SECURITY AT SEA

This subject is of growing significance to seafarers as the incidence of attacks on merchant shipping by pirates, stowaways and drugs traffickers becomes more frequent and more violent.

The most essential elements of practical defence against such attacks is to guard against illegal or unauthorised entry to the ship. All the available resources on each ship should be used to either prevent illegal entry or to reduce the chances of such entry.

The ship's specific security plan needs to be drawn up either by the Master himself or with the active participation of the Master. His role as the responsible person for on board safety and security is critical. The devised security plan must be communicated to the officers and crew and implemented by all concerned to reduce the chances of illegal entry at the gangway or any other parts of the ship. Passes are checked and the use of secure stevedores' tags are suggested. All openings which may be used for unauthorised entry should be secured by the use of barbed or razor wire.

In addition to these defence techniques, regular searches should be carried out for drugs as well as stowaways.

The package then deals with an emergency situation, namely a threat of a piracy attack. The measures include ensuring that everyone on board gathers in safe areas and that all stores and equipment which are capable of being moved are also behind locked doors. As these attacks invariably take place at night, the ship is lit up as much as possible to warn the possible pirates that their presence has been noticed. Often such a warning will discourage them from carrying out an attack. Sirens, fire hoses and water jets are turned on to discourage the attackers from boarding the ship.