The following press release was issued by Dryad Maritime on Friday 9th October in response the Baltic and International Maritime Council’s announcement regarding the revised definition of the BMP4 High Risk Area.
Leading UK maritime intelligence company supports BMP 4 High Risk Area revision
Today, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the world’s largest
international shipping association, advised that the co-sponsors of Best Management
Practice for Protection against Somali Piracy, version 4, (BMP 4) have agreed to a revised
definition of the High Risk Area (HRA). The changes, detailed below, shall take efect
formally from 1st December 2015 in order to give crews and shipping companies
adequate time to adapt.
The High Risk Area, as defined by BMP4, will be reduced in size as follows:
In the Red Sea: Latitude 15°N
In the Gulf of Oman: Latitude 22°N
Eastern Limit: Longitude 065°E
Southern Limit: Latitude 5°S
Dryad Maritime, the UK’s leading maritime intelligence company, welcomed this
announcement as a decision that takes account of the changing strategic and threat
context in the region and the important views of a number of coastal states. The news is
the first step in a welcome de-escalation that will ultimately see a shift from the
widespread use of armed guards towards more appropriate, and less costly, methods of
mitigating risk in the High Risk Area.
Graeme Gibbon Brooks, Chief Executive Officer, Dryad Maritime;
“This amendment to the HRA is well considered and reflects the balance of caution and
progress. The message from the naval forces is unequivocal that the threat remains,
albeit inactive. However, it is clear that the audacious long range attacks seen in
2009-2011 are not the most likely course of action and thus a de-escalation of risk
posture in these areas is wholly appropriate. The re-drawing of the boundaries does
reflect the criminals’ most likely course of action should the threat reconstitute and so we
fully support this pragmatic decision. Whilst it would be premature to claim total victory
on piracy, this is the first and most optimistic sign of progress toward that goal.”
Ian Millen, Chief Operating Officer, Dryad Maritime;
“This is great news for the maritime industry and seafarers alike. Whilst we are not about
to drop our guard on piracy or other regional maritime security issues, such as the war in
Yemen, this HRA reduction of approximately 55% or 1.7 million square miles of ocean will
give the hard-pressed industry cause for optimism with the potential for reduced
operating costs. It will also come as welcome news to our international seafarers who
have sufered at the hands of Somali piracy for far too long. BIMCO and other sponsors
deserve much credit for the significant part that they have played in the fight against
piracy and today’s welcome news. It will be interesting to see how others, including
insurers and leading players such as the Joint War Committee, react to this latest
development.”
More information on the impact these changes will have to shipping and risk mitigation in
and around the HRA can be found in the following article published by Dryad Maritime.
For more information on this announcement or any of the risk mitigation services Dryad
Maritime ofer, please contact [email protected]
Notes to editors
• Dryad Maritime provide guidance and assistance to mariners facing the daily
uncertainties and threats at sea that arise from criminal acts, piracy, the
environment, commercial and/or regulatory pressure.
• From its 24/7 operations room, Dryad Maritime delivers safety assistance and
operational advice for ships at sea and their shore-based teams to optimise
performance whilst also reducing management fatigue across organisations, at sea
and ashore.
• With over 500 years of collective naval maritime experience, Dryad’s team
understand the risks and uncertainties of life at sea.
• Their fully manned operations are conducted with the rigour of naval discipline,
process and procedure and delivered with seafaring alacrity
• For more information contact: Nikki Carpenter, Head of Marketing and
Communications, Dryad Maritime [email protected] 07786 513757 or
0845 060 0072.
