Feral Jundi

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Maritime Security: The Gulf Of Guinea And Piracy

Filed under: Gulf Of Guinea,Maritime Security — Tags: , , — Matt @ 9:53 PM

Washington estimates the Gulf of Guinea will supply about a quarter of U.S. oil by 2015 and has sent military trainers to the region to help local navies secure shipping.

That quote up top is all you really need to know, when looking at how serious of a problem piracy could be for the world and for the US in the Gulf of Guinea. For that reason, I will start to focus more on that region, just because I have a hunch that we will see an increase in piracy there.

The thing is that these guys are learning from other successful models of piracy operation, and soon they too will achieve the same kind of success as the Somali pirates. Hell, I could imagine some Somali’s attempting to make an entry into that hunting territory. Although I am sure they will be edged out by equally aggressive criminals and investors. –Matt

Edit: I just came across this latest post by Tracking Energy Attacks.  This is a great website and they are using Ushahidi to map all of these energy related attacks around the world. The author also expressed concern about this region, and here is a clip from the post:

I’m a little more interested in the developments in the Gulf of Guinea where based on my count there have been 24 reported successful attacks with the bulk of them coming off of the coast of Benin. Less than 10 attempted but unsuccessful attacks were reported. Piracy is also apparently a growing concern for Southern Africa with numerous attempted attacks occuring off the coast of Tanzania and north of Madagascar. Such trends have global energy supply implications given that “six million tons of oil are transported around South Africa’s western coastline every month” as well as regional energy production implications.

Italian tanker Anema e Core seized by pirates off Benin
24 July 2011
Pirates have hijacked an Italian diesel tanker off Benin in western Africa in an attack of the kind more usually associated with Somalia.
Assailants boarded the RBD Anema e Core early on Sunday in the Gulf of Guinea, officials in Benin and Italy confirmed.
Two of the 23 crew are Italians, the others Filipinos and a Romanian.
Benin’s navy said it was following the hijacked ship while Italy’s foreign ministry liaised with its owner in Naples.
Three pirates managed to board the ship 23 nautical miles (43km) south of Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin, Italian media said.
“Everything is being done to trace the pirates as quickly as possible,” Maxime Ahoyo, commander of Benin’s navy, told reporters in Cotonou.
The Gulf of Guinea has become increasingly important for its potential energy reserves which have attracted international interests, BBC West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy reports from Dakar.
The US, for example, hopes to import about a quarter of its oil supplies from the region by 2015.
West African coast guards have been receiving US training to combat growing maritime insecurity.
Most recent attacks on shipping around Africa have been off its east coast, where Somali pirates have ranged deep into the Indian Ocean, but the danger in the west was already identified several years ago.
Story here.
—————————————————————-
FACTBOX-Key political risks in the Gulf of Guinea
Tue Jul 5, 2011
By Richard Valdmanis
A stretch of West Africa’s coast spanning more than a dozen countries, the Gulf of Guinea is a growing source of oil, cocoa and metals to world markets.
But rising rates of piracy, drug smuggling, and political uncertainty in an area ravaged by civil wars and coups have made it a challenging destination for investors seeking to benefit from the massive resources.
The Gulf of Guinea runs from Guinea on Africa’s northwestern tip to Angola in the south and includes Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Cameroon.

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Job Tips: SAMI Member Companies And Their Career Pages

Filed under: Job Tips,Maritime Security — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 2:17 PM

Ok ladies and gentlemen, I figured this would be a good resource for anyone interested. What I have done is to take every company that is a member of SAMI, and list them with their career sections.

The reason why I wanted to do this, is to direct applicants towards companies that actually care enough to sign on to a code of conduct and standard.  The list below is a very interesting mix of international companies, and you will recognize a couple from my last survey. The cool thing with this list, is these are actual maritime security companies or security companies, that have been approved by SAMI. This is also a big hint to clients of these companies, that you should direct your complaints to SAMI, to ensure quality is enforced.

The other cool thing about these companies, is that if you do gain employment with them, then you can direct your complaints to SAMI and demand that your company act in accordance to the codes and standards, or they get punished. SAMI is trying to promote itself as a group that can hold it’s members to a standard, and I thoroughly support this concept. I just hope they have the courage to do so.

Either way, I plan on making this a page up top so it is easy to get to. I can also modify, edit, and add more members up there. If you are the CEO or employee of one of the mentioned companies, and there is something incorrect or you would like to add something, just contact me or make a note in the comments section. You can do that here on this post, or on the page itself.

