To BMP or not to BMP

Nazery Khalid, of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia, discusses the need for best management practices onboard merchant vessels in these times of high alert at sea

Piracy is a modern-day bane for seafarers and owners of merchant vessels. Pirate attacks have been particularly serious in the last five years. They have disrupted seaborne trade and cost shipowners significant sums to pay ransoms to pirates to release their hijacked crew and ships, Pirate attacks have also caused shippers and shipping companies higher premiums which have to be paid when transiting piracy-prone areas. Worst of all, they have led to injuries and fatalities to seafarers.