It is recognized that by ensuring all crew members (even the bridge team!) Pirates off the coast of Nigeria kidnapped 15 sailors from container ship Mozart (IMO 9337274) in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday January 23rd in an attack that was more violent and further from shore than the past norms in the Gulf Of Guinea. This should be the primary consideration when planning and securing the space but other considerations include ensuring the vessel has adequate sea room in which to drift when all persons are within the Citadel. ASE - Citadel-Anti Piracy Solutions. While piracy and armed robbery on ships increased in 2020, the pandemic has also affected maritime crime more generally, sometimes favorably. This high-risk area is bounded by 1. The crew mustered in the ship’s citadel and were unharmed in the incident. The following was published in the EU NAVFOR OP ATALANTA & IMB INDUSTRY UPDATE NR. “We are very pleased to report that the incident has been resolved and our crew are safe and unharmed, and the vessel is fully operational… Our profound thanks to Captain Gopich for his leadership and the professionalism and courage of the entire crew throughout this ordeal.”, (1 of 2) As you may have read in the press, the M/V ROWAYTON EAGLE was hijacked about 240 miles southeast of Lagos (Nigeria). By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. On Saturday, pirates off Nigeria kidnapped 15 sailors from a Turkish container ship and killed one. A citadel is designed and constructed to resist a determined pirate trying to gain entry for a fixed period of time." ( Log Out /  Use all kind of barriers that are available to prevent pirates from boarding the ship. Eastern Limit: Area west of Longitude 65 E 4. How it works The above deck equipment is installed anywhere on the ship with a clear view of the sky. Email: [email protected] Phone: +1.805.704.2536. are completely secured within the space and the vessel is disabled (fuel cut to main engine and generators) pirates will be unable to achieve control of the crew / vessel and be unable to progress the hijacking. Enter your email and get some awesome stuff every week. Time permitting, vessels should also remember to display NUC (Not Under Command) lights and shapes should all persons retire to the Citadel space. If possible use physical barriers such as razor wires and electrified fence along the periphery of the ship to prevent pirates from boarding. ( Log Out /  Accounts from crew, family members and security sources described a sophisticated and well-orchestrated attack in which armed pirates boarded the ship and breached its protective citadel, possibly with explosives. The master of MSC Jasmine raised an alert, sent most of his sailors to the ship’s citadel, and ordered his security team to return fire. Where to Buy. The pirates retreated, but didn’t get far. This is the area where it is considered that there is a higherrisk of piracy. The Citadel should be properly equipped and give full consideration for food, water, fire fighting, communications, first aid and emergency lighting requirements/equipment. Only a few days later, another large cargo ship was boarded by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea. Join the 65,772 members that receive our newsletter. Overview. Photo: MarineTraffic.com/John Pegden. The working... STANBUL, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Fifteen Turkish sailors kidnapped by pirates last month in the Gulf of Guinea arrived back in Turkey on Sunday and the ship’s captain described how... DUBAI, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Iran said on Monday that a U.S. move this month to seize a cargo of oil on the grounds that it came from Tehran was... For general inquiries and to contact us, please email: [email protected], To submit a story idea or contact our editors, please email: [email protected]. Like with all other guidance available, whether this advice, (particularly the part where advice all personnel onboard, including the master) are to withdraw to the citadel is followed is of course at the masters discretion. She was en route from Canary Islands to Lagos Nigeria, stopped and then began to loop around on Jan 27, most likely waiting out until receiving ok to proceed to Lagos port. The company also hailed the ship’s Captain for his leadership throughout the ordeal. Ships tracks in the area point to bulk carrier ROWAYTON EAGLE. The company said automatic identification system (AIS) data showed the ship had been drifting since January 27. PIRATES gangs are giving up stealing cargo in favour of "easy money" kidnappings which can net them ransoms of up to $50,000 per victim, a former Royal Marine has told us. The following was published in the EU NAVFOR OP ATALANTA & IMB INDUSTRY UPDATE NR. In a situation where this advice is followed, it could be a very good idea to provide the Citadel with a VHF radio. It is also suggested that prior to transiting high risk areas Citadel retreat drills are conducted in order familiarize persons with the process and to test the security of the Citadel and the communication systems. Dryad reports that the attack on the Rowayton Eagle marks the seventh offshore incident and third recorded offshore boarding so far this year. A citadel is a system of threat identification, deterrence and defence. The two incidents are the latest to highlight the recent surge of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, which hit a record in 2020 with 130 crew kidnappings in 22 separate incidents, according to the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre. 5 on the 12th of May 2009: Many vessels have established an onboard “piracy attack muster point” which is commonly referred to as a “Citadel Space”. This will alert other vessels in the region to keep clear of the vessel but will also aid military forces in clearly identifying the vessel. Once secured within the Citadel crew members are advised not to actively resist the pirates’ efforts to gain entry. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. To date, the most effective counter-measures against Somalia based pirates have proven to be speed and presence of armed security guards. