February 20 - Nigel Cleave, CEO of Videotel says people must take steps to protect the safety of their crew, their cargo and their vessels against the threat of piracy.
Announcing a completely revised and updated version of Videotel's Piracy and Armed Robbery training programme, he noted: "The number of alternatives available in the arsenal of anti-piracy measures has increased, but … the legal implications of many of these options to the ship owner are considerable.
"We have seen significant changes in the pattern of piracy behaviour which have been reflected in the response from the shipping industry, governments and other organisations. There has been the use of armed and unarmed guards, as well as citadels and anti-embarkation measures.
"Recent years have also seen an increase of pirate attacks in West Africa - as well as other locations - and the industry standard guidelines … need to be adapted for the different circumstances encountered today."
Cleave said Videotel's updated Piracy and Armed Robbery programme is designed to assist shipping companies and their crews to safely transit pirate zones anywhere in the world.
The programme is available in all multimedia formats including Videotel On Demand (VOD).
