LILA NORFOLK - DEFENCE & SECURITY
News: Marine
commandos onboard hijacked ship MV Lila, begin ‘sanitisation’: Navy
What's in the news?
● Indian Navy swiftly responded
to the hijacking incident onboard Liberian flagged Bulk Carrier MV Lila Norfolk deploying considerable
strength of assets (both ships and aircraft) and an aggressive intent to
counter attack by pirates.
Key takeaways:
●
Continuous aerial recce of MV Lila Norfolk was undertaken
by MQ9B (Sea Guardian), P8I and integral helicopters.
●
The team did not find any pirates onboard. Forceful
warnings by the Indian Naval aircraft to the vessel and likely Interception by
IN warship, probably compelled the pirates to escape during the night hours.
●
MV Lila Norfolk will recommence her passage to her
destination under escort of the Indian Naval Warship.
Lila Norfolk:
● Lila Norfolk is a merchant
ship.
● The
ship was hijacked by Houthi rebels.
● This
ship was going from Brazil to Bahrain.
UNCLOS and Maritime Piracy:
● As
per the UN Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS), maritime piracy is when people on a private boat or ship
commit crimes like kidnapping, violence or robbery for personal gain.
● UNCLOS
is an international treaty which was
adopted and signed in 1982 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
● It
lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and
seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.
● This
happens on the open sea and is targeted at another vessel or its people and
property.
Measures taken by India:
● India
participates in the various multilateral fora set up to combat piracy.
● The
Regional Cooperation Agreement on
Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) is a
government-to-government agreement that aims to enhance multilateral
cooperation among 16 regional countries.
● The
Regional Maritime Security Initiative
(RMSI) is a partnership between regional nations with varying capabilities
and capacities.
Institutions created by India:
● The
Navy’s Information Management and
Analysis Centre (IMAC) and Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean
Region (IFC-IOR) are institutions involved in maintaining maritime security.
● Besides,
the Indian Navy also coordinates with the Coast
Guard to maintain enhanced surveillance within the Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ).
Legislative Measures:
● India
enacted the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act,
2022 to give effect to arrest and prosecute pirates and strengthen the
fight against piracy.
● The
government’s SAGAR (Security And Growth for
All in the Region) Doctrine provides a framework for maritime co-operation
in the Indian Ocean region.
Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCOC):
● It
is also known as the Code of Conduct concerning the Repression of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in the Western Indian
Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
● It
was adopted on 29th January 2009.
● It
was established under the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Objectives:
● Under
the code, the signatories agreed to co-operate to the fullest possible extent
in the repression of piracy and armed robbery against ships.
Jeddah Amendment:
● An
amendment to DCOC was made in 2017 to cover other illicit maritime activities,
including human trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and
to build national and regional capacity to address wider maritime security
issues, as a basis for sustainable development of the maritime sector.
Signatories:
● It
has been signed by 20 countries
including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles, Somalia,
the United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan,
Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sudan and the United
Arab Emirates.
● The
member states are located in areas adjoining the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the
east coast of Africa and include island nations in the Indian Ocean.
Observers:
● India,
Japan, Norway, the UK and the USA.