Press briefing
1 March, 2011
For immediate release
Shipping chiefs call on `people power' to pressure governments to crack down on
Somali pirates now throttling vital trade routes
Ship owners and seafarers are calling on `people power' to push their
governments to act now and show the political will to resolve the growing
Somali piracy crisis before it strangles world trade and before more innocent
seafarers are tortured and murdered.
The SOS Save Our Seafarers campaign, launched today by BIMCO, the International
Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Shipping Federation (ISF),
Intercargo, INTERTANKO and the International Transport Workers' Federation
(ITF), is aimed at encouraging millions of people around the world to heap
pressure on their national Governments to crack down on piracy. They are
calling on YOUR help.
The Somali piracy crisis affects you and every one of us worldwide. The
dramatic recent extension of the pirates' operating area right across the
Indian Ocean** means that there are now no alternative routes to avoid the
Somali pirate gangs, especially for tankers coming out of the Gulf. Ship owners
and seafarers are re-evaluating their current determination to ensure that
these vital trade routes remain open, and are going to have to choose whether
to trade through this area or not.
Merchant ships are being attacked daily, running a gauntlet of gunfire and
rocket propelled grenade attacks from armed gangs of Somali pirates. Over 800
seafarers are currently held hostage on their hijacked ships. Subjected to
physical and psychological abuse for months at a time, they are held ransom for
millions of dollars.
Yet even when caught red handed by naval forces, 80% of pirates are released to
attack again. Why? Because the world's politicians don't realise the severity
of this critical situation. The governments give the orders. The governments
hold the key to resolving this crisis. But they seem unwilling to face reality
and act. Their brief to the naval forces is simply to deter and disrupt, unless
it involves a national interest.
Enough is enough. The Round Table of international shipping associations (RT)
and the ITF are placing hard-hitting advertisements in key major international
newspapers on 1 March to kick off the SOS Save Our Seafarers campaign which
highlights the plight of seafarers and, with six specific requests, brings
pressure to bear on governments to show more political will and fewer
legalistic excuses in dealing with Somali piracy.
Six specific requests
We are specifically asking for governments to recognise the threat to our
seafarers and the world economy, and take the necessary steps to eradicate
piracy at sea and ashore by:
Reducing the effectiveness of the easily-identifiable pirate
motherships.
Authorising naval forces to detain pirates and deliver them for
prosecution and punishment.
Fully criminalising all acts of piracy and intent to commit piracy
under national laws in accordance with their mandatory duty to co-operate to
suppress piracy under international conventions.
Increasing naval assets available in this area.
Providing greater protection and support for seafarers.
Tracing and criminalising the organisers and financiers behind the
criminal networks.
SOS Save our Seafarers
The RT and the ITF have launched a new website for the SOS Save Our Seafarers
campaign http://www.saveourseafarers.com/
. Just two clicks and supporters can send a pre-prepared letter, signed by
them, to their chosen heads of government. The website will also have up-to-the
minute information on the piracy situation, and an SOS TV page with film clips
and pictures.
Piracy is out of control background**
As pirates use hijacked merchant ships (so-called motherships) to extend their
reach almost to India's coast some 1,500 miles from Somalia, the lawlessness
has spread right across the Indian Ocean through which half the world's oil
supply passes. Tankers coming from the Gulf and the Middle East can no longer
avoid the pirates and a hijacked tanker with 2 million barrels of oil
represents 20% of daily oil imports to the USA.
In addition to the human cost, piracy is strangling key supply routes and
costing the global economy $12 billion a year.
We rely on freedom of the seas for the safe delivery of 90% of our food, fuel,
raw materials, humanitarian aid and manufactured goods. Shipping serves
international trade and assists economic activity and therefore regional
stability in neighbouring countries. This freedom to serve world trade is
threatened.
Quotable quotes
"It's time for Governments across the world to take firm action against the
pirates that attack and hijack our ships. The current practice of releasing
apprehended pirates without trial is a disgrace to our seafarers and to the
international conventions. The upholding of international law and order is
being grossly neglected."
BIMCO President, Robert Lorenz-Meyer
"Pirates are getting stronger, more violent and richer every day as a result of
inertia by Governments. On behalf of all the major shipping organisations,
we're calling for help from Governments to tackle this human and economic
terror being inflicted upon innocent seafarers. We hope that by working
together and encouraging support from the global community we can ease the
current crisis of Somali piracy."
ITF General Secretary, David Cockroft
"Piracy is out of control. The pirates' extended reach through the use of
hijacked merchant ships (so-called motherships) means that for tankers coming
from the Gulf, there is no longer an optional route to avoid the risk of
hijacking and one captured tanker with 2m barrels of oil represents one fifth
of U.S. daily oil imports. Governments need to protect the world's shipping
lanes by showing political will, not political indifference."
INTERTANKO Chairman, Capt Graham Westgarth
"Politicians don't realise the severity of this crisis. Escalation affects our
seafarers first and foremost, but the potential effect on world trade and
regional stability will affect us all. Governments can no longer afford to
simply to deter and disrupt the pirates."
Intercargo Chairman, Nicky Pappadakis
"We are drawing to the urgent attention of governments and inter-governmental
organizations the recent deeply concerning shift in the modus operandi of
Somali pirates, particularly where torture and murder of innocent seafarers is
involved. The impact of this growing crisis on the welfare of seafarers and on
trading patterns has to be understood by politicians and the public alike."
Chairman of ICS/ISF, Spyros M Polemis
Contacts:
The Round Table of international shipping associations:
BIMCO Peter Grube [email protected] Phone +45 44 366800
ICS/ISF Simon Bennett [email protected] Phone +44 20 7417 2857
INTERCARGO David Jones [email protected] Phone +44 20 7977 7035
INTERTANKO Bill Box [email protected] Phone +44 20 7977 7023
ITF Sam Dawson [email protected] Phone +44 20 7940 9260
+4 attachments
SOS logo
SOS website home page
SOS letter to heads of government
SOS advertisement
------------------------------------
1. Moderator tidak bertanggung jawab atas kebenaran isi dan/atau identitas
asli pengirim berita.
2. ATTACHMENT akan dibanned, krmkan ke pelaut-owner atau upload ke FILE.
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pelaut/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pelaut/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
