New Best Management Practices (BMP) West Africa
The International Group of P&I Clubs, in partnership with other shipping industry associations, together with the support of governments and military organisations have published new maritime security guidance for West Africa.
The Best Management Practice West Africa (BMP WA) provides guidance to assist companies and seafarers assess the risks associated with voyages through the Gulf of Guinea and mitigate any potential threats to their safety.
The publication particularly highlights the need for a Vessel Hardening Plan, which can ensure that vessels are fully prepared for operations in the Gulf of Guinea, where the threat levels are significantly increased.
The BMP WA is a new addition to the well-established BMP series, which was last updated in June 2018, with the 5th edition of the publication. BMP5 is a compilation of comprehensive empirical guidance for vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.
This latest BMP complements piracy guidance in the latest International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Resolutions and Circulars at www.imo.org.
The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC) website also contains a wide number of resources such as Advice to Masters, a Live Piracy Map/Report and Piracy Prone Areas, all of which can be found here Piracy Reporting Centre - Advice To Masters.