security
Security solution needs to be tailored to the threat
In the second of a new series of articles, Nick Davis, CEO of Maritime Guard Group*, looks at the situation in the Gulf of Guinea and what precautions to take when operating there
I
n the May issue of OSJ we covered the need for training, citadels and, more importantly, awareness. Shortly afterwards, we heard the unfortunate news of the BW Rhine, a vessel which was hijacked for four days and the cargo stolen, in – of all places – a ‘protected anchorage’. We cannot begin to understand what the crew went through during this time, but it is important to try to understand the nature of the aggressors, their tactics, and more importantly, what you can do to protect your vessels and crew operating within this region. After reviewing all of the known attacks in this region, there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Guinea do not use rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) like the Somalis. The bad news is there is little or no naval support, protected anchorages are not really protected, and there is no rapid reaction centre that can co-ordinate multinational military assets or assistance. So, for the foreseeable future, ships operating in the region are going to need to protect themselves as best they can.
The attacks mainly seem to happen at anchorages close to the coast as well as at distances between 80-100 nautical miles off the coast, particularly when vessels are idle or waiting for orders.
It is incredibly important for the shipping industry at large, including offshore support vessels, to actually start taking security seriously, and globally. This means more than having a single ex-special-forces person based at a headquarters several thousand miles away, advising management and providing lucrative contracts for old buddies, and going home every night whilst there are 10+ vessels and hundreds of crew in a high-risk area. Today, wherever offshore oil or gas is being developed, there are criminals who know that offshore vessels have cash, valuables and a crew that are often ill- prepared to defend themselves.
There are multiple threats in the offshore
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The nature of the threat and level of protection afforded varies from region to region
industry, so multiple levels of ‘layered defence’ are required depending on where you are in the world; environmental protesters are a different breed from Gulf of Guinea pirates, as indeed both are compared to pirates in Southeast Asia. There is no ‘one size fits all’ security solution. The position of ship security officer (SSO) on board needs to be a dedicated position for a competent, confident ex-military seafarer, not a solider who has spent their life in Afghanistan or Iraq. It is no longer a job that should be just an additional duty for a deck officer or master or someone that doesn’t have a security background or experience. The industry needs to learn the lessons from the Indian Ocean piracy problem and take a long hard look at the successes and failures from all that has been learnt.
The deteriorating security situation in the Gulf of Guinea should not mean that security plans used in the Indian Ocean are dusted down and scores of armed guards sent to the region. There is a valid requirement for some vessels to have armed guards, but vessel needs should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and with due diligence and vetting to ensure that the service delivered will meet full international requirements and laws.
In most situations,
unarmed security and a well-trained crew with sufficient watchman/lookouts and a citadel should be sufficient. Time and again incident reports say the same old thing – no roaming deck patrol, nobody on the bridge as radar watchman, no radar alarms set, and nobody paying any attention until it is too late.
This situation is typical and yet almost all incidents are avoidable, particularly if the crew are correctly briefed and trained, and the master takes vessel security requirements seriously. There are a wide range of security measures that can be put in place whilst at anchor or offshore to ensure the safety of the vessel and crew. These include: • a correctly equipped citadel • up-to-date training on the use of the citadel and immediate action on hearing the general alarm • roaming deck patrols wearing high-visibility clothing or vests • a ballast tank waterfall over deck or water hoses • use of daylight green laser flares – 3km daylight range, 20km night • powerful flash lights or night-sun torches • range ring alarms • a bridge radar/visual watchman • restricted access to decks A and B • good communications with the bridge/ duty officer • armed/unarmed security advisors. Implementing these basic, simple methods
will make a big difference to whether your vessel will have a safe and relatively trouble-free visit to the Gulf of Guinea or one that can quickly turn into a nightmare. OSJ
*About the author: Nick Davis is the CEO of Maritime Guard Group, an experienced maritime security company operating in high-risk areas with its own fleet of vessels, supporting clients in asset enhancement, training and delivery of constabulary skills
Offshore Support Journal I June 2012 I 87
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