Maritime advisory 2017-004

Original warning text

U.S. MARITIME ADVISORY 2017-004.
1. ISSUE: U.S. FLAG VESSELS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN
   VIGILANT AND ADHERE TO THE COUNTER-PIRACY ANNEX OF
   THEIR APPROVED VESSEL SECURITY PLAN WHEN TRANSITING
   THE SULU AND CELEBES SEAS, IN LIGHT OF RECENT
   BOARDINGS AND KIDNAPPINGS FOR RANSOM THAT HAVE
   TAKEN PLACE IN THE AREA. OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS,
   THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 14 REPORTED KIDNAPPINGS
   AND ONE MURDER, OF WHICH AT LEAST TEN INCIDENTS
   WERE REPORTEDLY LINKED TO ABU SAYYAF GROUP (ASG),
   A VIOLENT ISLAMIC SEPARATIST GROUP OPERATING IN
   THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES.
2. PREVIOUSLY, ONLY TOWING AND FISHING VESSELS WERE
   TARGETED AND CREWMEMBERS KIDNAPPED. HOWEVER, SINCE
   OCT 2016, ASG HAS REPORTEDLY TARGETED THREE
   LARGE COMMERCIAL VESSELS AND ONE YACHT. IN NOV
   2016 ASG BOARDED A GERMAN YACHT AND KILLED ONE
   CREWMEMBER, AND IN FEB 2017 KILLED THE REMAINING
   CREWMEMBER AFTER A RANSOM DEMAND WAS NOT MET. THUS
   FAR, NO U.S. VESSELS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE
   INCIDENTS.
3. GUIDANCE: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS THREAT,
   INCLUDING SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VESSELS
   TRANSITING THE AREA, IS AVAILABLE ON THE REGIONAL
   COOPERATION AGREEMENT ON COMBATING PIRACY AND ARMED
   ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS IN ASIA (RECAAP) WEBSITE AT
   WWW.RECAAP.ORG.
4. MARINERS OPERATING IN OR NEAR THIS AREA ARE ALSO
   ADVISED TO CONSULT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE TRAVEL
   WARNINGS FOR THIS AREA AT
   www.travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/
   alertswarnings/philippines-travel-warning.html.
5. ALL SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS MUST BE REPORTED
   TO THE U.S. COAST GUARD NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER AT
   800-424-8802 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 33CFR101.305. A SHIP
   HOSTILE ACTION REPORT (SHAR) SHOULD ALSO BE SENT TO
   THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (NGA) AT:
   http://msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal?_nfpb=true&_
   st=&_pageLabel=msi_portal_page_70&subCode=06
   AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOLLOWING AN INCIDENT OR
   SUSPECTED ACTIVITY (INCLUDING APPARENT SURVEILLANCE
   BEING CONDUCTED BY SMALL VESSELS/BOATS). REFERENCE
   NGA PUB 117 AT:
   https://msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal?_nfpb=
   true&_st=&_pageLabel=msi_portal_page_62&pubCode=0009
   FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE.
6. CONTACT INFORMATION: FOR ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS
   ADVISORY, CONTACT [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTAL
   INFORMATION MAY ALSO BE FOUND ON THE UPDATED MARAD
   OFFICE OF MARITIME SECURITY WEBSITE AT:
   https://www.marad.dot.gov/environment-and-safety/
   office-of-security/.
   RECAAP FOCAL POINTS CONTACT
   INFO IS AVAILABLE AT
   http://www.recaap.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=
   YjzhJqHXGoQ%3D&tabid=93&mid=542.
7. CANCELLATION OF PRIOR ADVISORIES: THIS MESSAGE
   CANCELS LEGACY MARAD ADVISORY 2013-3 (GULF OF OMAN,
   NORTH ARABIAN SEA, GULF OF ADEN, BAB EL MANDEB),
   LEGACY MARAD ADVISORY 2016-4 (SULU AND CELEBES SEAS).
8. CANCEL THIS MSG 09 NOV 17.