In 2009 piracy has reached it’s heights. Pirates attacked 406 vessels that year. As a result of these acts 1052 sailors were taken hostage.
The international community has taken steps to improve security in the most dangerous regions of the Horn of Africa. The European Union’s Security Council launched the Naval Force Somalia-Operation ATALANTA (NAVFOR). Similar actions were implemented by the multinational Combined Task Force Operation (CTF-150, and later CTF 151) and the U.S. Combined Join Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), as well as the Standing NATO Maritime Forces (NATO SNMG).
Despite the immense warships presence on the waters of Horn of Africa in 2010 there was only a 19% decrease in the number of pirate attacks from the previous year. The number of attacks remains very high and it is continually growing, what puts most of the crews operating in the region at high risk.
On 5 February 2010, pirates attacked the MV Arielle. The ship was moving in a convoy within the recommended IRTC (International Recommended Transit Corridor). During the attack, the crew of 25 disappeared below decks and managed to hide from pirates in an improvised "panic room". After receiving a signal from the captain of the ship that pirates were onboard, and that the crew was safe, the Atalanta mission commander issued an order of entry onboard. The special forces unit form Danish warship HDMS Absalon was sent to retake MV Arielle. Operation was a success as pirates fled the ship after commandos boarded it.
Another case in which a citadel (panic room) was used, is one from May 2010, when a UKMTO alert came in confirming that pirates were onboard a Moscow State University Russian tanker. Similar to the case of the MV Arielle pirates were unable to capture the crew members, who managed to hide in a citadel. This tactic has also saved other crews from abduction including the: MV Magellan Star, MV Merlin Arrow, MV Beluga Fortune LPGC Maido and many more.
The idea of 'ship-citadel' proved to be a very effective solution for this crisis situations. Pirates simply chose to escape rather than face the imminent reaction of the task forces.
On 22nd of January 2011, 360 Mm to the north of Seychelles, pirates hijacked MV 'Beluga Nomination'.The crew took refuge in the ship’s citadel and helplessly waited for a rescue, not knowing that the closest task force ship in operation was 100 Nm away. The Seychelles Coast Guard patrol ship appeared at the scene and ordered pirates to stop. Order was ignored so the Coast Guard opened fire that caused death of two pirates along with two crew members.
Nine days later the Indian Coast Guard also opened fire on a Thai trawler 'Prantalay' that had been hijacked four months a go with 20 hostages on board. As a result of the gunfight the ship caught fire and pirates fled into the water, fortunately nobody was hurt. India and The Seychelles began a crackdown against piracy but crew safety has not been a priority.
Sailors can be equally afraid of pirates as well as botched rescue operations.
The only way to avoid such difficulties is to employ professional and experienced security teams.
