Panama: ship protection measures against pirate attacks

The Panama Maritime Authority updated a Merchant Marine Circular MMC-230 regarding ship protection measures to pirates attacks.

The document was published on 01 February 2024.

This circular provides recommendatory measures for Panamanian-registered ships transiting through high-risk areas or areas where robberies and pirate attacks are taking place. The circular covers the following topics:

Description of High-Risk Areas (HRA): 

The HRA is an area within the UKMTO designated as the Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) where there is a higher risk of piracy.
Panamanian vessels must have their crew fully briefed and conduct a piracy drill before entering the HRA.
Panamanian flagged vessels are required to comply with LRIT (Long Range Identification and Tracking of Ships) and SSAS (Ship Security Alert System) regulations.

Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC): 

Panamanian flagged vessels are requested to use the IRTC, which includes separate eastbound and westbound transit lanes.
The IRTC is subject to changes, and updated information can be obtained from the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA).

Best Management Practices (BMP): 

Panamanian flagged vessels are required to implement the necessary security measures described in the latest edition of the BMP.
The implementation of BMP includes conducting trainings/drills with the crew, enhanced vigilance, use of monitoring/surveillance equipment, and other self-defense measures.

Security Measures in specific regions: 

West Africa - Gulf of Guinea (GoG): Panamanian flagged vessels transiting the GoG are encouraged to increase security measures and comply with security regulations recommended by Coastal and Port Authorities.
Nigerian waters: Armed guards are no longer allowed onboard merchant vessels in Nigerian waters, and vessels should comply with Nigerian Navy regulations.
Southern Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb: Guidance has been published for conducting threat assessments in this region, and ships are recommended to register with MSCHOA and UKMTO.

Reporting and Emergency Centers: 

Panamanian flagged vessels are encouraged to maintain communication with the administration and report incidents to the proper authorities and organizations.
Contact information for various reporting and emergency centers, such as IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, UKMTO, MSCHOA, NATO Shipping Centre, etc., is provided in the circular.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):