Leading container lines reinitiate piracy meetings to keep focus on piracy

Tuesday, 14 May 2013 00:35 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd representing 40% of the world container shipping industry have met to discuss the piracy threat towards international shipping.

The meeting focused on piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and West Africa. The cooperation between CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd includes information exchange on security measures, piracy policies and procedures as well as coordination with relevant stakeholders.

“Although we have seen a decline in piracy activity over the past year, piracy continues to be a concern for the shipping industry, and therefore we still need our piracy consensus meetings where we can cooperate on responses to the threat to ensure the safety and security of our seafarers,” CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd said in a joint statement.

At the piracy consensus meeting, CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd agreed that the international community’s efforts to fight the problem have contributed significantly to the improvement in the situation seen today. Especially the naval presence in the Gulf of Aden and the pursuit of appropriate legal frameworks to ensure pirates are prosecuted and held responsible for their crimes have contributed hereto.

“We highly appreciate the efforts by the international community to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean and the success achieved. The continued commitment by the international community with a strong presence and mandate is critical to sustain the current low level of piracy activity,” CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd said.

CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd have put the guidelines in the Best Management Practices to use on a daily basis and have gained significant experience over the past years on what adds value to their ship protection.

“The Best Management Practice (BMP) has been a key contributor towards reducing the risks of piracy. To remain relevant, a revised BMP must focus further on the risk assessment element as the key methodology to determine appropriate anti-piracy measures. In our experience, a ‘one size fits all’ approach does not provide the most effective and efficient solution against the threat. Each protective element must be evaluated in response to the risk and the appropriate level and mix of security methods must be used,” CMA CGM, MSC Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd concluded.

Hamburg Süd, CMA CGM, MSC and Maersk Line continue to support proposals for regional capacity building to address the issue such as a regional coast guard and further commitment by the international community to address the root causes of piracy ashore.