More tankers going the long way around

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

28 Nov 2008

Seaarland and Motia has announced that all their owned and managed ships will proceed via the Cape of Good Hope instead of transiting the Gulf of Aden until the piracy situation in area has been brought under control. "We at Seaarland and Motia feel we have to act to protect our crews from piracy attack," said Antonio Zacchello, managing director of Seaarland group of companies and Motia. He said the companies "urge the navies in the area, and the major developed nations which depend on world trade through the Gulf of Aden, to act firmly and promptly to restore security to the area. Our seafarers deserve better protection."
In a press release, the ship owning and management group said it would reconsider the positions if the Gulf of Aden piracy situation significantly improves.
Then vessels might again transit the Gulf of Aden providing they could be in a suitable military convoy.
But they said Seaarland or Motia, in consultation with the Master, may divert the ship via the Cape of Good Hope at any given time should the situation deteriorate and/or if any new event results in a clear increase of risk for the crew, the ship and the cargo on board.
"We know this will cause extra expense and some delays for us and our charterers, but we work with good long-term partners and they understand the problem and understand that we have to protect our crews and ships, and their cargoes," said Zacchello.
"Until the international community acts to suppress this piracy menace, the safest thing we can do is stay out of the area, and that is what we are going to do, until the situation improves."
Seaarland - via its offices in Amsterdam, Hamburg, Mumbai and Singapore - and the Venice (Italy) based Motia control a fleet of 65 product tankers, crude tankers and bulk carriers.
Earlier this week, Taiwan's TMT also announced that it would was diverting its fleet of tankers via the Cape of Good Hope. 
The decision would affect the routing of some 20 VLCCs which regularly ship crude oil from the Middle East to Europe and the US, reports said.

Source: Tankerworld