Horn of Africa: NSC Urges for Timely Reporting of Piracy-Related Incidents

In the last week there have been no significant events, as a result the NATO Shipping Centre (NSC)  has removed all Areas of Concern which were published last week (01-07 Aug 2013), NSC said in a weekly update. Nevertheless, the threat of piracy remains and vigilance is required when transiting though the High Risk Area is still strongly advised.

It is requested that ships’ masters conform with the standard operating procedures for reporting possible acts of piracy as recommended in BMP4. A reminder that without providing this information in a timely manner, UKMTO, MSC HOA and NSC cannot pass data onto warships in the region. Delays in reporting incidents increase the search area and therefore decrease the likelihood of investigating and/or capturing possible pirates. It is recognized that the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el Mandeb is a very difficult environment in which to distinguish benign activity from that of potential pirates however a clear and timely flow of information is critical.

No changes to the current weather pattern. The Southwest monsoon conditions continue to dominate the region and will remain in position until the fall when there will be a breakdown in the dominant weather system and the transition to the North east monsoon season. Until sometime around September the overall forecast for small boat / skiff operations is unfavourable along the East Coast of Somalia extending from the tip of the Horn of Africa down through the Somali Basin.

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Press Release, August 15, 2013; Image: NSC