00:00 - 00:04

attention attention old crew old crew

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come to

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bridge

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Delta this is an audio recording of a

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hooti attack in the bab El mandb straet

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vessel Harmony this is Coalition on over

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the straight is a narrow passageway

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leading into the Red Sea nearly 100

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attacks have been recorded since

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November 2023 on this critical route at

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least two vessels have been sunk and

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four seaf far is

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[Music]

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killed I rush to the bridge I go fast

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everybody was scared everybody was

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screaming like drone drone missile

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missile drone drone missile missile I

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was scared I sat

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down I literally like on my knees it was

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horrible the armed attacks in the waters

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have forced shipping companies to

01:07 - 01:12

respond the effect on on on on the on

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the on the seafarers is is horic because

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they are seafarers they're not

01:15 - 01:23

soldiers about 80 to almost 90% of the

01:20 - 01:26

goods that we consume whether it's fuel

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or it's hard Goods or automobiles are

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shipped around the world on a vessel

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as many as 1 million people work on the

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high seas as

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seafarers so why is violence still on

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the rise on the high

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seas there has been according to the

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World Bank more than $400 million us

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paid in Ransom uh for getting hijacked

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vessel back from Pirate the ongoing wave

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of violence directed at Sailors in the

01:57 - 02:04

Red Sea began in November

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23 the hotis behind the attacks are

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members of an Iran alligned group that

02:06 - 02:11

controls much of Yemen they claim the

02:09 - 02:13

attacks are an expression of solidarity

02:11 - 02:16

with the suffering of Palestinians in

02:13 - 02:16

Gaza

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[Music]

02:34 - 02:39

the hooes have deployed sophisticated

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drones as well as ballistic missiles and

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are considered a terrorist group by many

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countries including the

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US in November 2023 houti militants

02:48 - 02:53

launched this helicopter attack on a

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commercial vessel it led to the

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highjacking of the ship with 25 crew

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members taken hostage they are still

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being held

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held over the next month international

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shipping companies including MK said

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they would suspend transits through the

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Red

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[Music]

03:14 - 03:21

Sea on March 6 2024 the attacks turned

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deadly when a Barbados flagged bul

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carrier was

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hit despite rescue efforts by the Indian

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Navy three crew members were killed

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houti militants later claimed

03:30 - 03:35

responsibility for the

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[Music]

03:35 - 03:41

strikes since then the scale of

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aggression has only escalated

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further in June 2024 houti deployed

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boats packed with explosives to take out

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the tutor a Greek owned vessel one

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Filipino sailor was killed in the

03:55 - 04:00

attack footage circulating on social

03:58 - 04:03

media shows armed guards s unable to do

04:00 - 04:05

more than watch as attackers

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approach the violence has prompted

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foreign Nations led by the US to send in

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armed

04:09 - 04:15

convoys today shipping companies are

04:12 - 04:17

attempting to mitigate Red Sea risks by

04:15 - 04:21

sailing around the Cape of Good Hope off

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southern Africa but the detour drives up

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the price of goods and delays

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shipments it also increases the

04:26 - 04:30

likelihood of ships sailing into other

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Troubled Waters off the coast Co of

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Somalia and East

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Africa economically it's it's a it's a

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nightmare but at the same time the U the

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the folks especially around the Gulf of

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Guinea around Nigeria um and and those

04:42 - 04:48

areas um the the pacy incidents are

04:46 - 04:51

likely to increase far more than they

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presently are at the moment um that's

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piracy uh for economic reasons not

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political to better understand the risks

04:57 - 05:03

facing Sailors on the high seas

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it is important to also look at Maritime

05:03 - 05:09

geography where you have wealth you you

05:05 - 05:11

tend to attract crimes the hotti attacks

05:09 - 05:14

in the Middle East supposedly motivated

05:11 - 05:17

by political grievances are in some ways

05:14 - 05:21

an exception from broader

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Trends Maritime threats exist not just

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in the Middle East but also in several

05:24 - 05:29

other critical areas around the world

05:26 - 05:32

including in East Asia we tend to forget

05:29 - 05:36

that geography is still extremely

05:32 - 05:38

important driven by poverty and economic

05:36 - 05:41

opportunism Pirates tend to Target

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Maritime passageways that are hard for

05:41 - 05:45

operators to sail

05:42 - 05:47

around that's because the vessels have

05:45 - 05:50

few other options if they hope to avoid

05:47 - 05:54

extreme delays or unreasonable

05:50 - 05:57

costs in the world there are seven uh

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important Maritime chck Point area very

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narrow when the global trade is passing

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in Asia two of the most prominent choke

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points are the straight of malaka and

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the Singapore

06:06 - 06:12

straight the economies around soueast

06:09 - 06:13

Asia they are thriving but their pockets

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of you know

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underdevelopment or undevelopment for

