Specialist insurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) has warned shipowners there need to be an increase in the level of preparedness when vessels use the Gulf of Aden and piracy attacks surge.

The broker has taken the step of issuing a white paper to spell out what owners, captains and crews should be doing to ensure they do not become another victim of the piracy gangs which have increased operations post the annual monsoon season.

“With the end of the monsoon season, piracy has surged in the Gulf of Aden and the East Coast of Somalia,” said a JLT spokesman. “Since the start of 2009, 189 vessels have been attacked, of which 42 have occurred since October, 10 of which have been hijacked 

“The increase in scale and intensity of piracy has focused attention of the shipping and insurance industries on this exposure and how insurance coverage is structured.”

They revealed that JLT has participated in the release of four vessels over the past year for its policyholders. 

“It is based on this experience that JLT launched a white paper analysing the key risk factors and how best to prepare for Gulf of Aden and the East Coast of Somalia transits,” the spokesman added.

Sean Woollerson, Partner, Marine Oil and Gas Division, JLT, says "A state of preparedness is crucial for vessels navigating the Gulf of Aden and the East Coast of Somalia. We are also encouraging owners and operators to stress test their response to this peril. Our report is a useful guide to understanding the risks posed and how best to protect against them".

The Joint Naval Task Force has struggled to respond to the rise in attacks as the piracy gangs go farther afield in their hunt for victims.

Firms are looking at modifying vessels to make them harder to board as they make their way through the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters and some have recruited armed personnel to accompany the vessel.

Insurance coast have soared and some owners say they are at the point where it would be more economical to send vessels around the Cape of Good Hope rather then risk a trip through the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal.