AN ELECTRIC fence to surround a ship and deter pirates with a 9,000 volt pulse has been recommended as a defence against pirate boarders.

Endorsed by the International Maritime Bureau, the Secure-Ship Anti-Boarding System has been devised by Secure Marine in the Netherlands to provide a ship with non-lethal protection to deter boarding attempts.

The fence is easily assembled by the crew as the vessel approaches a problem area, and if the fence is tampered with an alarm will sound, activating floodlights and a very loud siren.

The fence is easily collapsed when it is no longer required, while quick release gates are provided for legitimate boarders such as pilots. A smart remote control system permits complete control of the system without wiring.

The IMB recommends the system as “the most effective answer in preventing unauthorised boarding of vessels in respect of vessels carrying non-flammable cargoes”.

The latest report by the IMB on piracy and armed robbery from ships contains gloomy news for mariners, with reported attacks showing an increase from 253 in 2001 to 271 for the corresponding period during this year.

The report shows a worrying increase in the incidence of hijackings , described by Captain P Mukundan, director of the ICC International Maritime Bureau as “serious and violent attacks, done by organised crime groups”.

The third quarter has seen a new trend emerging in Indonesian waters, which with 72 reported incidents during the year remain the most dangerous in the world. Pirates in these waters have been recently hijacking tugs towing barges laden with valuable cargo such as palm oil.

The report suggests that a determined and ruthless gang is responsible for these outrages, with one recent event seeing 18 crew members thrown overside from a tug by armed pirates.

Although the number of crew killed by pirates fell to six from the nine murdered last year, the figures show an increased use of weapons during attacks. After Indonesia, Bangladeshi waters have become notably more hazardous and the report repeats its warnings about the threat to shipping posed by armed militia off the Somalia coast.

Any vessel which slows down or stops close to the Somali coast will be boarded, states the report.