For those companies that are not SAMI members, let me know and I will put you down in the categories section ‘Private Naval Companies’ below, if you are not there already. Although I do reserve the right to ‘not include’ certain companies in either sections. I will probably be removing SAMI companies, and others as time goes by, just because if the word get’s out that you do not take care of your people, or that you have provided poor and reckless service to clients, then your company will not get promoted on this blog. –Matt

The SAMI List

Aspida (Greece)
www.aspida.org
Aspida is constantly looking for high caliber security professionals for deployment as part of our onboard security teams.
The ideal applicants should have a career in the special forces, be fluent in English and have a sincere love for ships and the sea.
If you are interested in a career at a company where skills, achievements and loyalty are highly valued and professional advancement is defined by meritocracy please send us your CV in English along with army discharge papers and training certificates to hr@aspida.org
—————————————————————
Atlas Inc. (UK)
www.atlasinc.co.uk
We require the minimum following qualifications before an applicant is considered by ATLAS. Military service discharge papers checked (for correct Military discharge).
ISPS Ships Security Officer Qualification.
STCW95 (Seafarers Training, Certification and Watchkeepers code 4 Part module, Fire Fighting, Elementry First Aid, Sea Survival Safety, Personal Safety and Social Responsibility.
ENG1 Medical qualified.
CV, reference check and interview.
info@atlasinc.co.uk

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Thursday, July 21, 2011

Maritime Security: Germany Authorizes Their Ships To Use Private Armed Security

Filed under: Germany,Maritime Security — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 1:40 PM

This is good news for German private security companies and German shipping. With the blessing of their government, now they have a means of securing PSC’s to legally protect their country’s ships. The German shipping market is big as well, so this should lead to an increase of contracts for PSC’s in this market.

I also like the quote about the monopoly of the use of force. All I can say is Max Weber is rolling in his grave right now! lol

The government had until now always rejected such a solution, unwilling to give up the state’s monopoly on the use of legitimate force.

But seriously, this was the right move. If the state cannot provide that protection because of other commitments or a lack of government funding, then of course allowing private industry to contract with PSC’s is the next best thing.  The shipping companies can also choose the best company that meets their needs.

The other interesting quote was the study that was done on how many shipping companies had already contracted armed security:

Shipping firms have started taking matters into their own hands, with a study published last week by the consultancy firm PwC showing 27 German ships already carry armed security men on board, with a further six employing unarmed security operatives. Just 17 percent of the 100 firms questioned said they thought the ‘Atalanta’ mission added to safety in the pirate regions.
The Association of German Ship Owners (VDR) confirmed the move towards employing armed guards, but said it was only a second-best solution.

If just 27 ships out of this survey group of 100 have armed security, and that only 17 % thought the Atalanta task force mission of protection was successful, then do the math?  Not to mention an increase of attacks on German boats. The German PSC market should see pretty drastic growth now that the government is blessing this, and those companies positioned to be first movers on this market will do well. Did I mention that German ship owners control 3,500 ships, the world’s third largest fleet? Interesting stuff. –Matt

Ships turn to private security to fight pirates
July 21, 2011
German ships braving the waters off Somalia will now be able to officially employ private security firms to fight off attacks by pirates, after the government admitted it could not provide the protection itself.
State secretary in the economics ministry responsible for maritime affairs, Hans-Joachim Otto, said on Thursday that he could not answer the repeated calls from shipping companies for soldiers or armed police officers to accompany their boats.
“We don’t want desperadoes, so we are looking into a certification,” said Otto. He said security firms offering protection would have to meet certain standards. The government had until now always rejected such a solution, unwilling to give up the state’s monopoly on the use of legitimate force.
He said the number of pirate attacks on German ships had risen from 100 to 163 during the first half of 2011. The number of successful hijackings had dropped though, from 27 in the first half of 2010 to 21 in the first six months of this year.

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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Company Spotlight: The Security Association For The Maritime Industry

Filed under: Company Spotlight,Industry Talk,Maritime Security — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 12:01 PM

I wanted to bring attention to this specific trade group, just because groups like this are great resources for guys looking for companies to work for. If you go to SAMI’s membership directory, you will see a number of companies that have signed on. Which is great, because at least if you get a job with that particular company who is a member, you can use the association as a means of keeping that company in check.

But like with the ISOA, if SAMI does nothing about complaints or does not have the courage to punish members, then what good is the association? It’s value in my opinion, is it’s ability to keep it’s members in check and keep them on the path of ‘doing the right thing’. Companies who treat their contractors poorly, or rip off clients, and who are members of these associations, in turn tarnish the reputation of those associations and the members that have signed on to such a group. So to me, it is ridiculous that an association ‘would not’ punish a member or expel them from the group, if they violated the codes that they and everyone signed onto.

The other problem with associations is that when a member pays good money to be a member of the group, and the officers and operations of that trade group depend upon those membership dues, then it becomes very difficult for these guys to punish members who do bad things. It’s like biting the hand that feeds you, and it is this financial component that works against the strength of an association–if they claim to abide by some standard or code of conduct. Of course an association needs operating funds to keep working on behalf of the association, but you can see the potential conflict of interest here?

Overall, I appreciate the efforts of these associations, because it gives the various clients out there another tool for their research. It also gives companies that believe in a certain standard, to gather and show their support for such a standard. These associations are also key to organizing industry, so that it can effectively communicate consensus. You can have a thousand chaotic and disjointed voices screaming for attention, or you can have one clear and concise voice backed by a thousand people.

