World’s leading container lines join forces in fight against piracy

The world’s three largest container shipping companies have decided to cooperate in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The cooperation between CMA CGM, MSC and Maersk Line includes information exchange on safety measures, piracy policies and procedures as well as coordination to ensure the issue is addressed with all relevant stakeholders.

“Our first and foremost concern is the safety and security of our crews. Piracy continues to be a problem for the shipping industry and if we want to address it effectively, we as ship owners must cooperate,” CMA CGM, MSC and Maersk Line said in a joint statement.

CMA CGM, MSC and Maersk Line agree on the importance of the Best Management Practices for safe sailing in the area where the Somali pirates continue to attack and hijack vessels.

“Following the Anti-Piracy Best Management Practice is an important step in preventing hijackings and we fully support the use and further development of the BMP,” CMA CGM, MSC and Maersk Line said.

CMA CGM, MSC and Maersk Line welcome and support the international community’s efforts to fight the problem of piracy in terms of the naval presence in the Gulf of Aden and the pursuit of appropriate legal frameworks to ensure pirates are prosecuted and held responsible for their crimes.  “The root causes of this problem cannot be addressed overnight. Therefore, it is imperative that the naval forces have a strong and dynamic mandate to match the constantly changing situation in the area. It is also vital that the acts of piracy do not go unpunished, which is why appropriate legal frameworks for prosecuting pirates are needed,” CMA CGM, MSC and Maersk Line said.

CMA CGM, MSC and Maersk Line also support proposals for regional capacity building to address the issue such as a regional coast guard and possible transit corridors to East Africa.

CMA CGM is currently the world’s third largest container shipping Group. Operating a fleet of 394 vessels, including 93 company-owned, the Group is present in 150 countries through its network of 650 agencies and serves 400 ports around the world.  MSC S.A. is the world’s second largest container shipping company and it is a private owned Suisse based company.  Maersk Line, the world’s largest container shipping company, is owned by the Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller – Maersk. Maersk Line operates a fleet of approximately 500 vessels and annually does about 1,500 transits through the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.