Latest ICC CCS Piracy Report (to 13 Feb 07)

The latest Latest ICC CCS Piracy Report (to 13 Feb 07)here:

08.02.2007 2130 LT in position 02:00.44N - 045:20.7E, 1.5nm off Mogadishu, Somalia.
Five pirates armed with guns attempted to board a product tanker at anchor. Master raised alarm, crew mustered and activated fire hoses. Pirates fired upon the ship and escaped. Master contacted port control and agent for assistance. Four port security gun men with tug came and searched the area at 2245 LT and then boarded the ship. One bullet hit near the starboard navigation light. No injuries to crew.

08.02.2007 1950 LT in position 05:23.4N - 005:11.7E, vicinity of Forcados River, Nigeria.
Five heavily armed pirates in a speed boat boarded a tug underway. They ordered master to drop anchor and forced all crewmembers and supernumeraries to the bridge. Pirates smashed master's head with a bottle. Then, they ransacked crew members’ cabins and took all personal belongings of crew, vessel's property and escaped at 0130 LT. Vessel’s calls for assistance from ashore was ignored by authorities.

06.01.2007 0107 LT at Boma Anchorage, Congo River, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Robbers boarded a container ship waiting for berth at Matadi. Alert crew noticed the robbers, raised alarm and tried to obstruct them but failed. Robbers jumped overboard and escaped with two drums of lub oil in a canoe. Master sent distress alarm by VHF but no response from port authorities

Also noteworthy from the ICC CCS page:

Unusual attack off Kuala Tanjong, Indonesia
23 January 2007
Several unlit fishing vessels approached a container ship underway. One of the boats briefly collided at the starboard bow of the vessel. Subsequently, two persons were found on board, apparently unarmed but with mobile phones.

Masters are requested to exercise caution in these waters and report all suspicious incidents.

Also, interesting reading at the ONI Worldwide Threat site with a report current to 7 Feb 07. Good lesson in spotting a pattern of trickery here:

1. ARABIAN SEA: General cargo ship approached 02 Feb, at
1100 local time in position 10:40N - 062:07E. The general cargo ship was
underway when it received a call on VHF from a craft advising she is a Korean
fishing vessel asking for fresh water. The Master suspected piracy and raised the
alarm and steered away from the craft. The suspicious vessel followed the ship.
The Master increased speed at 1210 local time and the vessel aborted the chase.
Soon after, another four small high speed crafts approached the suspicious craft
while talking/laughing on VHF ch. 14. The suspect craft was wooden, painted
white and green with a speed of 15-20 knots with no fishing equipment on
deck (IMB).
.
2. ARABIAN SEA: Vehicle carrier approached 28 Jan, at 0610
UTC in position 11:20.0N 065:09.9E. The vehicle carrier was underway
when it received a call on VHF ch.16 from a small craft asking for fresh
water. The craft closed in to 2nm from the starboard quarter. Two other
craft approached the ship on the port and starboard bow. The vehicle
carrier increased speed, and raised the alarm and sounded the whistle.
The small craft reduced speed and moved away (IMB).

Much much more, including good coverage of environmental pirates "Sea Shepards" and their activities harassing Japanese whalers:

1. SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY: Whaling vessel(NISSHIN MARU) harassed by Sea Shepherd vessels (FARLEY MOWAT) and (ROBERT HUNTER) 09 Feb, starting at 0530 local time approximately 100 NM ENE of Sturge Island, Southern Ocean. According to Sea Shepherd news releases, six liters of butyric acid was “successfully delivered” onto the
flensing deck of the (NISSHIN MARU) and plates have been nailed over the
vessel’s scuppers with the use of Hilt nail guns. Japan expressed outrage,
terming these activities as “piratical, terrorist acts”. Two Japanese crewmen
were reportedly injured, one when he was hit in the face by an empty container
of acid, and the other when acid was squirted into one of his eyes. According
to Sea Shepherd, two crewmembers from the (FARLEY MOWAT) went missing
for eight hours after their Zodiac sustained damage when it struck the side the whaling vessel in heavy seas. After the (FARLEY MOWAT) issued an official maritime distress call for the missing crewmembers, all vessels, including the
whaling vessels, worked together to find the missing protesters. After finding the two crewmembers, the master of the (FARLEY MOWAT) thanked the whaling vessels for their assistance then declared they were recommencing their harassment efforts. In a 09 Feb news release, Sea Shepherd reported they were pursuing the whaling fleet in position 66:46S-169:52E, 122 NM ENE of Sturge Island and has requested the Greenpeace vessel (ESPERANZA), believed to be in the area, to join them in their harassment efforts (Sea Shepherd News, REUTERS, AFP)
Photo caption:

The Robert Hunter crunches into the side of the Japanese whale-spotting ship the Kaiko Maru in sea ice south-east of Australia.

The Robert Hunter is one of the anti-whaling vessels seemingly bent on endangering human life while "saving the whales." Though the Sea Shepard Society denies attempting to hurt humans here.

Actions described here:

The Sea Shepherd crew has successfully delivered six liters of butyric acid onto the flensing deck of the Nisshin Maru. This "butter acid" is a nontoxic obnoxious smelling substance. The foul smell has cleared the flensing deck and stopped all work of cutting up whales.

Sea Shepherd crew in Zodiacs have nailed plates to the drain outlets (near the waterline) on the Nisshin Maru that spill the blood of the whales from the flensing deck into the sea. This is backing up the blood onto the flensing decks. The plates are secured by Hilt nail guns that drive steel nails through solid steel.

UPDATE: Sea Shepherd to withdraw due to low fuel, Greenpeace to remain chasing whalers - see here.