THE director-general of Japan’s Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Shigeru Ito, has praised national legislators as two Japanese warships prepare to protect international shipping off Somalia from tomorrow.
New legislation, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law and the Sea, that enables the Japanese government to punish acts of piracy and protect ships regardless of their nationality, takes effect on July 24.
“Japan has dispatched two warships from the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force since March to protect commercial ships. Under the establishment of this new law, Japan can now fulfill its responsibility in anti-piracy acts as a member of the international community,” Mr Ito told Lloyd’s List.
Although Japan’s escort operation has up to now been limited to ships only related to Japan, this new legislation enables the government to protect vessels regardless of their nationalities from acts of piracy.
“Japan can fight piracy more appropriately and effectively by co-operating with other nations,” said Mr Ito.
“MSDF’s escort vessels Harusame and Amagiri left Japan on July 6 as the second contingent on escort duties for the anti-piracy operation,” he added.
On July 15 MLIT started pre-registration and escort application at the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, to be escorted in accordance with the new legislation.
The widening of Japan’s anti-piracy role to include international vessels came three days after the Pakistan Navy assumed command of combined task force 150 for the third time.
Rear Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah took over the control of the task force, which operates in the area around the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and Indian Ocean from French Navy Rear Admiral Alain Hinden.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Bahrain Admiral Hinden said: “Above all else we have taken a stand and shown that millions of square miles of ocean are not the property and playground of the smuggler, the pirate, the terrorist and the trafficker.
“We have shown, on the high seas, that in combination with our regional neighbours, we will make the effort, and bear the burden of enforcing the rule of international law of the seas, hundreds of miles from shore and thousands of miles from our home countries.”
Adm Zakaullah added: “In accordance with the policy of collaborative maritime security, Pakistan Navy, despite resource constraints, remains committed to play its role to realise the shared goal of regional stability and security.”
The task force is one of three operating in the Gulf of Aden that have been formed by Nato, the European Union and combined forces that together have more than 30 warships.
A meeting of the task force commanders on July 19 considered the development of new strategies and future plans to more effectively and efficiently track down suspected pirates and to protect sea lanes. No details of the new strategies have been released.
http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/japan-takes-on-full-escort-role/20017678433.htm;.5fa4e8cc80be35e2653c9f87d8b8be45bf6ba69a
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