By Fidelis Ugbomeh.
MARAN Rallies Stakeholders On How To Tackle Maritime Crimes iIn Gulf Of Guinea
As part of efforts to enhance maritime security in Gulf of Guinea, Maritime Reporters' Association of Nigeria (MARAN) is dedicating maiden edition of MARAN Annual Lecture (MAMAL) 2023 to Maritime Security.
President of the association who made this known in a statement said the inaugural edition of MAMAL 2023 titled::"Maritime Security: Emerging Threats and Actionable Steps" .is expected to hold on October 24, this year.
According to him, the theme is targeted at proffering long-term, sustainable solutions that will effectively address maritime crimes in the GoG region and protect seafaring and fishing communities in the affected countries,.
Recall that the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) report of July 2023 confirmed that the GoG witnessed a surge in maritime incidents, with five incidents in the first quarter and nine in the second quarter.
Out of these, 12 were classified as armed robberies and two as piracy, predominantly targeting anchored vessels in the region adding that 14 crew were kidnapped, from vessels anchored within the GoG territorial waters.
Additionally, in two separate hijackings, 31 crew members were held hostage, communication and navigation equipment were destroyed, and partial cargoes were stolen. One of these incidents also involved the abduction of 6 crew members.
Bivere noted that the collaborative initiatives and efforts of Nigerian Navy.
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), other regional navies and maritime administrations led to effective deployment of Naval assets, warships, Falcon Eye, the Deep Blue Project assets, establishment of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime-related Offences Act 2019, among others are worthwhile accomplishments attributable to the Nigerian Navy in recent years.
He said that to a large extent, the establishment of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum for the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (GOG-MCF/SHADE) had enabled stakeholders within and outside the region to connect and discuss frequently on how best to tackle piracy in the area and this yielded verifiable results.
The MAMAL 2023 had been scheduled to hold on 24th of October 2023.
Guests expected to attend the event nclude: Nigerian Navy, regional navies and other stakeholders in maritime sector including Shipowners, NIMASA, Shipping Lines, Terminal Operators, Nigerian Shippers Council, major seafarers organisations are all expected to attend this epoch-making event.
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