AEC becomes a signatory of The Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suppression of Piracy
The security situation in the Gulf of Guinea is still unacceptable, with hundreds of seafarers kidnapped and held for ransom under dangerous conditions in the Niger Delta.
The piracy incidents are growing in complexity and violence: in 2021 there have been cases of pirates breaking into citadels and during the process of one such incident,
a seafarer was shot and killed. The level of violence in the area was demonstrated by the pirates who opened fire on the helicopter and RHIBs from the Danish frigate,
Esben Snare on 24 November, 2021. Five pirates were killed in the subsequent exchange of fire and one was wounded whilst the rest were captured and the skiff was sunk.
In mid-2021, BIMCO launched the attached Declaration on Suppression of Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea after having consulted key stakeholders in the industry and having
taken into consideration some valid points raised by ICS. The Declaration calls for a series of concrete actions by states, emphasizing the need for short-term as well as
longer-term responses. One of the simple yet effective solutions includes modest naval intervention from non-regional forces in cooperation with Gulf of Guinea states’ navies.
This initiative should make it easier for various national parliaments to commit naval forces for antipiracy operations (as already done by the Danes and the Italians)
because it constitutes such a clear call for action from a large cross section of the shipping industry.
To date, there is support from over 515 shipping stakeholders including the three biggest flag states as well as some of the largest shipowners and ship managers from
around the world plus a selection of P&I Clubs and organizations such as The World Economic Forum. T
The Declaration has been submitted to IMO MSC by BIMCO and co-sponsored by Liberia, Panama, ITF, BIMCO, INTERMANAGER, and World Shipping Council.
MV RUI FU XING – Crossing Magellan Strait
MV RUI FU XING – 36,699 DWT – KOREAN YARD – Crossing Magellan Strait going to dicharge Steels in Callao, Peru.
The Natural Disaster in the Northern Bahamas – Hurricane Dorian
Hurricane Dorian was the strongest hurricane that had ever made landfall in The Bahamas. The devastation is total in The Abacos, Grand Bahamas/Freeport. Most areas have been flattened and flooded. There are really no words that can describe the tragic natural disaster. Our prayer are with everyone that continue to suffer in the many areas that are currently inaccessible. From New Providence/Nassau many are doing their best to prepare for the needed hurricane relief, with great support from abroad, and we hope that others will support the efforts.
AEC is financially supporting our local pilot Mr. Paul Aranha from Trans Islands Airways with their hurricane relief efforts. We are close to them, they are very professional and we have worked with them before with relief work. AEC staff have also offered their personal help with the relief preparations. Money for the Mr. Aranha lead efforts can be donated via the following account which is eligible for a 501(c)(3) charitable tax deduction;
Bank: Chase
Routing No. 267084131
Account No. 215828721
Name: Seahorse Children’s Foundation
Reference: TIA Dorian
You can also pay via the following PayPal account;
http://seahorseinstitute.org/donate/
Please send a copy/screen shot of your wire transfer receipt or PayPal confirmation to smichelmore@hotmail.com so that your donation is confirmed in the running costs for the operation.