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West Africa anti-piracy guidelines updated

West Africa anti-piracy guidelines updated
Shipping industry associations have issued updated guidelines for anti-piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

Bimco, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Intercargo and Intertanko have updated the “Guidelines for Owners, Operators and Masters for Protection Against Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea Region”.

The association noted piracy in West Africa had become an established criminal activity and that attacks had become increasingly violent, often involving firearms and kidnapping. They said the guidelines had been updated to take into account what has become a “totally unacceptable security situation”.

“Although the nature of the attacks against shipping in West Africa differs from that of Somalia-based piracy, the basic principles of the Best Management Practices (BMP), previously developed by the industry to help protect against piracy in the Indian Ocean, are also applicable,” the associations said.

“The Guidelines should therefore be read in conjunction with BMP4, but seek to tailor this to the specifics of the threat in West Africa, providing comprehensive advice on avoiding and deterring criminal acts and armed robbery in the region.”