Horn of africa

Original warning text

GULF OF ADEN
RED SEA.
HORN OF AFRICA.
1. THIS MARAD ADVISORY PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE RISK
   TO VESSELS TRANSITING THE HIGH RISK WATERS OF THE
   GULF OF ADEN (GOA), RED SEA, THE INDIAN OCEAN,
   ARABIAN SEA AND WATERS OFF THE HORN OF AFRICA (SOMALIA).
2. THIS ADVISORY WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE MARAD WEB SITE
   AT WWW.MARAD.DOT.GOV UNDER THE HORN OF AFRICA PIRACY
   PORTAL AND ON THE U.S. COAST GUARD HOMEPORT SITE AT
   HOMEPORT.USCG.MIL/PIRACY. OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION
   IS ALSO POSTED ON THESE WEB SITES.
3. U.S. FLAG OPERATORS WITH SHIPS IN THE AFFECTED AREAS
   ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD THIS ADVISORY TO THEIR SHIPS
   BY THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS MEANS.
4. U.S. FLAG SHIPS OPERATING IN HIGH RISK WATERS ARE
   REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH U.S. COAST GUARD MARITIME
   SECURITY (MARSEC) DIRECTIVE 104-6 (CURRENT VERSION).
   GUIDANCE, ADVISORIES AND LINKS TO ASSIST U.S. FLAG
   VESSELS IN COMPLYING WITH THE MARSEC DIRECTIVE AND
   IN COMBATING PIRACY MAY BE ACCESSED ON HOMEPORT AT
   HTTP://HOMEPORT.USCG.MIL/PIRACY. QUESTIONS MAY BE
   DIRECTED TO LCDR JAMES FOGLE, U.S. COAST GUARD,
   PHONE: 202 372 1038, E-MAIL: [email protected].
   NONE OF THE GUIDANCE IN THIS NOTICE IS MEANT TO
   SUPERCEDE MARSEC DIRECTIVE 104-6 (CURRENT VERSION)
   OR SUPPORTING PORT SECURITY ADVISORIES.
5. PIRATES ARE ATTACKING VESSELS, INCLUDING YACHTS AND
   RECREATIONAL CRAFT, IN THE GULF OF ADEN, OFF THE SOMALI
   COAST AND IN THE INDIAN OCEAN. ATTACKS HAVE OCCURRED
   OVER 1000 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY FROM SOMALIA, OFF THE
   COAST OF OMAN AND IN THE ARABIAN SEA LESS THAN 200 MILES
   FROM THE COAST OF INDIA. ATTACKS HAVE ALSO TAKEN PLACE
   OFF THE KENYAN AND TANZANIAN COASTS, SOUTHERN RED SEA,
   SEYCHELLES, MALDIVES, MADAGASCAR AND AN ATTACK IN THE
   MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL. THESE PIRATES ARE FIRING AUTOMATIC
   WEAPONS AND ROCKET PROPELLED GRENADES (RPG) IN AN
   ATTEMPT TO BOARD AND HIJACK VESSELS. ONCE THE ATTACK IS
   SUCCESSFUL AND THE VESSEL HIJACKED, THE PIRATES DIRECT
   THE VESSEL TO THE SOMALI COAST AND THEREAFTER DEMAND
   RANSOM FOR THE SAFE RELEASE OF THE VESSEL AND CREW.
   PIRATES HAVE INCREASINGLY USED HIJACKED FISHING VESSELS
   AND MERCHANT VESSELS TO CONDUCT PIRACY OPERATIONS AS
   MOTHER VESSELS TO SAIL FAR FROM THE SOMALI COAST TO
   ATTACK AND HIJACK PASSING VESSELS. SMALLER SKIFFS ARE
   LAUNCHED FROM THE PIRATE MOTHER VESSEL TO ATTACK THE
   MERCHANT VESSELS. PIRATES ARE HEAVILY ARMED WITH
   AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND RPGS.
6. DESPITE THE INCREASE IN PRESENCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF
   NAVAL FORCES IN THE REGION, AS WELL AS THE EFFECTIVENESS
   OF DEFENSIVE AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES, PIRATE ACTIVITY
   HAS CONTINUED AND COMMERCIAL AND CIVILIAN SHIPS CONTINUE
   TO BE ATTACKED AND SEIZED.
