What are the security concerns and potential threats to oil tankers navigating in narrow straits?
IMO Secretary-General Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos has stressed the importance of ensuring that strategically important international shipping lanes are protected from the threat of terrorism and remain open for trade at all times and has emphasized the need to ensure that shipping lanes, particularly those of strategic significance and importance, are kept open under all circumstances. Maritime security experts have identified a number of scenarios: loaded oil tankers could well be hijacked and grounded at environmentally sensitive sea areas to cause pollution or run aground intentionally in narrow channels to block navigation channels. In addition, loaded oil tankers could be used as potential incendiary devices by terrorists near ports and large anchorage areas. SOLAS regulation XI-2/7 relating to threats to ships at sea requires littoral States to advise the ships concerned and their flag State of the current security level; of any security measures that should be put in place by the
