Indian coast should be outside piracy high risk listing: Coast Guard

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

Indian Coast Guard Director General Vice-Admiral Anurag Thapliyal said Indian maritime forces have taken a multi-pronged approach to get the western coast of India removed from being labelled as at a high risk of piracy.

Talking to the media aboard the Coast Guard vessel Samrat after the conclusion of the latest round of India-Japan joint Coast Guard exercise, the Vice-Admiral said the notification, promulgated a few years ago in the wake of a series of piracy incidents close to Indian waters, should be withdrawn as the area was free of piracy for two years now.

The notification caused international cargo ships to transit hugging the coast fearing pirate attacks. This interfered with our coastal traffic, creating trouble. Further, as a relatively cheaper counter piracy measure, many vessels began to embark privately-contracted armed guards in Indian waters, causing serious security concerns, said the Vice-Admiral, in an oblique reference to the Seaman Guard Ohio incident.

Vice-Admiral Thapliyal said though the spectre of piracy extended as close as Lakshadweep a few years back, intensive patrolling led to a sharp decline in incidents in the region during the last two years. However, a fallout of piracy in the Arabian Sea was that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) notified the seas up to India's western coast as at a high risk of piracy. "We have now taken up the issue through the Ministry of Shipping with various international bodies asking them to retract the high risk area (HRA) notification to west of 65 degree east longitude from the present 78 degree," said the Vice-Admiral.

While India's argument seeking relaxation of HRA notification was legitimate, it took time to fructify as the opinion of countries operating cargo ships would have to be considered, he said.

Indian coast should be outside piracy high risk listing: Coast Guard DG - The Hindu

 

[raja696]

Re: Indian coast should be outside piracy high risk listing: Coast Gua

I dnt know how foolish this idea could be... I wish that INS VIKRANT should be used in this area(gulf of eden). Instead of auctioning, its better strip off all equipments except for ship going purpose machinery and make extra space to be fuel bunker tanks. It should be used as floating reconnaissance ship against pirates with few fighter jets en uavs (few personnels) for urgent distress calls or emergencies to ships. With these extra bunker tanks our naval ships in that area could be refuelled in case. (Instead of scraping it make it a floating fortress anchored en fighter jets can tackle emergencies with in radius). It should act as command centre against pirate attacks near by. If INS VIKRANT sink fighting for a better cause its honour instead of auctioning its death.(make use of whats left)

 

[Free Karma]

Re: Indian coast should be outside piracy high risk listing: Coast Gua

This is very important, and needs to pressed for. The piracy line allows these random "Anti piracy" vessels like the MV Ohio Seaman guard to come very close to the Indian shoreline, the Italian Marines case was also linked to something like this.