Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.
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Gathering Around The Table Coast Guard, government, and industry collaborative efforts to combat piracy. by LCDR JAMES T. FOGLE 9HVVHO 6HFXULW\ 3URJUDP 0DQDJHU 8 6 &RDVW; *XDUG 2IÀFH RI 9HVVHO $FWLYLWLHV Combating maritime piracy is a responsibility shared DPRQJ JRYHUQPHQWV YHVVHO RZQHUV RSHUDWRUV ÁDJ states, and the international maritime community. For this reason, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. gov- ernment interagency partners have made every effort to provide the best possible direction and guidance WR 8 6 ÁDJJHG YHVVHOV RSHUDWLQJ LQ KLJK ULVN ZDWHUV Roundtable Meetings Since the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, the Coast Guard has hosted maritime industry stakehold- ers at several joint U.S. government agency/maritime industry piracy roundtable meetings and has partici- pated in various other forums to discuss the state of counter-piracy and the U.S. government's efforts to protect the vital shipping interest of U.S. carriers. Roundtable meetings can provide industry stake- holders with an ideal venue to communicate ideas and express concerns. For example, shipping industry participants ex- pressed the need for additional guidance on using privately contracted armed security personnel and identifying port state requirements for these armed personnel. As a result, the Coast Guard has issued multiple port security advisories, which provided the requested supplemental guidance to U.S. ship- pers, and helped facilitate compliance with Maritime Security (MARSEC) Directive 104-6, "Guidelines for U.S. Vessels Operating in High-Risk Waters." www.uscg.mil/proceedings &RPSDQ;\ 6HFXULW\ 2IÀFHU DQG Stakeholder Engagement In May 2009, shortly after revision 2 of MARSEC Directive 104-6, the Coast Guard held a meeting with FRPSDQ\ VHFXULW\ RIÀFHUV RI YHVVHOV RSHUDWLQJ LQ high-risk waters to discuss the essential elements of the revised directive and to share the Coast Guard's expectation for submitting a "piracy annex" to their approved vessel security plans (VSPs). The shipping industry needed guidance for using armed security. Additionally, the Coast Guard hosted a Ship Opera- tions Cooperative Program meeting 1 , in September 2009, to streamline the review and approval process for VSPs (or piracy annexes), hear concerns regard- ing vessel security, and to discuss industry recom- PHQGDWLRQV UHJDUGLQJ PRGLÀFDWLRQ UHTXHVWV 7KH Coast Guard agreed with many of the recommenda- tions and has made improvements to the process that enhanced vessel security by making VSPs more user- friendly. Counter-Piracy Summits In October 2010 and December 2011, the U.S. gov- ernment interagency hosted industry stakeholders at counter-piracy summits, during which key stake- holders exchanged views regarding appropriate preparations for and responses to piracy incidents (see sidebar). Spring 2012 Proceedings 27 Prevention