Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea remains a big problem but local laws and enforcement practices make it difficult for vessels to call at ports in the region with foreign armed guards onboard
The 2018 amendments to the MLC, 2006 will bring about a change to a seafarer's employment agreement (SEA) where it shall continue to have effect and wages shall continue to be paid while a seafarer is held captive on or off the ship as a result of acts of piracy or armed robbery against ships.
Piracy Update - Venezuela
05/06/2018
The UK Club have received the following update from Matheus & Ulloa, regarding piracy in Venezuela.
The Club wishes to bring to Members' attention that during the recent XIX Party Congress in Beijing, the local authorities in China implemented enhanced security measures at all ports. We were aware of a number of cases where crew members were required by local authorities to surrender their mobile phones or other electronic devices for inspection when ships call at ports in China. Those inspections appeared to have been conducted at random, of if a ship was specifically identified as posing a security threat.
More crew were kidnapped at sea in 2016 than in any of the previous 10 years.
BIMCO publish new virulent disease clauses
03/02/2015
Prompted by the issues raised within the shipping industry as a result of the recent Ebola outbreak, together with the issues raised by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ("SARS") outbreak some 10 years ago, BIMCO have now drafted a new set of generic clauses (for voyage and time charters) dealing with infectious or contagious diseases.