Anti-piracy tracking device
to be introduced
Paris, 5
February
1999 - A new anti-piracy
tracking device to help shipowners tackle a sudden increase in violent attacks
and hijackings at sea is being introduced by the International Maritime Bureau
(IMB), a division of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Once installed, SHIPLOC, a relatively inexpensive
satellite tracking system, will allow shipping companies to monitor the exact
location of their vessels using nothing more than a personal computer with Internet
access.
The IMB’s annual report on Piracy and Armed
Robbery Against Ships, published this week, showed that while the total number
of attacks on ships in 1998 appeared to be less than in the previous year, a
sudden rise has been seen in the number of crew being injured and killed. Most
worrying, the report stated, was the recent number of crew killed on hijacked
ships.
"The disturbing fact is tha
t in the last quarter
of 1998 we have seen ships hijacked and whole crews murdered in cold blood,"
said Captain Pottengal Mukundan, IMB Director. The introduction of the tracking
system will act as a deterrent to pirates, he said. "The fact that ships
may have this device on board will concern the pirates because they will know
that someone outside could know exactly where the ship is. And obviously, if
a vessel with the device is actually hijacked, its position will be known to
its owners and subsequently to law enforcement agencies."
SHIPLOC’s tiny transmitter can be easily concealed
on board ships and, for their own safety, there is no need for crew members
to be told of its existence or location. A back-up system ensures that the equipment
will function even if the ship’s power supply is cut.
Designed specifically for maritime use, SHIPLOC
is far more accessible than its forerunners which were prohibitively expensive.
The new system can be rented from upwards of US $150 per month, and should be
commercially available early this year.
IMB’s annual report, compiled by the organization’s
Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, says that more than 67 seafarers
were killed in the 198 pirate and armed robbery attacks the centre received
details of last year. Over 238 crew members were taken hostage during the year,
vessels were boarded in 138 instances, fired upon by pirates on 11 occasions,
and a total of 15 ships were hijacked, mostly in South East Asia and the Far
East.
Go to
the International Maritime Bureau