>> If you have not received the current maritime edition, and would like a subscription please Click Here to subscribe now.
- MITAGS & PMI Now Offering USCG Approved ECDIS Courses
- Mailbag July 6, 2010
- PMI Offers Successful Safety Management - A Practical Primer
- Former Matson President and CEO Michael Wasacz Dies at Age ...
- Avatar to the Rescue?
- Beyond Petroleum…...A Global Impetus for Energy
- Honorary Baltic Exchange Life Membership For IMO Secretary-General
- New Rules For Vessel Carriage: Is the U.S. Ready?
- The Federalization of Energy
- “I Kid You Not”
- Virtual Learning Through Webinars
- Obama’s “State of the Union” Speech: Trying to Recapture ...
- MarEx Mailbag:
- Thursday Morning Quarterback: Rethinking the Panama Canal Expansion
- MarEx Podcast:
PressReleases 
Articles Seagull Launches New Counter Piracy Training Package
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Seagull AS has launched a completely new training package to assist seafarers in their continuing battle against piracy.
The training specialist has developed a comprehensive computer-based training (CBT) module plus accompanying workbook, giving full procedural advice to assist crew preparedness for attacks by pirates.
The International Maritime Bureau reported 406 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in 2009. Worldwide, 153 vessels were boarded last year, 49 vessels were hijacked, and 120 vessels fired upon. A total 1,052 crew members were taken hostage. Somali pirates were responsible for 217 attacks, with 47 vessels hijacked and 867 crew members taken hostage. Escalating levels of violence have led to a rise in the number of crew injuries.
Designed to cultivate best practice in a piracy situation, the new Seagull CBT package offers guidance on how to reduce the possibility of pirates or armed robbers getting on board the vessel, how to manage a situation where pirates or armed robbers gain access to a vessel, and provides an understanding of how to react should pirates actually seize control of a ship.
Erik Frette, Seagull Manager Course Department, highlighted the critical role played by being well prepared in addressing piracy. “Advice and guidance on counter piracy from international, national and industry bodies has changed frequently, particularly as the situation has escalated off the Horn of Africa,” he said.
“More and more agencies have added circulars and instructions advising or directing the seafarer. Seagull has monitored all of these and the new module consolidates the latest measures and recommendations, delivering applicable training in a consistent and consolidated form.”
IMO circular MSC.1/Circ.1334 provides guidance to ship owners and operators, masters and crews on preventing and suppressing acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships. It recommends the carriage of additional crew members when a ship is scheduled to operate in waters at high risk of piratical attack and increased emphasis on security training and drills.
Mr Frette said that Seagull’s new counter piracy training package had drawn on the IMO recommendations, but also on advice from Intertanko, the IMB, the Maritime Security Centre and P&I Clubs. While there are no mandatory requirements covering seafarer training in the skills required to prepare for attacks by pirates, he said that such steps would become inevitable.
”This new program offers seafarers training on attack techniques, on procedures and special equipment that can be used to prevent pirates boarding ship, on managing a situation where pirates or armed robbers gain access to or take control of a ship, and on what to do in a hostage situation.”
According to Mr Frette: “In compiling this course, we paid particular attention to developing new and additional questions for the workbook to enhance seafarer knowledge, and how and what they should do in such a dangerous a situation. A prerequisite of the training course has been that trainees understand their roles and responsibilities if a dangerous situation develops.”
The course is principally aimed at support and operation level personnel, although Mr Frette said that management should be thoroughly familiar with the topic.
Candidates taking the course must complete the CBT module and the exercises in the workbook. When all prescribed training has been undertaken, the candidate sends a completed test paper to a Seagull instructor for evaluation. Successful candidates need to achieve marks of at least 75% in the CBT and workbook to receive a Seagull certificate of competence.
