Piracy and armed robbery of commercial ships remains a dangerous threat to our industry in many locations around the world. This section provides key information to our Members as to the following:

• frequently asked questions for P&I Clubs related to piracy;
• guidance to Members for the use of armed guards;
• relevant links to updated information on piracy; and
• relevant documents issued by the Association on piracy.

For further information on issues or concerns related to piracy and armed robbery and the use of armed guards, please contact your Managers for assistance.

We are pleaed to present the document, Piracy & Armed Robbery: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Regarding P&I Cover.

It has also been translated into Traditional Mandarin and Simplified Mandarin.

Associated appendices are also available:

• Appendix 1, FAQs: Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea (version 5)
• Appendix 2, FAQs: Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security off the Coast of West Africa inlcuding the Gulf of Guinea
• Appendix 3, FAQs: Revised IMO Interim Guidance on the use of PCAS personnel
• Appendix 4, FAQs: IMO Interim Guidance to PMSCs providing privately contracted armed security personnel
• Appendix 5, FAQs: BIMCO GUARDCON
• Appendix 6, FAQs: Flag State comparison table on the use of private armed guards onboard ship
• Appendix 7, FAQs: BIMCO GUARDCON - West Africa
• Appendix 8, FAQs: Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters, and Seafarers
• Appendix 9, FAQs: Guidelines - Gulf of Guinea and Its Contiguous Waters

We are pleased to present the document, Use of Armed Guards and Your P&I Club.

It has also been translated into Traditional Mandarin and Simplified Mandarin.

Associated appendices are also available:

• Appendix 1, Armed Guards: IMO Interim Guidance to PMSCs providing privately contracted armed security personnel
• Appendix 2, Armed Guards: Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security off the Coast of West Africa inlcuding the Gulf of Guinea
• Appendix 3, Armed Guards: Flag State comparison table on the use of private armed guards onboard ship
• Appendix 4, Armed Guards: BIMCO GUARDCON
• Appendix 5, Armed Guards: BIMCO GUARDCON - West Africa
• Appendix 7, Armed Guards: BIMCO Special Circular No. 1. Guidelines for the use of GUARDCON when engaging PMSCs as intermediaries to employ local security guards within their waters

