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GULF OF GUINEA COOPERATION AREA

 

Guidelines GoG: BMP WA

BIMCO Guidelines on Citadels: BIMCO Guidelines on CItadels 

 

Due to the increasing piracy activity in the Gulf of Guinea, and as an answer to the call made by the United Nations Security Council to the memberstates to provide advice on the protective measures and evasion techniques to be used by their own flag ships while transiting through it (UNSCR 2018), the Spanish Navy has established a NCAGS (Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping) within its Maritime Surveillance and Operations Centre (COVAM)  in Cartagena. This cell monitors permanantly the pirate's activity within the area bounded by parallels 12º 00' N and 10º 00' S, meridian 020º 00' W and the African Coast.

Services provided by the cooperation cell.

The COVAM compiles all  information available on the activity of pirate groups within such area, issuing warnings and providing security information for all those vessels of Spanish national interest which voluntarily join the cooperation system.

Directions to those ships wishing to join the cooperation system.

1. All Spanish flag ships planning to transit the aforementioned area are encouraged to join the cooperation system, by sending and receiving information to the COVAM on the security situation in the area. Whilst the cooperation is purely voluntary, all ships are invited to use this system, which has been established to improve their security in an area where pirate activity has increased significantly along the past months.

2. To do so, they must download the Format ALFA form and fill-in the MS Excel spreadsheet which is accessible from the link below.

Once completed, the file must be e-mailed to:  at least 24 hours before entering the area.

DOWNLOAD FORMAT ALFA (MS EXCEL FORMAT):  Format ALFA in Excel format

Once completed, the file must be e-mailed to:  .

Please enter the following text as subject for the e-mail: Format ALFA Gulf of Guinea.

3. Upon receiving the Format ALFA, the COVAM will:

a. Contact the sender, providing him with a series of general security recommendations regarding his transit..

b. Send him a weekly summary of the pirate activity in the area.

c. Monitor the movements of the ship along her transit and, if applicable, send alerts whenever there is any evidence of an incident that may affect the vessel´s security.