Piracy DVD
London-based Steamship Mutual, a leading P&I Club, announced the imminent launch of its latest Loss Prevention DVD entitled “PIRACY – The Menace at Sea”.
The Club described the current piracy situation as a “wholly unacceptable threat to merchant shipping and seafarers from the activities of Somali pirates,” which, it continued “unfortunately shows little sign of receding.”
Although the naval presence of warships from many countries patrolling the Gulf of Aden “has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of attacks in that area…vessels continue to be at risk of attack far offshore where naval resources are less concentrated,” the Club explained.
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It also pointed out that the “Best Management Practice Guidelines (BMP) have been compiled by the industry to assist Masters and their crews to implement effective action deter piracy and to reduce the vulnerability of vessels. It is self-evident that if pirates are prevented from boarding a vessel, it cannot be hijacked. Consequently, effective BMP compliance is essential to reduce the risk of a vessel being pirated. It is therefore surprising that there continue to be vessels transiting the high risk area that do not implement the BMP guidelines, either fully or at all.”
As a result of the ongoing threat from the Somali pirates, Steamship Mutual’s managers stated that they “firmly believe that there is considerable loss prevention benefit to be derived from the encouragement of more widespread compliance with the BMP guidelines.”
The Club said its latest loss prevention DVD has been produced with that objective, and its release within the next few weeks, “will closely follow the publication of the latest iteration of the BMP guidelines – BMP4. The loss prevention potential of this production has been recognized by the wide range such as EU NAVFOR, NATO, UKMTO, OCIMF, IMO, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, BIMCO and the IMB. The Club greatly appreciates the assistance they have provided.”
The premiere of the film before an invited audience will take place in London on the third of August. Copies of the DVD will be supplied free of charge once production work has been completed.
Chris Adams, Head of Loss Prevention at Steamship Insurance Management Services Limited commented: “It is important that all vessels transiting the high risk area have a copy of this DVD onboard, and that seafarers watch it in order to maximize their prospects of avoiding capture. The human cost of piracy is less prominent than it should be and we owe it to our seafarers to do the most that we can to assist them from becoming victims of this unacceptable menace.”
