Industry campaign hits the big screen in battle against Somali piracy

News Release International Transport Federation (ITF) October 7, 2011

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Industry campaign
hits the big screen in battle against Somali piracy <?xml:namespace prefix = o
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05 October
2011<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
SOS
SaveOurSeafarers, a high profile, shipping industry anti- piracy campaign is
taking its message to celluloid with the launch of a short video highlighting
the human and economic cost of Somali piracy. <o:p></o:p>
The six-minute
video was launched this week at the Safety4Seainternational maritime security
conference in Athens and highlights the significant threat of Somali piracy
attacks for the worldwide seafarer community and potentially for world trade
itself. <o:p></o:p>
The video, which
is also being posted on YouTube, uses a mixture of hard-hitting real life
interviews, and the latest technology to create a “Hollywood style” action
sequence where a ship is captured and hostages taken. This is followed by some
hard-hitting thoughts from a former hostage, from the EUNAVFOR Chief of Staff,
and from a member of the SOS Steering Group. <o:p></o:p>
Commenting on the
launch of the video, Bill Box from SaveOurSeafarers, said: “Whilst recent
incidents such as the high-profile kidnappings of Judith Tebutt and Marie Dedieu have put the issue in the headlines, these two incidents
barely scrape the surface of this ongoing crisis.<o:p></o:p>
“Seafarers have been constantly under threat from Somali pirates for
the last five years, with at times more than 800 innocent seafarers being held
hostage for months on end in appalling conditions and facing mental and physical
torture at the hands of their captors. Piracy costs the global economy as much
as £12billion a year and continues to threaten key transport routes through the
Indian Ocean.”<o:p></o:p>
“The aim of our video is to take the campaign message to a wider
audience and to gain support outside as well as inside the maritime industry,
calling for more determined government  action against Somali
piracy.”<o:p></o:p>
The campaign,
launched in March this year,  is
made up of the largest ever grouping of international seafarers’ organisations, shipping companies and shipping industry
associations. It has already received backing from the British, Philippine and
Georgian governments and has seen support from 180 countries.
<o:p></o:p>
Full information
on the campaign and the video can be found at <A
href="http://www.saveourseafarers.com">www.saveourseafarers.com</A>
<o:p></o:p>
The video can also
be viewed by the following direct link: <o:p></o:p>
<A
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLqwVpPALz0&feature=channel_video_title">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLqwVpPALz0&feature=channel_video_title</A> <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
ENDS<o:p></o:p>
About SaveOurSeafarers<o:p></o:p>
<P
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class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst>·        
SaveOurseafarers was established in March 2011 and is calling for
unified action to raise awareness of the human and economic cost of
piracy<o:p></o:p>
<P
style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"
class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle>·        
A total of 3573 seafarers have been held hostage by armed gangs of
Somali pirates at some point between 2005 - 2010<o:p></o:p>
<P
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class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle>·        
Piracy costs the global economy up to$12bn a
year<o:p></o:p>
<P
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class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle>·        
90% of the world's food, fuel, raw materials and manufactured goods
are delivered by sea<o:p></o:p>
<P
style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"
class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle>·        
Our campaign has gained support across 180 countries worldwide.
<o:p></o:p>
·        
Supporting organisations include: <A
href="http://asianshipowners.org/" target=_blank>ASF
</A>(Asian Shipowners’ Forum), <A
href="https://www.bimco.org/" target=_blank>BIMCO</A> (international shipping association), <A
href="http://www.britanniapandi.com/">Britannia</A> (P&I insurance), <A
href="http://www.cefor.no/" target=_blank>CEFOR
</A>(Nordic Association of Marine Insurers), <A
href="https://www.warrisk.no/" target=_blank>DNK
</A>(Den Norske Krigsforsikring for Skib), <A
href="http://www.gard.no/" target=_blank>GARD
</A>(P&I insurance), <A
href="http://www.shippersvoice.com/" target=_blank>GSF
</A>(Global Shippers’ Forum), <A
href="http://www.imec.org.uk/" target=_blank>IMEC
</A>(Int’l Maritime Employers' Committee), <A
href="http://www.marisec.org/" target=_blank>ICS/ISF</A> (International Chamber of Shipping/International Shipping
Federation) <A href="http://www.icc-ccs.org/"
target=_blank>IMB
</A>(International Maritime Bureau), <A
href="http://www.imo.org" target=_blank>IMO
</A>(International Maritime Organization), <A
href="http://www.intercargo.org/" target=_blank>Intercargo
</A>(International Assoc’n of Dry Cargo Shipowners), <A href="http://www.intertanko.com/" target=_blank>INTERTANKO
</A>(Int’l Association of Independent Tanker Owners),  <A href="http://www.intermanager.org/" target=_blank>InterManager
</A>(International Ship Managers’ Association), <A href="http://www.igpandi.org/" target=_blank>IG
</A>(International Group of P&I Clubs), <A
href="http://www.ipta.org.uk/" target=_blank>IPTA
</A>(International Parcel Tanker Association), <A
href="http://www.itfglobal.org/" target=_blank>ITF
</A>(International Transport Workers’ Federation), <A href="http://www.iumi.com/" target=_blank>IUMI
</A>(International Union of Marine Insurance), <A
href="http://www.lmalloyds.com/" target=_blank>LMA
</A>(Lloyd’s Market Association),  <A
href="http://www.londonpandi.com/default.aspx">The
London</A> (P&I insurance), <A
href="http://www.nepia.com/home/">North
of England</A> (P&I insurance), <A
href="http://sigtto.re-invent.net/DNN/" target=_blank>SIGTTO
</A>(Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators),
<A href="http://www.standard-club.com/">The
Standard</A> (P&I insurance), UGS
(Union of Greek Shipowners), <A
href="http://www.british-shipping.org/" target=_blank>UK
Chamber of Shipping</A>, <A href="http://www.ukpandi.com/"
target=_blank>UK
P&I Club</A> (P&I insurance), <A
href="http://www.wista.net/">WISTA
UK</A> (Women's International Shipping & Trading Association),
<A href="http://www.worldshipping.org/"
target=_blank>WSC
</A>(World Shipping Council)<o:p></o:p>
<P
style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"
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Interviews with SOS spokespeople and hostages available on request.
<o:p></o:p>
For further
information, interviews and photography contact: <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
John Walding                      
 <o:p></o:p>
<A
href="mailto:john@rmspr.co.uk">john@rmspr.co.uk</A>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Rachael
Richards<o:p></o:p>
<A
href="mailto:rachael@rmspr.co.uk">rachael@rmspr.co.uk</A> <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
0161 927
3131<o:p></o:p></DIV></BODY></HTML>