The oceans have seen a surge in piracy over the last several years. Piracy cannot be fought and beaten on the high seas, it is suggested; and focusing on the symptoms is costly and ineffective. London is the venue for a week-long conference and workshops on combating piracy from October 22 to 26.
Pre-event workshops cover a hidden cost of piracy – the recruitment and retention of sailors; simulations and ‘serious games’ to plan against piracy; how best to handle the media, once a vessel has been hijacked and the international media become seriously interested in the story; and the legal liabilities.
Invited speakers include Jonathan Davies, Chief Security Officer, Maersk Line; Giles Noakes, Chief Maritime Security Officer, BIMCO; Peter Cook, Founder, Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI); Pottengal Mukundan, Chief Executive, International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau; Michael Hawkes, Group Security, SBM Offshore; Grahame Bullock, Security and Resilience Manager, Nexen Inc; Pierre St Hilaire, Head, Maritime Piracy Task Force, Interpol; and Mike Dent, Former Principal Security Advisor, BG Group.
On ships, security topics include purpose-built citadels, high volume water cannons and anti-stowaway devices. Other topics include piracy in Nigeria, and Somalia and in the Indian Ocean; and pipeline security, and losses due to illegal bunkering.
For more details contact the event organisers Hanson Wade.
