The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration and NATO have warned of a possible increase in piracy along the Somali coastline, as the monsoon season ends, creating ripe conditions for successful pirate attacks.
According to NATO, the monsoon is winding down in the Northeast and Southwest Somali basin, including the possibility of successful pirate attacks. Typically, pirate attacks in these waters tend to wind down as the monsoon begins. The monsoons here bring with them rough waters and strong winds, making it difficult for a bunch of thugs in a small boat to hijack a large vessel. There are very few successful pirate attacks during these times. However, as the monsoon season ends, and the sun comes out again, pirate gangs will find it easy to launch successful attacks all over again.
A fresh spike of pirate attacks is expected from October through December. Vessels must look out for pirates in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, as well as the pirate infested waters off the Horn of Africa. The monsoon is already winding down in the waters of the Tanzanian and Kenyan coasts, as well as the Seychelles, the Maldives and the southern Red Sea.
According to the Maritime Administration, it is issuing advisories to American shipping operators based on the latest piracy intelligence it receives. The agency also says it will work closely with the shipping industry to develop and enforce best strategies to deter pirate attacks. This includes distributing antipiracy training videos for maritime workers. The agency is also conducting regular security vulnerability assessments.
Maritime companies need to bolster their antipiracy efforts all over again in order to safeguard their vessels and crew members. The threat of piracy is as real as ever, although there has been a slight drop in the number of successful pirate attacks launched this year.
The maritime attorneys at Maintenance and Cure represent workers injured in maritime accidents off Texas, and across the globe.