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Such spaces should be located within the ships structure and where possible be away… The Mozart was 200 miles off Nigeria's coast when the pirates made their assault, their speed boat cutting through the Gulf of Guinea's waters to outpace the container ship. Also keep water cannons, ballast / fire pumps, and fire hoses ready. Drill effectiveness could be better improved by having a couple of crew members assume the role of hijacker and attempt to gain entry to the space or force persons to exit.”. Armed men scrambled onboard as the Turkish crew locked down in the ship's "citadel" secure area. The vessel arrived safely at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on February 7. These cookies do not store any personal information. Shipboard Citadels are intended to provide all crew members with a safe space where they can retreat to in the event of a hijacking. There may be legal consequences in the case a collision was to occur with another vessel. (This Jan. 24 story corrects to show Boden is ship operator not owner; and Ambrey's analysis that citadel was breached via hatch not upper deck) ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Pirates … The MV Rowayton Eagle is a 63,301 DWT bulk carrier built in 2013 and registered in the Marshall Islands. A Citadel is designed and constructed to resist a determined pirate trying to … Reports at the time said that the assault was an unusually well-coordinated effort with the pirates boarding the ship and able to breach the vessel’s citadel. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The incident was first reported by maritime security firm Dryad Global, which reported that the MV Rowayton Eagle was boarded by pirates off the coast of Accra, Ghana. We are very pleased to report that the incident has been resolved and our crew are safe and unharmed, and the vessel is fully operational…. The term is often mistakenly applied to the saferooms into which officers and crew lock themselves as a last resort to await rescue. In that incident, one crew member was shot dead and fifteen were abducted after pirates breached the ship’s citadel, a form of safe room on board the vessel. Working with Ship’s engineers, Vessel owners, and their IT teams, Battery Backup professionals, we collaborated to bring you (in our opinion) the best in Anti-Piracy solutions. Pirates are to be expected to attempt to gain access to the space or force crew members to exit the space. Pirates are stepping up attacks on ships in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, defying regional navies. ( Log Out /  Use whatever time available, no matter how short, to activate any additional protective measures and plans. A citadel as defined in BMP4 is "A designated pre-planned area purpose built into the ship where, in the event of imminent boarding by pirates, all crew will seek protection. Pirates off Nigeria's coast kidnapped 15 sailors from a Turkish-crewed container ship in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday in a brazen and … Pirates carrying weapons do not usually open fire until they are very close to the ship, e.g. The pirates managed to overcome the outer layers of the ‘citadel’ and board the dead ship. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will convene a maritime security working group in response to the growing number of pirate attacks on ships in the Gulf of Guinea. 38: “A Citadel is a designated pre-planned area purpose built into the ship where, in the event of imminent boarding by pirates, all crew will seek protection. As per our sources, the 2/Engineer, an Azerbaijan national was unfortunately killed during the incident while 15 crew members were kidnapped and taken off the ship. (This Jan 25 story corrects to show Boden is ship operator not owner; and Ambrey’s analysis that citadel was breached via hatch not upper deck) ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Pirates … A Citadel is designed and constructed to resist a determined pirate trying to gain entry for a fixed period of time. Without taking crew members hostage, pirates will be unable to navigate the vessel to an anchorage and military forces in the region may take action because, when secure within the Citadel, there is little risk to the vessels crew in event of such activity. The incident was first reported by maritime security firm Dryad Global, which reported that the MV Rowayton Eagle was boarded by pirates off the coast of Accra, Ghana. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. The owner of the Mozart has since been in contact with the kidnapped crew members and reports that they are uninjured as the company works to secure their release. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. A Citadel as defined in BMP4 is “A designated pre-planned area purpose built into the ship where, in the event of imminent boarding by pirates, all crew will seek protection. The high-risk area has been designated based on the pirate’s activities and areas where most of the attack took place. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Reports indicates that the crew mustered in citadel but pirates breached the citadel. But it has been used successfully earlier and may prove to be a very efficient way preventing the pirates gaining control of the vessel, as should be evaluated in the event of an attack in the event of a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden or East of Somalia. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Armed men scrambled onboard as the Turkish crew locked down in the ship's "citadel" secure area. Turkey's Maritime Directorate said the crew initially locked themselves in a safe area but the pirates forced entry after six hours. This will make it clear to the attackers that they have been seen, the ship is prepared and will resist attempts to board. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. within two cables. In the event of a suspicious approach, or if in any doubt, call UKMTO without delay. A Citadel is a designated pre-planned area purpose built into the ship where, in the event of imminent boarding by pirates, all crew will seek protection. Cargoship off Indonesia have failed date, ship citadel piracy most relevant experience your account... 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