After taking office on 1 January 2012, the IMO Secretary-General Mr. Koji Sekimizu today announced a number of changes in the structure of the IMO Secretariat. Mr. Sekimizu said: “The biggest challenge I see in the coming years, in terms of management of the Organization…
December marked the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard’s formal entry into the national intelligence community, although many had long perceived the Coast Guard as a de facto member.The Coast Guard began its long involvement with the work of intelligence in 1790…
The Coast Guard announced the publication of a policy letter that exempts a number of mariners from the requirement to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential when renewing or obtaining a Coast Guard-issued merchant mariner credential…
Guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91), assigned to Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, disrupted a group of suspected pirates close to the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), south of Yemen, Dec. 19. The Merchant Shipping Industry Best Management Practices…
Somalis Sentenced to Life in Prison on Charges Relating to Piracy of the S/V Quest. Mohamud Hirs Issa Ali, a/k/a Sanadaaq, 32, and Jilani Abdiali, a/k/a Ilkasse, 20, both of Somalia, were sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to life in prison for their acts of piracy against the S/V Quest…
The Maritime Security Council has accredited the on-demand trip threat reports. Piracy continues to be a major problem affecting large yachts and worldwide shipping concerns. Pirate attacks are spreading from the Gulf of Aden/Indian Ocean east to Asia and to the west coast of Africa…
American Science and Engineering, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASEI), received its first order for a Z Backscatter Van (ZBV) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ZBV system will be used to screen vehicles at high threat security locations for explosive threats and contraband…
Bill Would Reform Enrollment Process in Flawed TWIC Program. U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) introduced legislation today that would reform the burdensome enrollment process of the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) program…
In a year where globally we are seeing more natural disasters, including earthquakes in New Zealand and Chile, floods in Australia, and a tsunami in Japan, an important question for businesses relying on goods and services from suppliers in…
With the increasing use of armed guards on ships and the fear that second-rate security firms may take advantage of the piracy situation, BIMCO is forging ahead with the development of a standard contract for the employment of armed guards. The new contract…
Louisiana Manufacturer will Replace Coast Guard's Small Response Boat Fleet. Metal Shark Boats has been awarded a contract to replace the U.S. Coast Guard's fleet of Response Boat - Small (RB-S) vessels. Up to 470 boats will be delivered across the Coast Guard fleet…
As the NATO and EU NAVFOR operations Ocean Shield and Atalanta continue their work in the Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Red Sea areas, one could easily be forgiven for thinking, well, that’s that. Tough luck, pirates, the world is on to you…
Pirates off the coast of Nigeria have reportedly taken control of an oil products tanker with about 25 crew members on board, part of a new wave of increasingly sophisticated attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, according to a Dow Jones Report.The…
Damage to World Economy. “At last, governments are being stung into taking positive action to put an end to the menace posed by pirates, whether they be from Somalia or elsewhere. Not before time, there is a growing realisation that piracy…
When navigating shipping lanes and busy harbors, the ability to monitor speed and direction of other vessels is particularly important. Automatic Identification System (AIS) technology, originating from the shipping industry, has been a great help to recreational boaters in these areas…