German shipowners association VDR has called for a ramping up of anti-piracy measures in the Gulf of Guinea.
The comments follow the abduction of eight crew members from a German-managed ship off the coast of Cameroon on 14 August.
VDR chief executive Ralf Nagel said the incident involving the 10,600-dwt multipurpose vessel MarMalaita (built 2012) “sheds light on a problem that goes much beyond German shipping”.
Additional measures based on practices used along the coastline of Somalia would enable shipowners to better assess the piracy risks, he said.
Germany should support initiatives that enable shipping to get an accurate and updated overview of the situation in the Gulf of Guinea, he added.
The comments come after the incident involving the MarMalaita, managed by Hamburg-based MC Schiffahrt.
Pirates boarded the MarMalaita just before midnight, abducting eight of the 12 crew, the company said.
Nine crew members were also abducted from another ship in the region, said to be, but unconfirmed as, the 33,500-dwt bulker Victory C (built 2012).
Of the 17 kidnapped crew members, nine are said to be Filipino and three Russian. It is unclear the nationality of the remaining five.
“The Gulf of Guinea has become the hotspot for piracy worldwide,” said Nagel.
“There is an absolute need of an increased cooperation and more exchange of information between the neighbouring countries,” he said.
“They absolutely have to put more efforts in sustainably fighting piracy in their coastal waters.”
West Africa's Gulf of Guinea is the world's most dangerous area for seafarers, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
