By MarEx
Per Gullestrup, whose Danish‐operated ship was hijacked by Somali pirates for several
weeks, is to be joined this Thursday, January 23rd at a meeting in
London, by other shippers and government representatives, to discuss expanding
coordination across job-creating projects in coastal regions of Somalia,
including a fishing project he leads on the Somaliland coast.
Per Gullestrup is a Partner of the
Clipper Group, whose cargo ship CEC Future with 13 crew was
hijacked for 72 days by Somali pirates in 2008. He personally negotiated with
the pirates over several weeks to gain release of the vessel and crew. The
tense drama became the basis of a Danish film called “The Hijacking”.
In a notable turn of events, Per
Gullestrup is now chairman of a Somali‐Danish
project called Somaliland Fair Fishing (SFF), which is building a sustainable
fishing sector at the Somaliland port city of Berbera. Several shipping
companies and other organizations have donated fishing and storage equipment as
well as other services and funds which have helped SFF to build a fisheries
station in Berbera, complete with ice machines, cold-storage rooms and
processing facilities. “Our small project aims to
build up a viable alternative to criminal
coastal activities like piracy,” says Per
Gullestrup. “The solution to piracy lies onshore.”
By the end of last month, SFF‐sponsored fishermen were landing and
processing a ton of fish per day.
Other shipping companies have also
recognized the importance of supporting long‐term
solutions ashore, aimed at combating piracy at sea. In 2012, seven
international shipping corporations – BP, Maersk, Shell, Stena, and the
Japanese shipping companies NYK, MOL and “K”Line – jointly committed to
supporting alternative livelihoods and training programs in Somalia.
The initiatives also help the goals
of a maritime capacity strategy, developed by Somalia and Somaliland
authorities in 2013. In his report to the UN Security Council on the issue of
piracy in October 2013, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki‐moon, stated “I commend the development
of the Somalia/Somaliland Maritime Resources and
Security Strategy, which provides greater opportunities
for increased economic growth and stability
throughout the region”.
At the meeting in London, a group of
shipping companies, international organizations and government representatives,
along with Somali Fair Fishing and other not-for‐profit
bodies involved on the ground in Somaliland/Somalia, will come together to
discuss innovative strategies for enhancing public/private investments for
Somalia/Somaliland coastal development in partnership with the Somaliland and
Somali people.
Thursday’s meeting is being
organized by Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), a project of One Earth Future Foundation
(OEF).\
Source: maritime-executive.com
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