Sri Lanka monitors shipping in piracy watch

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

30 Sep 2011

Sri Lanka's navy is monitoring merchant shipping movements to guard against the threat of attacks by Somali pirates who have been extending their raids further

east into the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka Ports Authority chairman Priyath Wickrama said the government was concerned about the threat posed by pirates as the island's ports and shipping sector had been affected by terrorism during the ethnic war.
The increased number of piracy-related incidents have affected the tranquillity of the region, he said in a speech at the International Port Security 2011Conference in the Netherlands on September 28.
"Although piracy is not a common feature within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka, the country has developed its national maritime policy to minimize such incidents with the strengthening of coast guard service and other maritime related security arrangements."
Incidents of sea piracy are not reported in and around Sri Lanka frequently as in the case of Malacca Strait, Gulf region and in the African waters such as Somalia.
"However, as any sea piracy attack could be extended to a ship plying in any other sea route," Wickrama said.
"The Sri Lankan coast guard service and Sri Lanka Navy are closely monitoring ship movements in and out of the country's territorial waters to arrest any incidence of sea piracy.
"The authorities are concerned of all threats of piracy and is taking all possible steps within the country and in co-operation within the region and internationally to ensure free movements of vessels within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka."
Somali pirates have been widening their area of attacks and extended their raids further east into the Indian ocean and even off the west coast of India as foreign navies stepped up patrols off Somalia.
The International Maritime Bureau has warned that pirate attacks might extended even further east towards Sri Lanka.
Source: LBO