06:16 - 06:20

example which give rise to the root

06:18 - 06:22

causes of

06:20 - 06:25

piracy the attacks here have been

06:22 - 06:27

brought under some degree of control

06:25 - 06:29

because of increased cooperation among

06:27 - 06:32

navies and coast guards of the countries

06:29 - 06:35

for ordering the affected

06:32 - 06:37

areas shipping companies also carefully

06:35 - 06:39

monitor other choke points in case

06:37 - 06:42

challenges

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emerge one such area in Asia is the

06:42 - 06:47

South China Sea as much as 20% of the

06:45 - 06:50

world's Maritime shipping passes through

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these Waters and the trade it carries is

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crucial to many of the economic

06:52 - 06:57

powerhouses in East Asia much of it is

06:56 - 07:00

also disputed

06:57 - 07:03

territory trying to to assert their

07:00 - 07:05

sovereignty China the Philippines

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Malaysia and Vietnam have occupied

07:05 - 07:10

islands and shols in the South China SE

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over the past six

07:10 - 07:16

decades for now the impact of the

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disputes has been felt primarily by

07:16 - 07:20

fishing

07:17 - 07:23

vessels the resurgent threat of piracy

07:20 - 07:25

also has global Shipping operators

07:23 - 07:27

increasing their Reliance on a once

07:25 - 07:28

controversial

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[Music]

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tool private security guards they are

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often exmilitary and carry weapons as

07:35 - 07:38

they are deployed on civilian or

07:36 - 07:41

commercial shiing

07:38 - 07:43

vessels when armed private security

07:41 - 07:47

guards started to be sent to Sea in the

07:43 - 07:50

early 2000s the prac some

07:47 - 07:52

eyebrows today it is commonplace and

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even extends to the deployment of

07:52 - 07:58

floating armories at Sea technically

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what is a floating Armory uh it's just a

07:58 - 08:04

vessel

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that is mostly docked at high sea and

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it's used to avoid the restriction on

08:09 - 08:16

carry firearms on board when commercial

08:12 - 08:17

vessel approach National Water meaning

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that when this vessel cross

08:17 - 08:23

international water there is a

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possibility to carry weapon and security

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guard on board moving them from a

08:26 - 08:32

floating Armory on board to the vessel

08:30 - 08:35

there are no reliable figures on the

08:32 - 08:38

number of deaths that happen annually at

08:35 - 08:40

Sea although more than 100 states have

08:38 - 08:42

now ratified a maritime convention that

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aims to improve

08:42 - 08:48

transparency according to Lloyd's list

08:45 - 08:50

the number of incidents resulting in

08:48 - 08:55

deaths at Sea is rising with an average

08:50 - 08:59

of 35 events per year between 2013 and

08:55 - 09:02

2017 the total number of deaths is even

08:59 - 09:05

higher with over 200 recorded in

09:02 - 09:07

2022 the numbers likely under represent

09:05 - 09:12

true

09:07 - 09:16

figures why this we innocent seller are

09:12 - 09:20

T targeting why you don't know anything

09:16 - 09:20

but why we are targeting

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[Music]

09:30 - 09:33

[Music]

Safeguarding Seafarers: Understanding Maritime Threats

The Red Sea, a vital passageway between the Middle East and Africa, has become a hotbed of violence, endangering the lives of seafarers and disrupting global trade. Since November 2023, Houthi attacks have plagued the Bab el Mandeb strait, resulting in ship hijackings, crew fatalities, and immense challenges for the shipping industry. These attacks, carried out by an Iran-aligned group, have escalated to include the use of drones, missiles, and hostage-taking, with over $400 million in ransom paid to secure hijacked vessels.

Despite efforts by naval forces and shipping companies to enhance security measures, the situation remains precarious. As shipping routes diversify to avoid high-risk areas like the Red Sea, economic costs rise, and vulnerabilities shift to other troubled waters like the Gulf of Guinea and the South China Sea. The complex interplay of political grievances, economic disparities, and maritime geography underscores the need for comprehensive strategies to safeguard seafarers and secure global trade.

Maritime threats are not confined to the Red Sea; they span critical choke points worldwide, from the Strait of Malacca to the South China Sea. As nations compete for territorial claims, disputes in these regions amplify the risks faced by sailors. To counter evolving threats, shipping operators increasingly rely on private security guards, deploying them on commercial vessels and utilizing floating armories to navigate legal constraints on carrying weapons at sea.

The safety of seafarers remains a paramount concern, as incidents of violence at sea continue to rise. Enhancing transparency, cooperation among nations, and adherence to maritime conventions are essential steps to address these challenges effectively. By understanding the complexities of maritime threats and the vulnerabilities of seafarers, we can work towards a safer and more secure maritime environment for all stakeholders.

In a world where the seas connect nations and drive global commerce, protecting those who navigate its waters is imperative. As we confront the growing menace of maritime violence, solidarity and concerted action are key to ensuring the safety and well-being of the brave souls who traverse the high seas.