Sea piracy, how can we reduce the risk?

According to Statista.com recent figures show 72 events of pirate attacks against ships worldwide, have been recorded in 2014, compared to 264 in 2013 with much higher figures reported in previous years. Although, it might not be as good as we think.

If we look further to the number of cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships worldwide from 1998 to 2013, we do see a falling trend but not as steep, which is still a continuing worry for many ship and vessel operators who need to protect their crew, cargo and the ship.

What help is there?

The biggest difference is how International communities have forged alliances to provide much better protection on the Worlds seas.

The IMO (International Maritime Organisation) provide excellent guidance to operators and crew on their website, with the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) providing live data in the form of a World map, detailing recent events of piracy, which enable crew and operators to make adjustments to their schedule. There is also a set of Best Management Practices (BMP) which I found on the gard.no website.

In the event of attack, there are a number of additional tools that can be used to fend off intruders including armed guards, lasers, sound guns, water cannons, boat traps, foam, skin sensitive liquids, boat traps. A number of these have advantages but also significant disadvantages.

An article by the maritime-ceo brings the truth home about the real downsides of using a popular option of razor wire. Its definitely worth reading, as the very people we want to protect could possibly the ones we end up harming.

Solarglide introduced SG SAFETYFILM which is an anti fragmentation film, something less talked about as an anti piracy measure. True, it can not prevent intruders getting on board a ship, but if and when that situation arises, this tool really comes into its own.

Glass is normally shattered/broken using objects or explosions to gain access to the bridge and control of the vessel. Flying glass can be a main cause; loss of life, serious injury and/or damage to navigation equipment. Attacks also happen very quickly, leaving crew little time to escape into a secure room or part of the ship. SG SAFETYFILM holds the fragmented glass in place, even under constant attack, providing vital minutes and vastly reducing the amount of flying glass and damage.

Our website shows the difference that SG SAFETYFILM makes.