By GODWIN ORITSE

THE International Bargaining Forum (IBF), a body of seafarers, has warned its members to steer clear of Nigerian waters as they declared the country ‘high risk area’ following the incessant attacks on vessels and crew members.

The categorization which has a damaging cost implication on shipment into Nigeria came as a result of what the body called increasing number of attacks on vessels and kidnap of crews.

Vanguard gathered that the notice will come into effect on April 1, 2012 in order to allow ship operators to make necessary preparations.

The High Risk Area provisions apply to all ships operating under an IBF agreement.  The ITF’s Fair Practices Committee Steering Group will decide on whether to also apply them to all ships under non-IBF ITF agreements.

IBF, ITF Provisions
IBF agreements on high risk areas provide an indicator of good practice to national flag registers. The IBF provides a forum for discussion between the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), its member unions the maritime employers in the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG).

It covers territorial waters of Benin and Nigeria, including ports, terminals and roads anchorages, the delta of the Niger river, other inland waterways and port facilities except only when the vessel is attached securely to a berth or SBM facility in a guarded port area.

Under the declaration, all companies operating vessels or installations on the waters around the duo of Nigeria and Benin should have sufficient security arrangements to safeguard their personnel given the nature of the risk, and should provide adequate protection, advice and compensations to the crews.

Details of the declaration that were made available to Vanguard indicate that: Upon the vessel’s entry into and, further, throughout the entire stay in the Area as specified above, seafarers must be protected by increased security measures that will provide adequate levels of safety and security on board, such as the Best Management Practice.

In the ports of the above listed countries and inland waterways and approaches to these ports, including offshore installations, extra security measures for reducing the vessel’s vulnerability to an unsanctioned approach and boarding should be adopted.

Such measures should, inter alia, provide for an enhanced look-out and an emergency alert/action plan securing sufficient safety for the crew and reliable contact with the authorities. The sufficiency of such extra security measures should be determined depending on the vessel’s type, size and freeboard.

Prior to approaching a port, detailed local advice about the security situation should be obtained and arrivals and departures timed to coincide with security patrols operated by respective government forces, if available.