• Member Alert 02-24-21 - Piracy and Armed Robbery - 2020 Maritime Piracy Trends Report Wednesday, February 24, 2021
• Member Alert 02-08-21 - Piracy and Armed Robbery: Guidance for Security Threats in the Gulf of Guinea Monday, February 08, 2021
• Member Alert 02-05-21 - Maritime Security: International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) Bridge Reference Card Update Friday, February 05, 2021
• Member Alert 01-14-21 - Maritime Security: Updated Guidance for Vessels Operating in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden and Red Sea Thursday, January 14, 2021
• Member Alert 10-22-20 - Piracy and Armed Robbery: Potentially Growing Threats to Vessels Operating in the Gulf of Guinea Thursday, October 22, 2020
• Member Alert 06-26-20 - Piracy and Armed Robbery in the Gulf of Mexico Friday, June 26, 2020
• Member Alert 01-15-20 - 2019 Piracy & Armed Robbery Report Wednesday, January 15, 2020
• Member Alert 07-23-19 - Enhanced Vigilance Recommended for Vessels Transiting Arabian gulf (AG) Straits of Hormuz (SOH) and Gulf of Oman (GOO) Tuesday, July 23, 2019
• Member Alert 02-20-18 - Interim Guidance on Maritime Security in the Southern Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Tuesday, February 20, 2018
• Member Alert 08-10-17 - Guidance on transits through the Bab-el-Mandeb region issued by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Thursday, August 10, 2017
• Member Alert 06-13-17 - Recent Incidents of Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb Tuesday, June 13, 2017
• Member Alert 05-10-17 - First Quarter 2017 Maritime Piracy Update Wednesday, May 10, 2017
• Circular No. 29/14 - Guidelines Against Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and Its Contiguous Waters Friday, October 06, 2014
• Circular No. 12/14 - BIMCO GUARDCON - West Africa Wednesday, April 09, 2014
• Member Alert 07-09-12 Navigation Off the Indian Coast - Recent Indian Government Notice Regarding Fishing Nets, Fishboats and Mistaking Fishboats for Pirate Skiffs Tuesday, July 10, 2012
• Circular No. 26/11 IMO Issues Revised Guidelines on Use of Privately Contracted Armed Guards Thursday, September 29, 2011
• Circular No. 22/11 Best Management Practices for Protection Against Somalia-based Piracy Tuesday, August 16, 2011
• Circular No. 19/10 Piracy off the Coast of Somalia - Best Management Practice Tuesday, July 06, 2010
• Circular No. 18/11 IMO Issues Interim Guidelines on the Use of Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) on Board Ships to Combat Piracy Friday, June 03, 2011
• Circular No. 21/09 Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia: Best Management Practices for the Purpose of Deterring Piracy Thursday, August 27, 2009
• Circular No. 14/09 US Coast Guard (USCG) Port Security Advisory (2-09): Recommended Security Measures in Relation to Piracy Wednesday, May 27, 2009
• Circular No. 10/09 Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF): Piracy - The East Africa/Somalia Situation: Practical Measures to Avoid, Deter or Delay Piracy Attacks Tuesday, March 31, 2009
• Circular No. 08/09 Best Practices in Deterring Piracy Tuesday, March 10, 2009
• Member Alert 05-19-11 BIMCO Publishes Radioactivity Risk Clause for Time Charter Parties Thursday, May 19, 2011
• Member Alert 03-31-11 Vessels Calling in South African Ports Without Requisite Permits to Carry Weapons and Ammunition Expose Master to Fines and Arrest Thursday, March 31, 2011
• Member Alert 02-18-11 Recent Court Decision in US Concerning the Duty to "Immediately" Notify the Coast Guard RE Hazardous Condition Aboard a Vessel Friday, February 18, 2011
• Member Alert 03-31-10 Piracy Around the Horn of Africa Wednesday, March 31, 2010
• Member Alert 06-02-09 Piracy - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Tuesday, June 02, 2009
• Member Alert 04-15-09 Piracy Update - Ships Transiting the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia - International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Circular of April 15, 2009 Wednesday, April 15, 2009
• Circular No. 21/08 Prevention of Acts of Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships: Industry Information Wednesday, November 19, 2008
• Circular No. 26/08 Prevention of Acts of Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships: Maritime Security Center (Horn of Africa) and EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Wednesday, December 03, 2008
• The SALDANHA Decision: Vessel Seizure by Somali Pirates Not Necessarily an Off-Hire Event under NYPE cl. 15 Currents. Issue Number 31, November 2010. Page 39.
• Keeping watch: some recent rulings under English law regarding piracy Currents. Issue Number 30, May 2010. Pages 9-10.
• BIMCO's newest piracy clauses: Parlay! Currents. Issue Number 30, May 2010. Pages 45-46.
• U.N. Security Council acts on piracy Currents. Issue Number 27, November 2008. Page 9.
• Locked and loaded: what a shipowner needs to know when considering the use of armed security guards. 9 June 2011.
• Warzones and pirates: Do you feel lucky punk? 6 December 2010.

• Maritime Global Security. A website dedicated to providing comprehensive maritime security guidance to companies and mariners. The website was launched by the supporting organizations and provides all security-related guidance produced by the industry as well as links to other useful maritime and military security resources.
• NATO Shipping Centre. This site is a resource that provides counter piracy measures, a piracy alert map and other relevant piracy prevention information.
• Eunavfor. This site provides regular updates on Operation Atalanta (counter piracy off of Somalia). The site reference is as follows: Many do look at this site for updates and information as I have been told.
• International Chamber of Shipping IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. This site provides advice to Masters, a live piracy activity map, piracy news and figures, details of piracy prone areas and warnings and the ability to report piracy and armed robbery incidents.
• Marine Security Centre, Horn of Africa. This site link is a must and some flag States are recommending/requiring registration of movements via this site.
• IMO initiatives on piracy & armed robbery. This is the general section at IMO's website where updates to information on global piracy initiatives are considered by the global international community. Particular highlights of interest on the IMO's site include, but are not limited to:
  • A regularly updated list and links to piracy related documents issued by the IMO which can be found here.
  • IMO's running statistics and list of piracy & armed robbery incidents which can be found here.

• August 10, 2017. (Bab-el-Mandeb and associated region) Guidance on transits through the Bab-el-Mandeb region issued by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). For more information, please refer to the following Alert.
• June 13, 2017. (Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb) Members should note that there have been recent piracy related attacks in the Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb regions. For more information, please refer to the following Alert.
• December 22, 2016. (Tianjin, People's Republic of China) It has been observed that within the last month, there has been an increasing number of reported incidents of theft in the port of Tianjin. Further information on recommendations for security measures and relevant local emergency contacts.
• June 12, 2014. (Nigeria)The United States Coast Guard (USCG) issued Port Security Advisory 2-14 that provides new requirements for vessels calling in the US if those vessels have made a port call in Nigeria in their last five port calls.

• BMP 5: Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia Based Pirates (version 5)
• Armed Guards: Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security off the Coast of West Africa Including the Gulf of Guinea
• Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters and Seafarers
• Guidelines for Owners, Operators and Masters for protection against piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea region (version 3)
• Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia