BIMCO TELLS IMO OF PIRACY CONCERNS

BIMCO TELLS IMO OF PIRACY CONCERNS    Piracy and armed robbery against ships continues to escalate, despite the International Maritime Organization's efforts to combat the crimes, the Baltic and International Maritime Council said.
   Speaking at the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee meeting, BIMCO said there was “no single factor for this disturbing trend,” but that a key contributing factor “is the absence of consequences faced by the pirates and armed robbers committing these crimes.”
   Though there have been some successful prosecutions of pirates “the vast majority of these crimes go unpunished,” BIMCO said. “As long as this is the case, these criminals will continue to prey on ships and seafarers, and the frequency of such attacks will continue to rise.”
   The Denmark-based organization, which represents about 1,000 ship owners, called for IMO member states to ensure their national legislation addresses such crimes.