Group items tagged

Signatory States to the revised Code of Conduct concerning the repression of piracy, armed robbery against ships and illicit maritime activity in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden Area, known as the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct 2017, have agreed a raft of measures to combat new and emerging threats to maritime security.

Cooperation is key to securing maritime security in the Indian Ocean.

Yemen's state weakness due to fragmentation and ongoing conflicts allowed Al Qaeda and affiliates to take and hold territory, possibly enabling them to seize the Port of Aden. If Al Qaeda establishes safe havens in the southern Abyan province, supported by local Yemeni inhabitants, attacks at sea or in near by ports similar to the "USS COLE bombing" in 2000 could become a threat, increasing the danger to Red Sea shipping. Yet Al Qaeda is of secondary concern for the Yemeni government, with secessionist insurgencies in the north and the south threatening the state's unity. Only a stable Yemen can effectively deny Al Qaeda a stable base in the long run.

On Saturday 26 April the master of a dhow spoke of his relief after 6 armed pirates, who had taken his vessel and crew hostage, fled the scene after sightings of an EU Naval Force Spanish maritime patrol and reconnaissance (MPRA) aircraft.

Live Piracy Report: Armed Guards Thwart Attack Attempt.

Kenya urges Africa to expand ports to spur maritime trade.

Union Cabinet approves law providing death penalty for maritime piracy.

Pakistan Maritime Security Agency Fires at Indian Fishing Boat, 1 killed; New Delhi Raises Issue With Islamabad.

Naval policing of maritime corridor deters pirate attacks.

Piracy on the rise again, says security specialist MAST.

Pakistan boosting maritime security to counter Indian threat to CPEC.

Indian Warships Arrive Australia For Maritime Drill.

India calls on Indian Ocean nations to secure interests of maritime security, regional cooperation.

EU Naval Force seeks to enhance Somalia's maritime security.

Recently, the rights of small-scale fishers have increasingly been acknowledged in ocean governance because coastal development and various maritime activities have reduced traditional fishing grounds. More specifically, small-scale fisheries (SSF) are increasingly being threatened by ocean grabbing, pollution, and a lack of inclusiveness in decision-making processes. Although there are guidelines to resolve and reduce conflict, formal avenues to include fisher concerns, particularly in the context of ocean development and governance, remain a difficult task. Moreover, there is insufficient information on how fishers are impacted by coastal and marine development and how their concerns are included in the decision-making process. Hence, this study contributes to the SSF discourse by understanding and describing the characteristics and concerns of small-scale fishers from two coastal towns in East Africa with different levels of port development. Using data from perception surveys, focus group discussions, and participatory mapping, we discuss how fishers were involved in the decision-making processes to develop ports in Lamu, Kenya, and Bagamoyo, Tanzania. We found that fishers rely on nearshore ecosystems such as mangroves and coral reefs because of their accessibility since most fishers only use low-powered boats for fishing. Moreover, we found that the fishers' livelihoods were severely affected by port development and that they were excluded from the decision-making process concerning the port's construction and fishers' compensations. While some fishers believe that new ports in the region can increase their livelihoods by creating new markets and jobs, this is unlikely to happen since most fishers are not qualified to work in formal port-related jobs. We propose three steps that will allow fishermen to participate in port development decision-making processes and contribute to the development of a sustainable SSF. These include improving engagement with fisher

Piracy declines off Somali coast (VIDEO).

Kenya on Monday rebuked Somalia for dragging it before the UN's top court to defend a maritime border dispute that could decide the fate of potentially-lucrative Indian Ocean oil and gas reserves.

For years, Kenya and Somalia have argued over where their maritime boundary in the Indian Ocean runs. The International Court of Justice in The Hague could now decide who owns the sea, a decision that will only suit one.

Two Japanese destroyers and two maritime patrol aircraft will continue their anti-piracy mission into 2017.

Two Japanese destroyers and two maritime patrol aircraft will continue their anti-piracy mission into 2017.