GULF OF ADEN - The majority of merchant vessels successfully pirated in the Gulf of Aden did not follow shipping industry developed, recommended best management practices.
The Combined Maritime Forces recommends that, at a minimum, all vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden register with the Maritime Shipping Centre - Horn of Africa for updates on the Group Transit scheme, and also contact the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization for the latest updates prior to entering areas of higher piracy risk. CMF also says that it is essential that vessels transit the Gulf of Aden through the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor.
By following the above recommendations, vessels can significantly increase their ability to safely reach their intended destination.
However, it also important that all mariners be familiar with and employ all best management practices available and applicable to their vessel.
All merchant and civilian vessels transiting this area must be familiar with and take maximum advantage of the lessons learned from other mariners who helped create these best management practices, to include group transits, passive defense measures, preparing a comprehensive security plan, removing external ladders, using lookouts at all times and employing speed and maneuvering tactics to evade pirate attacks.
Trained security teams have also proven extremely effective in protecting a vessel against pirate attack.
Successful transit of the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin rests in the hands of those who sail the waters. An average of over 20 ships from the EUNAVFOR, NATO and Combined Maritime Forces, and other independent nations work together every day to patrol the high risk areas and provide the maximum safety available for those sailing through these pirate-laden waters. However it is incumbent upon owners and shipping companies to provide the best available protection for their ships by utilizing the shipping industry's best management practices as a proven successful means to minimizing the risk of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin.
Combined Maritime Forces established Combined Task Force 151 in January 2009 as a multinational task force to conduct counter-piracy operations in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea; and to create a lawful maritime order and develop security in the maritime environment.