Dear

Please find below our most recent Weekly Maritime Report. If you have any queries about our reports please contact us at africaops@castorvali.com

• A total of three incidents have been recorded globally during this reporting period.
• West Africa VRA/HRA: Two incidents have been reported this week.

• Indian Ocean VRA/HRA: One incident has been reported this week.

• Southeast Asia Region: No incidents have been reported this week.

• Americas Region: No incidents have been reported.

• Two incidents reported this week. One incident has been included that was received after last week’s report was sent.

• The two incidents this week saw two suspicious approaches take place. One on a tanker whilst underway approximately 72nm Southeast of Takoradi, Ghana. The other occurring on an underway fishing vessel 110nm Southeast of Takoradi, Ghana. The incident from last week saw a robbery occur on a passenger boat transiting between Orika and Port Harcourt, within the Bonny river, Nigeria.

• There have now been sixteen suspicious approaches reported in the region this year accounting for 17% of the total incidents. This is an increase compared to last year where thirteen suspicious approaches were reported, accounting for 9% of the total incidents.

• One incident reported this week.
  
• This week saw a general alert issued for a Maritime Security Operation taking place off the Somali Coast, Socotra Gap and in the vicinity of the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) between the 1st – 7th October. 
• There have been a total of seventeen general alerts issued in the region so far this year, accounting for 46% of the total incidents.
• As the end of September approaches there has been four incidents so far this month, that’s a 33% increase compared to August and a 33% increase compared to September last year.

• No incidents reported.

• The last incident to take place in the region saw a robbery occur on an anchored tanker at Rizhao Shelter Anchorage, China on 18th September.

• Tanker vessels have now been involved in twenty eight incidents so far this year, accounting for 36% of the total incidents in the region.

• As the end of September approaches there has been four incidents so far this month, a 50% decrease since August and a 50% decrease compared to September last year.

• No incidents reported this week. One incident has been included that was received after last week’s report was sent.
• The incident from last week saw a robbery occur on an anchored bulk carrier at Macapa anchorage, Brazil.
• This was the fourth incident to take place in Brazil this year, accounting for 17% of the total incidents.
• Bulk carrier’s have now been involved in eight incidents so far this year accounting for 33% of the total incidents.

This report is produced in partnership with with Clearwater (CWD).  All 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 BMP. 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.

With our head office in the UK, and regional offices in East, West and South Africa, the Castor Vali Group specialises in International Protective Services, Corporate Security and Risk Management services to governments, multinational organisations and the energy sector in emerging and high risk markets. We have extensive experience and a thorough understanding of the risks when operating in remote and hostile environments with safety at the heart of our operations and we are proud to consistently deliver the most complex projects safely, on time and on budget. Our security and advisory experts are highly experienced and qualified to provide a dedicated, client focused service, delivering risk mitigation solutions carefully tailored to project priorities.

Contact us:
Email: info@castorval.com | ops@castorvali.com
UK Switchboard: +44 (0)118 900 1406
Operations Centre (24Hrs): +44 (0)118 900 1417 / +254 (0)20 440 9614
Website: www.castorvali.com

Disclaimer

You have received this report as part of your organisation’s subscription. Castor Vali assessment and advice is given based on 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 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 any 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.