But, I should also remind these associations that if you fail to listen and act on the concerns or complaints of clients, the public or the contractors that work for these member companies, then what good is your association? –Matt

Link to association here. (the website is under construction, and it is listed in my associations category for future reference)

 


The Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) provides an independent regulatory trade association for maritime security companies.
Providing credibility, trust and respect, SAMI introduces a level of regulatory discipline and scrutiny to ensure that the maritime industry can easily identify reputable maritime security companies. SAMI provides reassurance and guidance, where none has existed before and establishes the benchmark for standards within the industry.
SAMI as a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), represents the industry at an international level in a balanced and cogent manner with transparency, honesty and integrity.
The membership encompasses maritime security providers, consultants, trainers, individual operatives and the maritime security equipment, technology and hardware manufacturers – to provide direct links to the commercial shipping industry, offshore oil & gas industry and ports too.

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Monday, July 18, 2011

Maritime Security: Anti-piracy Consultants In Search Of Asian Clients

Filed under: Hong Kong,Letter Of Marque,Maritime Security — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 9:53 PM

The move reflected growing interest by Hong Kong and mainland shipping companies to use armed guards to protect their ships and crews while sailing through pirate-infested waters in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Gibbins said the firm had seen business grow 140 per cent so far this year compared with last year as the global shipping industry increasingly used armed personnel. “We’ve been working for two years and clocked up 1,000 transits. We’ve deterred 23 attacks, all of which avoided any lethal force,” he said.

Every once in awhile, an article comes up that is just full of interesting data. This article is short, but filled with some key points that have helped to identify a trend here. That the armed maritime security business is on the rise, and expanding.

The article mentioned a familiar company called PVI or Protection Vessels International. This company was identified as one of the top Maritime Security companies that guys wanted to work for in my last survey, and it is great to see a good company expanding and doing well.

What was also interesting is that the author identified a trade industry called the Security Association for the Maritime Industry or SAMI. This trade group is doing some good work, and namely trying to organize and hold it’s members to some standard. Which is great, because at this time, there is no one regulating the maritime security industry. A group like this can also help shipping companies to determine who the good companies are..kind of.

On the other hand, SAMI will run into the same problem that ISOA has when it comes to dealing with a member company that screwed up. Or how they deal with member companies when one of us contractors files a legitimate claim of abuse and violation of the code that the company signed on to follow. Will they truly punish one of their members when they do bad, or even take away their membership?  What kind of teeth does SAMI have to actually police their own is the question, and that will be the indicator of it’s true strength as a group.  Or is this just another club for companies to join, and say ‘look, we are members, so we must be good’.

Which this brings us to the road that I keep ending up on when we talk about this stuff. We can have associations and trade groups and clubs all day long, but unless we have legal authority or license to do what we are doing, then all of these self imposed regulations and policies are just kind of weak. A Letter of Marque is a license that comes directly from the highest authority of any country, and it is a license that is backed up by hundreds of years of use. If a country is willing to put it’s flag on a vessel, then why are they so afraid to put that same flag on an armed security team in the form of a comprehensive LoM that is backed by a bond?

I mean if I have to get the SSO, STCW 95, ENG1, TWIC, Yellow Fever and  Seaman’s Kit Book for a job, I guess I will do it. But the ultimate would be an LoM. And even with an LoM, you would probably run into issues when dealing with other countries out there, but at least you would have a license of true significance.

On another note, if you look at that list of member companies at SAMI, you will have quite the list of maritime security companies to submit resumes and CV’s too. You can do the same over at the ISOA, and that is a great way of identifying those companies who are players out there.

Finally, another point to make here is the market of armed maritime security work is expanding quickly. Lots of countries are getting on the band wagon of armed security, which is great. But what I would like to see, are more of the larger companies getting into the game.  Of course all of the government related contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan are the cash cows of these companies, but as the war winds down and there becomes less and less demand for armed security in the war zones, then it would make sense that some of these companies would look at maritime security as a potential market. I think there is room for a lot more entry into this market, and especially if companies like PVI have seen a ‘140 percent increase’ in business just in this year alone.

As more vessels get armed security, the vessels that do not have security will get an increase in attention by the pirates as well. So the market will be expanding quickly as the ratio of unprotected vessels decreases–less boats, yet the same amount of pirates, and probably an increase in attacks against unarmed vessels. Remember, the pirates are using scouts and hacking emails and doing whatever they can to find out who has security, and who does not. It is this environment that security companies should examine, and understand that now is the time to enter the market if you are looking for other business.-Matt

Anti-piracy consultants in search of Asian clients
By Keith Wallis
Jul 17, 2011
One of the largest companies providing armed guards for shipowners is to open an office in Hong Kong next month to help develop closer business links with Asian shipowners.
Commenting on the move, Paul Gibbins, director of communications for Protection Vessels International, said: “We are looking for further opportunities in that part of the world.”
Shipping industry insiders said on Friday that the company’s executives would visit Hong Kong this week to meet shipowners before opening an office in the city early next month.
Gibbins said most of the firm’s clients are owners and managers in northern Europe and the company was keen to broaden its customer base. Ian May, who will head the Hong Kong office, would look for opportunities throughout Asia and allow the company to have a closer physical presence in Asia’s shipping community.

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