Piracy Problem goes JUMBO
We have long known the scale of the Somali problem – but it has finally confirmed its status as “JUMBO”…with the number of crew held reaching 747.
With the recent hijackings of the VLCC Irene SL and Savina Caylin – the numbers, scale and sheer scope of the piracy epidemic are writ large.
A new campaign supported by Maritime Security Review is set to focus attention on the plight of those being held and of the families and friends they leave in limbo back at home.
RSVP: Remembering Seafaring Victims of Piracy is a campaign launched to fill an important gap in anti-piracy social service care, while providing additional exposure and support for other industry efforts.
The concept is to drive:
• Awareness – Ensuring that the number of hostages is not forgotten, and also providing a ready source of information on the scale of the problem
• Support – A source of information on where and how seafarers who have suffered from attack, or incarceration can access support, whether physical or psychological. This will also apply to the families, friends, colleagues, etc of those who have been hijacked, or are still being held
• Information – To act as a focal point for information on the human aspects of the issue. This will work in partnership with care agencies, the medical profession, and will afford press, media, companies, colleges, etc with a trusted information partner
• Prevention – The RSVP campaign will look to disseminate best practice and feedback from partner organisations and supporters. The aim will be to raise awareness of the ways and means of avoiding capture, but more so on the ways of dealing with the hostage situation and of coping afterwards
The ultimate aim of RSVP is to ensure that seafarers are not forgotten, and that those who suffer at the hands of pirates (whether seafarers or their family), will never have to guess at what resources are available to them, or of the ways in which they can ease the physical or psychological scars which piracy can lead to.
As you will see on the www.marsecreview.com homepage we have the RSVP counter, which keeps a running total of the people and vessels currently held. Until this reads zero we will have failed, the industry will have failed and so too with the IMO and UN. We are all in this together and the struggle to contain and defeat piracy is going to be a long one.
To find out more and to join us in promoting RSVP email steven.jones@marsecreview.com
