Anti-piracy mandate for Indian flagged vessels

All Indian flagged vessels will be required to install an anti-piracy system, following a mandate from the Government of India and the Director General of the Ministry of Shipping.

They will have until 30th June this year or the date of the vessel’s next annual annual ISPS audit, whichever is later, to implement onboard anti-piracy measures.

All owners, masters, managers, operators and agents are requested to ensure the Ship Security Plan (SSP) of their vessels is suitably amended to address the possibility of piracy or armed robbery.

Measures include watch-keeping and enhanced vigilance, effective use of monitoring and/or surveillance equipment, citadels, alert systems, erection of physical barriers and other equipment used for self-defence.

They will not be required on vessels solely operating on the Indian coast or those not operating in the High Risk Area (HRA) defined in Best Management Practices (BMP) 4.

Via: http://shipmanagementinternational.com/

Original Article