Marine Hijack

Worldwide Threat

Despite the international community having significantly reduced the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, through the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, the motivation and capability remains for ad-hoc attacks on perceived weaker vessels.
As a result, recommendations for continued anti-piracy actions remain.

The IMB PRC warns that Somali pirate groups continue to possess the capacity to carry out attacks in the Somali basin and wider Indian Ocean. They also tend to be well armed with automatic weapons, RPGs and have been known to use skiffs launched from mother vessels, which may be hijacked fishing vessels or dhows. All merchant ships are therefore advised to adhere to the recommendations in the latest industry Best Management Practices (BMP) while transiting these waters.

West Africa in particular continues to pose operational challenges where there are large gaps in security provision and no guarantees of co-operation between neighboring security agencies, as vessels steam through different territorial waters.

The number of attacks in the West Africa region is generally lower during the rainy season, which runs from April to September. However, IMB PRC reports 18 of the 35 incidents recorded in 2020 in the wider Nigeria area were in the last quarter of the year.

Our dedicated K&R Maritime insurance removes any uncertainty, minimizing disruption and financial loss whilst helping to achieve its safe and timely resolution. Our policy has been specifically designed to:

  • Include proven crisis response consultants, to provide expert advice and support throughout the negotiations.
  • Minimise business disruption and financial loss.
  • Provide certainty, as this policy pays all covered claims without seeking contributions from the War and Hull insurers.

Coverage

Griffin constantly monitors local and regional threats, adjusting cover to support Assureds.

Extended cover beyond the JWLA West Africa High Risk area to support shipping operations across the whole region, not limited to the JWLA zone
Our comprehensive cover will reimburse a wide variety of expenses including but not limited to:

  • Ransom
  • 100% of the consultants fees and expenses. Medical expenses and Personal Accident cover.
  • Staff costs for those dedicated to assisting with the case and the salaries of captured Insured Persons
  • Expenses, including bunkers, demurrage, warehousing and port expenses, and the cost of the vessel calling at an unscheduled port after it is released.
  • The cost of fuel oil used by a hijacked insured vessel while held captive.
  • Fees and expenses for independent services such as forensics, PR consultant, legal advice.
  • Personal Financial loss of an Insured Person
  • Interest on loans taken to pay the ransom.
  • Legal Liability, being awards and judgements as the result of an action for damages.

Griffin Underwriting Capability

  • Griffin Underwriting has a dedicated marine K&R team able to produce policy documentation
  • The Griffin Underwriting marine team is amongst the most experienced internationally, having been one of the first to offer Maritime K&R/Hijack solutions from the outset of the Gulf of Aden threat

Policy Extensions and Added Value for your clients

Our policy can be extended to include Loss of Hire cover.

Our policy can be packaged with:

A) Kidnap and Ransom
Providing holistic protection for the Assured whether persons are working onboard, or travelling (incl superintendents, crew changes and time ashore), or personnel working onshore.

B) Crisis Assistance Cover
The most valuable part of any business is its people. Griffin Underwriting can provide a product to indemnify the costs associated with responding to and minimising the impact of manmade or natural threats to employees to evacuate or repatriate them whilst they are travelling or working overseas. Cover is for civil unrest, a terror event, a natural disaster like windstorm, earthquake or Pandemic, including Covid 19

Example 1: Shipping Company purchases an Employee Benefit

Example 2: P&I Club extends cover to include Crisis Assistance

Please contact us to discuss:
Email info@griffin-underwriting.com | Telephone +(44) 1481 721 034

Useful Links, Maps and Security Information

BMP Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea: www.ics-shipping.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/bmp5-hi-res-min.pdf

BMP West Africa: www.ics-shipping.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/BMP-West-Africa.pdf

www.icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre

www.bimco.org/news-and-trends/security

www.sceguk.org.uk/about-sceg/

DUSZA

Griffin Underwriting Ltd is reinsured 100% with certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London and is registered in Guernsey under Registration No. 42359 and regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.

By continuing to use this site you agree to the use of cookies. For more information and to find out how to change this click here