IMO sec-gen urges industry viligance following Somali pirate hijacking

Lim urged the industry to “apply diligently IMO guidance and best management practices” after Somali pirates hijacked the tanker Aris 13 on 13 March, the first successful attack since 2012. The pirates are demanding a ransom for the eight Sri Lankan crew members being held on the vessel off Puntland in northern Somalia.

“While we have seen a very welcome decline in piracy off Somalia since the last reported hijack by Somali pirates in 2012, the reality is that piracy off the coast of Somalia has not been eradicated and the underlying conditions have not changed,” Lim said.

“Merchant shipping should continue to take protective measures against possible piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean through diligent application of IMO guidance and Best Management Practices.”

It is the first reported hijack of a vessel by Somali pirates since the Smyrni in May 2012, while the most recent attempted attack was in October 2016 on the product tanker CPO Korea some 300 nm off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.

Lim called upon the Federal Government of Somalia and its regional authorities in Puntland to take prompt action to ensure the safe and speedy release of the eight seafarers being held hostage.

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