On September 14 in the Gulf of Guinea, the cargo vessel Martina was boarded by sea robbers armed with guns and knives while anchored at Conakry Anchorage in Guinea, Dryad Global’s latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory (MSTA) has revealed.
“The assailants took vessel equipment and damaged vessel navigation equipment before escaping. Crew were signaled safe,” Dryad Global noted in the MSTA.
“This is the first incident in Conakry in 2022. Incidents in Conakry are almost exclusively robberies at anchorage, with robbers frequently armed and willing to confront crew. The European Union (EU) has extended its Naval presence in the Gulf of Guinea under the auspices of the Commercial Maritime Presence (CMP) until February 2024,” Dryad Global added.
“The extension is intended to allow ECOWAS to strengthen its anti-Piracy mechanism to curtail pirate attacks against commercial vessels in the region. International interventions in the Gulf of Guinea have been critical in reducing the opportunity for pirates to conduct attacks within the region,” Dryad Global continued.
Total incidents in West Africa are down 34 percent compared to the same period last year, although robberies in 2022 have almost caught up to 2021 figures, Dryad Global’s latest MSTA shows.
According to Marinetraffic.com, Martina is a general cargo ship built in 2012, which is sailing under the flag of Antigua Barbuda. Its carrying capacity is 8690 t DWT, the site outlines.
Black Sea, Liberia
Looking elsewhere, Dryad Global’s most recent MSTA highlighted that, in the Black Sea, as of September 17, 155 vessels have successfully transited the grain corridor. The MSTA noted, however, the 82 ships with 418 seafarers remain stuck around Ukrainian ports despite the opening of the UN backed corridor.
“To date, the initiative only involved dry-bulk ships within Chornomorsk, Odesa and Yuzhny port. Dozens of other vessels, including oil tankers, are currently unable to access the corridor and are awaiting approval to leave,” Dryad Global stated in the MSTA.
In Liberia, maritime authorities launched an investigation into an incident onboard the Panama-flagged vessel MV Ophelia, Dryad Global revealed in the MSTA.
“Reporting suggests that a dozen Nigerian stowaways were cast overboard,” Dryad Global stated in the MSTA.
“Two of the stowaways are reported to have died. On September 12, local fishermen off the coast of Grand Kru in south-eastern Liberia rescued the men. While the investigation is ongoing, in line with national and international maritime standards, the Liberia Maritime Authority has contacted relevant parties and international authorities,” Dryad Global added in the MSTA.
Moderate Risk of Western Black Sea Mines
In its previous MSTA, Dryad Global revealed that a Romanian Navy dredger was hit by a drifting sea mine it was attempting to defuse in bad weather approximately 25 nm NE Constanta.
“There were no casualties and only minimal damage to the vessel. There is a moderate risk of sea mines in the western Black Sea, and coastal states continue operations to defuse mines in the region,” Dryad Global noted in the MSTA.
“In addition, Russia has criticized the Black Sea grain deal claiming that instead of sending shipments to developing countries to mitigate the humanitarian disaster, shipments were being redirected to EU states,” Dryad Global added in the MSTA.
“Turkey later expressed similar concerns. France and Romania have agreed to a deal to increase Ukrainian grain exports to developing countries. These developments underscore that the grain deal is still fragile, and re-negotiations are possible in the short-to-medium term,” Dryad Global continued in the MSTA.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
Published at Wed, 21 Sep 2022 01:06:57 -0700
