As study shows that the latest trends in Piracy attacks shows increased use of sea-jacked smaller fishing vessels, firearms, targeting larger cargo / oil / gas / chemical tankers. Piracy-related incidents have increased in the Gulf of Aden (GOA) and far off the east coast of Somalia since the engagement of EU NAVFOR, NATO, CTFs and warships of non-aligned nations.

Except for improved defensive measures on merchant ships none of the other responses like the deployment of navies, killing or arresting Somalis as well as destroying boats and weapons, talks with proxy-leaders, training of so-called governmental forces etc. had the slightest positive impact to improve the security of maritime traffic in innocent passage and none of these measures did curb Somalia-based piracy around the Horn of Africa.

For 2010 the recorded account around the Horn of Africa stands at 97 attacks by Somali sea-shifta resulting in 42 sea-jackings on the one side and the sinking of one merchant vessel (MV AL ABI) by machine-gun fire from the Seychelles's coastguard boat TOPAZ and the wrongful attack by the Indian navy on a Yemeni fishing vessel on the other.

The naval alliances had since August 2008 and until May 2010 apprehended 1090 suspected pirates, detained and kept or transferred for prosecution 480, killed at least 64 and wounded over 24 Somalis.

While billions have been and are spent to finance self-serving naval exercises, no aid - whatsoever - has been set free to improve the situation for the people along the Somali coasts, which is the only solution to truly safeguard against piracy. The Directorate Genral of Shipping has issued a notice on 30th March 2010: All Indian-flagged motorized sailing vessels are - with immediate effect - no longer permitted to ply the waters south and west of a line joining Salalah (Oman) and Malé (Maldives).

Few of the HOSTAGE CASES UNDER NEGOTIATIONS:

• MV SOCOTRA 1: Seized December 25. 2009. The vessel carrying a food cargo for a Yemeni businessman and bound for Socotra Archipelago was captured in the Gulf of Aden after it left Alshahir port in the eastern province of Hadramout.
• VC ASIAN GLORY: Seized January 02, 2010. The UK-flagged, UK-owned car carrier was taken around 620nm off the Somali coast in the Indian Ocean
• FV AL-SHURA: Seized after February 20, 2010 and most likely on 25th February with one of 9 sailors being killed by Somali pirate-attackers.
• AL-NISR-AL-SAUDI: Seized on March 01, 2010. The relatively small bunker barge Al Nisr Al Saudi was empty when it was taken pirated in the Gulf of Aden and in the vicinity of Aden port.
• FV SAKOBA: Seized after February 26, 2010, when the vessel was in Malindi / Kenya for bunkers
• MT UBT OCEAN: seized on March 05, 2010. The Marshall Islands-flagged, Norwegian owned oil-product tanker with 21 crew from Burma was captured between the Seychelles and Tanzania
• MV FRIGIA: Seized March 22, 2010. The Turkish owned, Malta-flagged 35,244-dwt bulker with Israeli-owned cargo of phosphate was hijacked off the Indian coast before midnight
• MV ICEBERG I: Seized March 29, 2010. The UAE-owned, Panama-flagged Ro-Ro vessel MV ICEBERG 1 with her 24 multinational crew members (from India, Pakistan, Yemen, Ghana, Sudan and one Filipino) was sea-jacked just 10nm outside Aden Port, Gulf of Aden.
• FV JIH-CHUN TSAI 68: Seized March 31, 2010. The Taiwan-flagged and -owned fishing vessel
• FV NN - IRANIAN FISHING VESSEL: Seized before April 02, 2010.
• VLCC SAMHO DREAM: Seized April 02, 2010. The Marshall Islands-registered "Samho Dream", a 300,000t oil tanker
• MV RAK AFRIKANA: Seized April 11, 2010, the general cargo vessel
• MV VOC DAISY: Seized in the morning of April 21, 2010, the Panama-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier
• MV AL ASSA: Seized before May 04, 2010. The Yemeni cargo ship with nine crew members on board
• MT MARIDA MARGUERITE: Seized May 08, 2010
• MV PANEGA: Seized late afternoon of May 11, 2010
• MV ELENI P: Seized in the morning of May 12, 2010

To address these issues Oil & Maritime is planning to organize for the second time a panel discussion -- ‘Criminalization & Piracy Interactive Forum (CPIF) 2010’ on 20th August 2010 at Hyatt Regency to discuss the above along with a possible workable solution which could benefit the ever growing Merchant Shipping trade.

The panelist will comprise of Government representatives, representatives from Indian & International maritime association, Union. The delegates will comprise representatives from the Ship Owners, Ship managers & Present Seafarers. The forum will have participation from Indian & International shipping fraternity.

We welcome you all to participate as a delegate in the interactive forum to discuss / deliberate the subject which is of utmost importance for the Merchant Shipping industry to grow.

Topic:
Criminalization & Piracy Interactive Forum (CPIF) 2010
Theme: Moving towards a possible workable solution

Panelists:
Mr. Michael Pinto – Former Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India.
Capt. Prakash Correa, Great Eastern Shipping Co. Ltd.
Mr. Abdulgani Serang, General Secretary & Treasurer, National Union of Seafarers of India.
Capt. Rajalingam Subramaniam, Vice President, MISC Berhard, KL, Malaysia
Capt. H Khatri, Sr. DDG, Directorate General of Shipping (Invited)

Venue:
Hyatt Regency, Sahar Airport Road, Mumbai
Date: 20th August 2010
Time: 2 PM – 5:30 PM followed by high tea