"Some 6,000 dollars (4,800 euros) a day would be a typical running cost estimate for a ship of a certain size," Arild Wegener, head of the security division at the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, said. The Cape of Good Hope detour adds between five and 15 days to a trip, depending on the port of departure, the destination and the ship's speed, slapping ship owners with massive extra costs. Still, the price to pay for a safer voyage is considerable. They will also be on higher alert for vessels carrying goods that are especially attractive for the pirates, such as oil," said a spokeswoman for insurance broker FP Marine Risks in Hong Kong. "The insurance companies may either refuse to cover the ships altogether or they will increase the additional premium. The stepped-up danger may soon translate into higher insurance payments, some experts say.
Other shipping companies like Bermuda-registered Frontline, which owns the world's largest fleet of oil tankers, have said they may soon follow suit if security in the waters off lawless Somalia is not rapidly improved.Īccording to the International Maritime Bureau, at least 94 vessels have been attacked off Somalia since January, of which 38 were captured. Over the past week, two major shipping industry players, Odfjell of Norway and AP Moeller-Maersk of Denmark, have announced that part or all of their fleets will from now on sail around South Africa's southern tip instead of through the pirate-infested Red Sea.
OSLO: Rising piracy in the Gulf of Aden has prompted some shipowners to change their routes to round the Cape of Good Hope instead, a detour considered somewhat less risky but also longer and more expensive.
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