philippines that deploy Filipino sailors have recently appealed to Arroyo's government to request additional warships from the United Nations to protect ships passing through Somali waters. However that multinational protection isn't likely to come any time soon, analysts say.  "The government can't impose a ban on seamen because it can't monitor where their ships are going. They just have to suffer the perils of the trade," says consultant Geslani. He ventures the Philippine Labor Department is actually loath to curb the deployment of more seafarers at a time an estimated 40,000 of them, including a large number employed by luxury liners, are expected to lose their jobs in the months ahead on the waves of a less buoyant global economy.  Cher S Jimenez is a Filipino journalist based in Hong Kong. She wrote for the Business Mirror in Manila, Gulf News Manila Bureau, The Associated Press and GMA7 online. She was a Yuchengco media fellow at the University of San Francisco where she conducted research on undocumented Filipino migrants in 2007.  (Copyright 2008 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us about sales, syndication andrepublishing.)

SKorea plans to send warship to combat Somali pirates

South Korea plans to send a warship to combat piracy in the lawless waters off Somalia

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6 hours ago

SEOUL (AFP) — South Korea announced Monday it plans to send a warship to combat piracy in the lawless waters off Somalia, where five more Koreans were seized over the weekend.

The defence ministry will ask parliament to approve the deployment before its current session ends on December 8, said ministry spokesman Won Tae-Jae.

Once the mission is approved Seoul will send a 4,500-ton destroyer carrying missiles and other modern weaponry early next year, a senior official told Yonhap news agency last week.

The ship will join international efforts to combat piracy involving US and French warships, the official said.

Last week, the European Union launched an operation off the coast of Somalia to combat growing piracy and protect ships carrying aid deliveries. It is the EU's first-ever naval mission.

The foreign ministry said all the South Koreans aboard a hijacked Japanese cargo ship are safe. The 20,000-ton Chemstar Venus, with five South Koreans and 18 Filipino crewmen, was seized in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday.

"All our five crewmen... turned out to be safe," said foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-Young, confirming contact had been made with the kidnappers.

The spokesman refused to give other details such as whether a ransom had been demanded. The ministry says the Panamanian-registered ship is owned by a Japanese firm and its captain is Korean.

South Korean ships have frequently been targeted in the region.

Somali pirates seized a South Korean cargo ship and 22 sailors on September 10. The crew was released last month after the ship's owner paid a ransom.

Last year Somali pirates seized two South Korean vessels and 24 crew including four South Koreans.

The crew were released in November after six months in captivity. Local media reports said the pirates had demanded a ransom of five million dollars before reducing the sum to an undisclosed figure.

In April 2006 a South Korean tuna ship with 25 crew on board was hijacked. The ship and its crew were released after four months following the payment of a ransom.

The International Maritime Bureau reports at least 83 ships have been attacked off Somalia since January, of which 33 were hijacked. Of those, 12 vessels and more than 200 crew were still in the hands of pirates.

Baalu quick to claim credit for ship rescue

Link to Article MUMBAI: After the release of Stolt Valor by pirates, Union shipping minister T R Baalu's office was quick to issue a statement  to point out his interest in the matter. ‘‘Baalu has been personally monitoring the progress on a day-to-day basis to ensure that sufficient efforts were made for the release of the ship. The minister has expressed relief and happiness and conveyed his best wishes for a safe journey home to all crew members. He has also conveyed his best wishes to the family members of the crew who have been suffering through this ordeal,’’ the statement said.  With the sailors’ families and maritime unions holding public rallies calling for a boycott of seafaring in the area, and the Indian navy expressing its interest in chasing down pirates, two navy warships were sent to the danger zone last month. One saved an Indian ship from being boarded by pirates last week.  A naval official said, ‘‘Though we had no direct connection to the Stolt Valor episode, we are keeping a close watch on the waters off Somalia and patrolling the Gulf of Aden to deter pirate attacks on Indian merchant vessels.’’  A Nato fleet of around seven vessels is also in the Gulf of Aden to assist anti-piracy patrols and escort cargo vessels. But according to fresh data from IMB, attacks have increased in the past week, with at least five successful hijackings since last Friday.  Central Marine, the Japanse owners of Stolt Valor, issued a statement saying, ‘‘We would like to thank the government of India, the maritime authorities concerned and associations, the seafarers’ union and above all the hijacked seafarers’ families for being supportive and instilling faith in us.’’

Somali Pirates Free Ship, Seize Another

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By VOA News  16 November 2008

Somali pirates have hijacked a chemical tanker with 23 crew members on board, soon after releasing another ship for which they received a ransom.

The South Korean foreign ministry says pirates seized theChemstar Venus and its crew of five South Koreans and 18 Filipinos off the coast of Somalia late Saturday.  The ship is owned by a Japanese company.  There has been no word on the condition of the crew.

The hijacking came shortly after pirates freed another Japanese-owned chemical tanker, the Stolt Valor, on  Saturday.  Indian officials say all crew members aboard that ship are safe, including 18 Indians, two Filipinos, a Bangladeshi and a Russian.  

Officials say a ransom was paid to the pirates, who seized the ship in September.   

In a separate incident, Russia's navy says its forces prevented the seizure of a Saudi-owned vessel during a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden Saturday.

Russian officials say a navy warship was guarding three cargo vessels through the Gulf when it received a distress call from the Saudi ship, Rabih.  Officials say navy forces repelled the pirates, who were approaching the Saudi ship on speedboats.

International Maritime officials say at leaset 83 have been attacked off Somalia this year, with 33 of them hijacked.  The pirates are currently holding about 11 ships, including a Ukrainian cargo vessel carrying 33 tanks. 

Somalia's interim government is fighting a strengthening Islamist insurgency, and does not have forces to patrol its territorial waters. 

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

 

Pirates attack Saudi 'super tanker'

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CNN) -- Pirates in the Arabian Sea have hijacked a Saudi-owned oil tanker with 25 crew aboard, the U.S. Navy and the British Foreign Office confirmed on Monday.

The Sirius Star -- a crude "super tanker" flagged in Liberia and owned by the Saudi Arabian-based Saudi Aramco company -- was attacked on Saturday more than 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa, Kenya, the statement said. The crew include British, Croatian, Polish, Filipino and Saudi nationals.

The UK Foreign Office confirmed two Britons were aboard and said it was seeking more information about the incident.

A multinational naval force including vessels from the U.S., the UK and Russia has been patrolling the seas near the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, following a sharp increase in pirate attacks in the region.

On Sunday pirates seized a 20,000-ton Japanese cargo ship off the coast of Somalia. A Russian patrol ship also thwarted an attack on a Saudi vessel.

Eleven vessels are currently being held by pirates hoping to secure ransoms for their release, according to The Associated Press. They include the Ukrainian-owned MV Faina, which was hijacked in September along with 200 crew and a cargo of weapons and T-72 tanks.

Ninety percent of ships transiting the perilous seas are using a guarded corridor and there have been no hijackings inside the zone since it was set up on August 22, Danish Commodore Per Bigum Christensen told AP last week.

Around 20,000 oil tankers, freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route each year.

"Our presence in the region is helping deter and disrupt criminal attacks off the Somali coast, but the situation with the Sirius Star clearly indicates the pirates' ability to adapt their tactics and methods of attack" said U.S. Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, commander of the Combined Maritime Forces.

"Piracy is an international crime that threatens global commerce. Shipping companies have to understand that naval forces can not be everywhere. Self protection measures are the best way to protect their vessels, their crews, and their cargo."