The issue of maritime security is a matter of critical importance to all marine companies. Certainly maritime security is of vital interest to Singapore and the region. Some of the most important shipping lanes and trade routes straddle the archipelago of Southeast Asia. Over a quarter of the world’s trade and half its oil pass through the Malacca Straits. But it is not merely the littoral states that have a stake in the safe passage of ships through these waterways. In a world linked by international trade and commerce, and with a global economy built on integrated supply chains, any disruption to the security of navigation in these waters would be a shock to the international system. This would clearly induce severe implications for trading nations all around the world. Why are ships easy prey? z Low manning of ships z Lack of effective implementation of strict anti-piracy measures z Ships are often registered under flags of convenience registers z Reluctance by governments to provide resources to pursue piracy investigations.
Piracy In recent times there has been a substantial rise in hijackings in the waters neighbouring Singapore, up from 16 to 25 incidents in 2002.
Many such incidents involved smaller boats, such as tugs, barges and fishing boats, in the Malacca Straits and Indonesian waters. Crime syndicates in the area were believed to be targeting vessels carrying valuable palm oil and gas oil. Indonesia again experienced the highest number of attacks, with 103 reported incidents in 2002. Piracy attacks in Bangladesh ranked second highest with 32 attacks and India was third with 18 attacks.
“Indonesia’s piracy problem calls for serious government action.” International Maritime Bureau.
MARITIME SECURITY THE NEED FOR AWARENESS AND COMPLIANCE by Roger Carver 30
Small scale Piracy: Rob the crew and depart z Attacks usually take place whilst the vessel is at anchor or in port z Ship’s safe is often targeted z Occasionally the ship is taken to be sold. z
Large scale Piracy: Rob the crew and steal the cargo z Cargo easily disposed of is usually targeted, ie timber, metals and minerals z Occasionally the ships engines are taken z Usually part of a larger criminal organisation. z