"Seamen had become increasingly worried about the pirates in the Somali waters, and therefore IMO member countries need to be persuaded to take joint action," Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said when opening a National Conference on the Implementation of BMP3 (Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and the Arabian Sea Area) in Jakarta on Monday.
BMP3 was aimed at assisting ships in avoiding, preventing or slowing down the attacks of pirates off the Somali coast, including the Bay of Aden and the Arabian region.
He said even the UN Security Council has issued a mandate to all IMO member countries to fight against the pirates.
The minister said that up till now that had been no concrete action in dealing with the pirates, he said.
In that context, he added, he will supply the IMO with inputs for joint action in dealing with the pirates.
The minister also said that as preliminary steps in dealing with the pirates especially those operating in the Somali waters, he will introduce the Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and the Arabian Sea Area (BMP3).
"Indonesia will supply inputs for a road map on the development of the BMP3 on an international basis in dealing with piracy," the minister said.
In the meantime, chairman of the Association of Indonesian National Shipowners Association (INSA) Johnson W Sutjiipto said that in 2010 there had been 392 attacks on ships, 53 escaped, and 1,180 seamen taken hostage, and 8 seamen killed.
Some 44 pct of the piracy took place in the Somali waters and caused a loss of 8-12 billion US dollars to the international world and up to May 16, 2011, there had been 518 piracy cases in the Somali waters. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
