UKMTO Weekly Piracy Report #piracy #marsec

Command Overview

1. There are no significant events to report this week.

2. The 39th Shared Awareness and Deconfliction Conference (SHADE) was held in Bahrain on 30 Nov 16. The meeting on this occasion was attended by the three Operational Commanders, Vice Admiral Kevin M Donegan USN - Commander Combined Maritime Forces, Vice Admiral Clive CC Johnstone CB CBE RN – Commander NATO Allied Maritime Command and Major General Rob Magowan CBE RM – Commander European Union Naval Force Somalia.

‘Spillover of regional conflict in to the maritime environment is a threat that is clear and present in the Southern Red Sea and Bab al Mandeb Strait’.

‘The attack on MV Galicia Spirit has highlighted the fact that it is not always possible to determine the source or motive of an attack and therefore deduce how to react’.

Vice Admiral Donegan ‘encouraged the conference to take home the message that despite the reduction in successful piracy attacks since 2008, counter piracy still requires their attention’ and that ‘the threats we knew in the past have been suppressed but not eliminated and new threats are emerging’.

Vice Admiral Johnstone took the opportunity to thank ‘General Magowan and Admiral Donegan as well as the navies represented here for the close cooperation and coordination NATO has enjoyed since 2008’.

NATO ceases Operation Ocean Shield at the end of the year but ‘will remain engaged in the fight against piracy by maintaining maritime situational awareness, keeping the ability, flexibility and readiness to deploy should the situation determine’.

3. A final reminder that the next Maritime Information Exchange Vessel Operators’ Meeting (MIEVOM) will take place at the Dubai International Seafarers’ Centre (DISC) on Thursday 8 Dec 16.

Those wishing to attend should inform Lt Chris Long at: dubai-2ic@ukmto.org

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