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 "We are naturally concerned by the increasing threat of piracy in the Gulf
of Aden and now the growing threat of piracy south of Somalia and on our
planned route towards Tanzania. We are very fortunate in that we are being
assisted by Drum Cussac, one of the leading maritime security agencies based
at Poole, UK. The threats are nevertheless very real and we will be monitoring
the situation closely as it develops over the coming weeks."
Philip Beale, Expedition Leader, November 2008
Key facts on
Phoenicia’s piracy policy:
The major risk from
pirates is from the shipping lanes around the Horn of Africa (Somalia and
Eritrea in particular where risks have recently increased) and some parts of
East and West Africa. The expedition have discussed the security aspect of
the expedition with leading maritime security experts Drum Cussac (www.drum-cussac.com).
The overall policies that will be adopted are as follows:
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No fire arms will be
taken which will reduce the risk of a fatal incident through a
misunderstanding or a fire fight which we would be unlikely to win.
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On board there will be
briefing procedure for all crew on how to respond in the event of a pirate
attack. The core crew were fortunate enough to have been given a security
training session from an Advisor at Drum Cussac, before leaving the UK
and this knowledge will be incredibly beneficial to the whole team.
-
A Long Range Acoustic
Device (LRAD) is onboard the ship to warn off, deter or ultimately
incapacitate pirates who attempt to come on board.
James Howard-Higgins of Drum Cussac said, "In a world that is becoming
increasingly hostile, with the threat of pirates becoming greater, we are
delighted to be able to offer our maritime clients this device to help
protect them at sea. The navy and armed forces have proved its
effectiveness and whilst we do not suggest that this alone will secure a
vessel it can deter the majority of situations".
-
There will be increased crew watches in high risk areas to ensure the team
are highly alert
-
In the Gulf of Aden the
passage will involve sailing within 10-20 miles of the Yemen coast to
avoid the Somali threat and to significantly reduce the likelihood of
attack
-
In the Indian Ocean the
passage will involve sailing 600 miles offshore to avoid the Somali threat
and to significantly reduce the likelihood of an attack. Daily routing
advice based on up to date security threats will enable the Captain to
make informed decisions about Phoenicia's route
-
The relevant NATO naval
patrols will have been alerted to our intentions
-
The ship will be in
radio silence and blackened ship where necessary
-
The radar and radar
reflector will not be used in high risk areas
-
The expedition will,
where possible, seek an escort or sail "in convoy" when operating in areas
prone to piracy.
Links and points of interest:
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