CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd representing 40 percent of the world container shipping industry have met to discuss the piracy threat towards international shipping. The meeting focused on piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and West Africa. The cooperation between CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd includes information exchange on security measures, piracy policies and procedures as well as coordination with relevant stakeholders. 
“Although we have seen a decline in piracy activity over the past year, piracy continues to be a concern for the shipping industry, and therefore we still need our piracy consensus meetings where we can cooperate on responses to the threat to ensure the safety and security of our seafarers,” CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd said in a joint statement.
At the piracy consensus meeting, CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd agreed that the international community’s efforts to fight the problem have contributed significantly to the improvement in the situation seen today. Especially the naval presence in the Gulf of Aden and the pursuit of appropriate legal frameworks to ensure pirates are prosecuted and held responsible for their crimes have contributed hereto.
“We highly appreciate the efforts by the international community to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean and the success achieved. The continued commitment by the international community with a strong presence and mandate is critical to sustain the current low level of piracy activity,” CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd said.
CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd have put the guidelines in the Best Management Practices to use on a daily basis and have gained significant experience over the past years on what adds value to their ship protection.
“The Best Management Practice (BMP) has been a key contributor towards reducing the risks of piracy. To remain relevant, a revised BMP must focus further on the risk assessment element as the key methodology to determine appropriate anti-piracy measures. In our experience, a ‘one size fits all’ approach does not provide the most effective and efficient solution against the threat. Each protective element must be evaluated in response to the risk and the appropriate level and mix of security methods must be used,” CMA CGM, MSC Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd concluded.
Hamburg Süd, CMA CGM, MSC and Maersk Line continue to support proposals for regional capacity building to address the issue such as a regional coast guard and further commitment by the international community to address the root causes of piracy ashore.
For further information, please contact:
- CMA CGM: CMA CGM Media media@cma-cgm.com
- MSC: Capt. Porzio Raffaele WW Operation Manager or Capt. Maresca Giuseppe, Assistant Operation Manager, +41 22 7038888
- Maersk Line: Aslak Ross, Head of Marine Standards, +45 3363 4665
- Hamburg Süd: CSO/DPA Mathias Günther +49 40 3705 2307
About CMA CGM: CMA CGM, founded and managed by Jacques R. Saadé is the world’s third largest container shipping company and has a turnover of 15.9 billion USD in 2012.Operating a fleet of 414 vessels, the Group serves more than 400 ports around the world. In 2012, the Group carried 10.6 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). With a presence on every continent and in 150 countries through its network of 650 agencies and branch offices, the Group employs 18,000 people worldwide and 2,400 in Marseilles where is situated its head office.
About MSC: MSC S.A. is the world’s second largest container shipping company and it is a private owned Suisse based company.
About Maersk Line: Maersk Line, the world’s largest container shipping company, is owned by the Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller – Maersk. Maersk Line operates a fleet of approximately 500 vessels and annually does about 1,500 transits through the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
About Hamburg Süd: Hamburg Süd, privately owned by the German Oetker Group, is the leading North-South Carrier with a worldwide liner network. The company has more than 4,500 employees, operates 153 ships and deploys 458,000 state-of-the-art-containers.
Via: http://www.maerskline.com/
