Maritime organization BIMCO has released an Automated Voyage Risk Assessment (AVRA) tool, which provides users with a ship and voyage specific preview of possible security threats throughout a proposed voyage.
This web-enabled and fully automated system has been developed in conjunction with the private security consultants Aegis and the International Maritime Bureau to assess the level of all sorts of non-navigational risk that need to be considered during the full extent of a voyage.
While concerns about piracy might be high on the present agenda, AVRA considers all other types of illegal activity that may be encountered, from the risk of stowaways, people or drug smuggling, to the level of crime and robbery in port and at anchor and the problems of corruption which may arise in some parts of the world.
According to BIMCO's Chief Maritime Security Officer Giles Noakes, nobody to date has produced a web-enabled and fully automated system that will provide such a range of useful guidance that will enable a BIMCO member to ascertain the level of risk a vessel is likely to encounter throughout a proposed voyage.
"[AVRA] goes far beyond the publicly available intelligence information that an owner has hitherto depended upon," Mr Noakes said.
"AVRA picks up all the hazards which may affect the safe prosecution of the voyage, and provides all the information that is needed to make proper judgements on all security issues," he said.
AVRA works by the user entering data including the name of the ship, its IMO number, flag and technical details, ship type, cargo, speed on passage, freeboard, number and nationality of master, officers and crew. It also takes into account existing security information or protective measures installed, such as CCTV, or Long Range Acoustic Devices.
Finally the user enters the voyage details, such as departure and arrival ports, and any intermediate stops, intended route, countries to be visited or passed in transit amongst other things into the Risk Engine, and an assessment of the risks likely to be encountered during the voyage is presented on the screen.