This marad advisory provides guidance to vessels transiting and operating in the waters of the gulf of guinea

Original warning text

GULF OF GUINEA.
1. THIS MARAD ADVISORY PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO VESSELS
   TRANSITING AND OPERATING IN THE WATERS OF THE
   GULF OF GUINEA.
2. U.S. FLAG OPERATORS WITH SHIPS IN THE AFFECTED
   AREA ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD THIS ADVISORY TO
   THEIR SHIPS BY THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS MEANS.
3. PIRATES/ARMED GROUPS OPERATING IN GULF OF GUINEA
   REGION CONTINUE TO CARRY OUT ATTACKS ON VESSELS
   USING AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. HIJACKINGS OF TANKERS
   FOR CARGO THEFT (REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS),
   ROBBERY OF CREW, PASSENGERS AND SHIPS PROPERTY
   AND KIDNAPPINGS FOR RANSOM (KFR) CONTINUE TO
   BE THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF INCIDENTS.
4. DURING 2011, PIRATES/ARMED GROUPS HIJACKED
   TANKERS LADEN WITH REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
   FOR FUEL THEFT OFF THE NIGERIAN AND BENIN COASTS.
   IN 2012, PIRATES/ARMED GROUPS EXPANDED THEIR
   OPERATIONS WESTWARD AND BEGAN ALSO HIJACKING
   TANKERS OFF TOGO AND THE IVORY COAST.
   IN MID-JULY 2013, PIRATES/ARMED GROUPS HIJACKED
   A TANKER NEAR PORT GENTIL OFF THE COAST OF GABON
   AND AN UNIDENTIFIED GROUP ATTEMPTED TO BOARD
   A U.S. FLAG VESSEL AT ANCHOR IN LOME, TOGO
   BUT WERE REPELLED BY THE CREW USING FIRE HOSES.
5. PIRATES/ARMED KFR GROUPS CONTINUE TO TARGET
   SMALL TUGS AND SUPPLY VESSELS SUPPORTING OIL
   DRILLING AND EXPLORATION OFF THE NIGER DELTA,
   BUT IN RECENT MONTHS HAVE ALSO BEGUN TO TARGET
   MERCHANT VESSELS (TANKER AND CARGO SHIPS)
   TRANSITING AND OPERATING IN THE REGION.
   PIRATES/ARMED GROUPS HAVE USED MOTHERSHIPS TO
   SUPPORT SOME KFR OPERATIONS AND HAVE OPERATED
   UP TO 150 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE COAST.
6. PIRATES/ARMED KFR GROUPS SOMETIMES FIRE UPON
   VESSELS BEFORE BOARDING THEM. THEY NORMALLY
   TAKE THE MASTER AND SEVERAL OTHER CREWMEMBERS
   OFF THE VESSEL AND DEMAND A RANSOM IN EXCHANGE
   FOR THEIR SAFE RETURN.
7. U.S. FLAG OPERATORS WITH SHIPS IN THE SUBJECT
   HIGH RISK WATERS (HRW) SHOULD TRANSIT WITH
   EXTREME CAUTION AND VIGILANCE.
8. U.S. FLAG VESSELS TRANSITING AND OPERATING
   IN SUBJECT WATERS MUST COMPLY WITH
   U.S. COAST GUARD MARSEC DIRECTIVE 104-6
   (CURRENT VERSION) AND ACCORDINGLY, SHOULD
   CONDUCT A PRE-VOYAGE RISK ASSESSMENT AND
   INCORPORATE APPROPRIATE PROTECTIVE MEASURES
   INTO THEIR VESSEL SECURITY PLAN.
9. A SHIP HOSTILE ACTION REPORT (SHAR) SHOULD
   BE SENT TO THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL
   INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (NGA) AT
   http:msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal
   AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOLLOWING ANY
   INCIDENT/SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY, INCLUDING
   APPARENT SURVEILLANCE BEING CONDUCTED
   BY SMALL VESSELS/BOATS. REFERENCE NGA
   PUB 117 FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE.   
10. MARAD ADVISORIES ARE PUBLISHED ON THE MARAD
    WEB SITE AT WWW.MARAD.DOT.GOV AND THE
    MARITIME SAFETY INFORMATION WEB SITE AT
    http://msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal UNDER
    "BROADCAST WARNINGS", SELECT MARAD ADVISORIES
    TO DETERMINE MARITIME ADVISORIES THAT REMAIN
    IN FORCE. CONSULT THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION
    WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.MARAD.DOT.GOV OR
    THE MOST RECENT U.S. NOTICE TO MARINERS.
11. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT CAPTAIN
    ROBERT FORD, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE
    OF SECURITY, CODE: MAR-420, ROOM W25-207,
    1200 NEW JERSEY AVE, S.E., WASHINGTON, DC 20590,
    PHONE: 202 366 0223, FAX: 202 366 3954,
    TLX II: 710.822.9426 (MARAD DOT WSH) OR
    E-MAIL: [email protected].
12. FOR FUTHER INFORMATION ON THE U.S. COAST GUARD
    MARSEC DIRECTIVE CONTACT LCDR AARON DEMO,
    COMMANDANT (CG-CVC-1), 2100 2ND STREET SW,
    STOP 7581, WASHINGTON DC, 20593,
    PHONE: 202 372 1038 OR
    E-MAIL: [email protected].