A total of ten incidents have been recorded globally during this reporting period. Three incidents globally that occurred last week were received since the previous report was sent.

• West Africa VRA/HRA: Seven incidents have been reported.
• Southeast Asia Region: No incidents have been reported this week. One incident in this Region that occurred last week has been received since the previous report was sent.
• Indian Ocean VRA/HRA: Three incidents have been reported. One incident in this Region that occurred last week has been received since the previous report was sent.
• Americas Region: No incidents have been reported this week. One incident in this Region that occurred last week has been received since the previous report was sent (included in graphs).

• Seven incidents reported this week, including one Filipino crew member being unaccounted for.

• This week saw two pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea. It is suspected that these attacks have been carried out by the same PAG who attacked a tanker last month 20th February 2020 (CV Alert 013- Feb 20). Their base has been reported to be in the Bayelsa State region of Nigeria.

• These two pirate attacks coincide with the release of nine crew members who were kidnapped on the 20th February 2020 (CV Alert 013- Feb 20). The crew were released on the 6th March 20, a total of 16 days captivity.

• The Harmattan season is still ongoing, reducing the visibility offshore and the sea state is under level 3. These conditions are clearly favorable for piracy activities.

• 0 incidents have been reported this week, however, there has been 1 incident reported from last week which was received after the previous report.
• There were seven piracy incidents in February, all of them being robberies with five of the vessels being underway at the time of the incident.
• There has been an increase in reported incidents compared to this time in 2019, with petty theft dominating the incidents reported.

• 3 incidents reported this week, with 1 incident from last week which has been added as it was received after the previous report.

• The most notable incident this week was CV Alert 004 on 3^rd March 2020. According to reports, an unmanned vessel with explosives onboard suspiciously approach a tanker in the IRTC.

• There has been a sharp increase in the amount of alerts in the region, compared to this stage in 2019. With 6 alerts in past 4 weeks being reported within the Gulf of Aden region.

• 0 incidents reported. 1 Incident received after last report was sent.
• De-bunkering operations are due to begin on a very large ore carrier (VLOC) off Sao Luis, Brazil which was transiting from South America to China. It has been reported that an investigation is being carried out by local police about whether the VLOC did hit an unidentified object in the shallow waters, which is what the shipowner is claiming, or if the VLOC had a fault on it’s hull which was not noticed when the it left port.
• A total of two incidents took place in the month of February, these were both robberies. The main risk for seafarers during these robberies is the act of violence, if any resistance is made.

The report’s findings are predictive and estimative. To communicate these findings clearly and in order to accurately compare threat levels, the report uses a variation of terminology used by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Piracy: CWD/CV have adopted the definition of piracy similar to that given in the BMP5. Content within this document uses the term ‘piracy’ which includes all violent and non-violent acts against vessels, her crew and cargo which have taken place either in internal waterways, territorial waters or deep offshore. CWD/CV classifies piracy incidents into six categories:

Hijacking – Crew lost control of the vessel for a sufficient period of time and then pirates kidnapped at least one crewmember and/or passenger (s)

Pirate Attack – Vessel was attacked with gunfire or RPG fire and/or then boarded the vessel with the intent to hijack and/or kidnap at least one crewmember(s) and/or passenger(s)

Robbery – Vessel is boarded with criminal intent, theft does not have to occur

Suspicious approach/vessels – Suspicious activity reported (i.e. a vessel was approached by unidentified craft with one or more persons on board) or sighting of firearms and boarding equipment on board a suspicious vessel and/or sighting of a confirmed pirate mother ship

General Alert – A reported incident has been released by authorities to notify seafarers of a possible incident which is still being investigated/confirmed. This can also be a warning of an imminent Danger to seafarers

Caution – An unconfirmed warning of an incident that could affect seafarers which CWD Operations Centre has received.

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You have received this report as part of your organisation’s subscription. Castor Vali assessment and advice is given on the basis of the information received and processed by us and the surrounding circumstances known to us to exist at the time. Subsequent changes to relevant information or to the surrounding circumstances may affect the reliability of our assessment and advice but we do not accept responsibility for that effect. We do not accept responsibility for the outcome of action taken or not taken as a result of our assessment and advice unless the possibility of that action being taken or not taken is set out in specific terms in our instructions.