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.
Issue link: https://uscgproceedings.epubxp.com/i/57858
Getting the Word Out Regional information brokers keep mariners apprised. by MR TODD OFFUTT 2IÀFHU LQ &KDUJH; 0DULWLPH /LDLVRQ 2IÀFH .LQJGRP RI %DKUDLQ Spotting pirate ships and small skiffs in 2.5 million square miles of ocean surrounding the Gulf of Aden is hard work. On top of that, pirate-spotting ability can sometimes go overboard when the hustle and bustle of other shipping, occasional equipment fail- ure, shipboard medical emergency, oil spill, or any one of a hundred logistical nightmares are added to the mix. Keeping Mariners in the Know Fortunately, mariners don't need to deal with this alone. Several organizations facilitate and manage FULWLFDO VKLSSLQJ LQIRUPDWLRQ ÁRZ LQFOXGLQJ • WKH 8QLWHG .LQJGRP 0DULWLPH 7UDGH 2SHUDWLRQV • WKH 0DULWLPH /LDLVRQ 2IÀFH %DKUDLQ • 0DULWLPH 6HFXULW\ &HQWUH;²+RUQ RI $IULFD • WKH 1RUWK $WODQWLF 7UHDW\ 2UJDQL]DWLRQ 6KLSSLQJ Centre, • WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 0DULWLPH %XUHDX·V 3LUDF\ Reporting Centre. All of these organizations deal with piracy in some form and provide unique capabilities and access to various types of resources. MARLO. 7KH 0DULWLPH /LDLVRQ 2IÀFH IDFLOLWDWHV information exchange among the United States Navy, combined maritime forces, and the commercial mari- time community within the Middle East. MARLO operates as a conduit for information focused on the safety and security of shipping and is committed to assisting all members of the commercial maritime FRPPXQLW\ /LDLVRQ RIÀFHUV WUDYHO UHJXODUO\ WKURXJK- out the Gulf of Aden region to foster communication, www.uscg.mil/proceedings stay apprised of changes in local port infrastructure and management, and proactively address concerns and questions raised by maritime industry members. MARLO has four maritime liaison units, located in Japan, Singapore, Italy, and Florida, to provide similar information and assistance in those regions. UKMTO. 7KH 8 . 0DULWLPH 7UDGH 2SHUDWLRQV RIÀFH acts as the primary point of contact for merchant ves- sels and liaison with military forces in the region during a report of suspicious activity or pirate attack. UKMTO also administers the voluntary reporting scheme under which merchant vessels are encour- aged to send regular reports, providing their posi- tion/course/speed and estimated time of arrival at their next port, while transiting designated high-risk waters. UKMTO subsequently tracks vessels and passes the information to Combined Maritime Force and European Union headquarters. MSCHOA. Maritime Security Centre–Horn of Africa is a coordination center dedicated to safeguarding the freedom of navigation. Through close dialogue with shipping companies, masters, and other interested parties, MSCHOA will build up a picture of vulner- able shipping in these waters and their approaches, then coordinate with a range of military forces oper- ating in the region to provide support and protection to mariners. NSC. NATO Shipping Centre provides the commer- cial link with NATO's maritime forces. It is NATO's primary point of contact with the maritime com- munity, and is used as the tool for communicating and coordinating initiatives and efforts with other Spring 2012 Proceedings 29 Prevention