Piracy in the S. China Sea

Gray Page discuss current threats to shipping.

The ongoing piracy threat in the South China Sea and what can be done to mitigate the risks

1. What should operators do to mitigate the growing risks of piracy in the South China Sea?

The most acute piracy threat in the South China Sea is to small – medium size tankers, carrying refined oil cargoes such as gas/diesel oil or gasoline. Here, ships are being hijacked and part or all of their cargoes are stolen. These are cargoes for which there is a black market into which stolen cargoes can be easily sold.

Owners and operators of these types of tankers would be well advised to review the security posture of their ships. By that we would mean putting in place physical security measures that make the perimeter of the ships more difficult to breach; increase the security protection of the superstructure at each deck level and into critical spaces/areas (engine room, bridge, cargo control room etc); as well as creating a safe area (often referred to a citadel) to where the crew can retreat in the event of / prospect of an attack by pirates.

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Source: hellenicshippingnews.com