BIMCO endorses ?eye in the sky? on pirates

BIMCO endorses æeye in the skyÆ on pirates    BIMCO, a Denmark-based shipping association whose members control 65 percent of the world merchant fleet, has endorsed a new joint initiative of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore called 'Eye in the Sky,' which is aimed at combating piracy in the Malacca Strait.
   The new initiative adds aerial surveillance of the strait to a previous joint waterborne patrolling initiative begun in 2004.
   'BIMCO welcomes the initiative and appreciates the delicate nature of the coordinated fight against piracy for the three states involved, which includes issues relating to national sovereignty and territorial integrity between the three countries, as well as in relation to other governments,' BIMCO said in a statement.
   'Furthermore, the uneven distribution of attacks on merchant vessels, with the majority occurring in Indonesian waters, necessitates a will to extend and receive assistance between the three countries,' BIMCO said.
   The Joint War Committee of Lloyds has recently added the Malacca Strait to a list of areas where an increased risk for transiting ships is perceived to exist, BIMCO noted.