7. TRANSIT BY YACHTS AND PRIVATELY OWNED SAILING VESSELS
   THROUGH HIGH RISK WATERS IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AND MAY
   RESULT IN CAPTURE BY PIRATES. VESSELS THAT MAKE THIS
   PASSAGE DESPITE THIS WARNING SHOULD MAKE CONTACT IN
   ADVANCE WITH THE NAVAL AUTHORITIES. IN ADDITION, AMERICAN
   CITIZENS ABOARD SHOULD INFORM THE NEAREST U.S. EMBASSY OR
   CONSULATE OF THEIR PLANS TO TRANSIT THE AREA AND/OR
   UPDATE THEIR INFORMATION VIA THE SMART TRAVELER
   ENROLLMENT PROGRAM (STEP) ON WWW.TRAVEL.STATE.GOV.
   BASIC GUIDANCE FOR TRANSIT CAN BE FOUND AT
   HTTP://WWW.MSCHOA.ORG/YACHTINGGUIDANCE/PAGES/
   YACHTINGGUIDANCEONE.ASPX.
   IF YOU ARE DUE TO TRAVEL THE AREA OF HIGH THREAT, PLEASE
   INFORM MSC(HOA) BY E-MAILING [email protected]
   WITH THE SUBJECT LINE "YACHT VESSEL MOVEMENT".
8. RELATED COAST GUARD NOTICE: THE U.S. COAST GUARD
   RECENTLY ISSUED A NOTICE TO MARINERS ADVISORY FOR YACHTS
   AND SAILING VESSELS. THE COAST GUARD ADVISES THAT YACHTS
   AND SAILING VESSELS ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO ATTACK
   DUE TO THEIR LOW SPEED AND LOW FREEBOARD. THE COAST GUARD
   ADVISES AGAINST ALL OPERATION OF OR TRAVEL BY YACHT AND
   PLEASURE CRAFT ON THE HIGH SEAS IN THE GULF OF ADEN,
   ARABIAN SEA, SOMALI BASIN AND THE WESTERN PARTS OF THE
   INDIAN OCEAN. ALL YACHTS AND SAILING VESSELS INTENDING
   TO SAIL THROUGH HIGH RISK AREAS SHOULD RECONSIDER THE
   NECESSITY OF THEIR TRAVEL AND ALTERNATIVES, SUCH AS
   TRANSPORTING THE VESSEL BY YACHT CARRIER. THE COAST GUARD
   FURTHER ADVISES THAT PARTICIPANTS IN YACHT RACES AND
   RALLIES IN THESE HIGH RISK AREAS ARE AT GREAT RISK OF
   ATTACK. THESE EVENTS ARE OFTEN PUBLICIZED AND COULD DRAW
   ATTENTION FROM PIRATES, DESPITE THE SECURITY AND SAFETY
   MEASURES THAT MIGHT BE PUT IN PLACE. THE COAST GUARD
   STRONGLY URGES MARINERS NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE
   EVENTS THAT WILL REQUIRE TRANSIT THROUGH HIGH RISK
   WATERS. FOR THE TEXT OF THE COAST GUARD NOTICE, PLEASE
   GO TO HTTP://HOMEPORT.USCG.MIL/PIRACY.
9. HOWEVER, AMERICAN CITIZENS ABOARD YACHTS AND SAILING
   VESSELS SHOULD INFORM THE NEAREST U.S. EMBASSY OR
   CONSULATE OF THEIR PLANS TO TRANSIT THE AREA AND/OR
   UPDATE THEIR INFORMATION VIA THE SMART TRAVELER
   ENROLLMENT PROGRAM (STEP) ON WWW.TRAVEL.STATE.GOV.
10. VESSELS SHOULD REGISTER FOR ACCESS TO MSCHOA WEBSITE AT
    HTTP://WWW.MSCHOA.ORG TO OBTAIN UP TO DATE INFORMATION
    OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITIONS IN THE REGION.
11. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ADVISORY, CONTACT
    CAPTAIN ROBERT FORD, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF
    SECURITY, CODE: MAR-420, ROOM W25-308, 1200 NEW JERSEY
    AVE, S.E., WASHINGTON, DC 20590, PHONE: 202 366 0223,
    FAX: 202 366 3954, TELEX: 710 822 9426 (MARAD DOT WSH)
    OR E-MAIL: [email protected].