We Are Tomodachi Autumn / Winter 2017

24/38

24beneficial expertise and experiences.”The activity which Kuroki considers to be of the utmost importance is the sharing of information. In this process, the locations of piracy incidents are quantified per country, port and maritime area, and the incidents are categorized from 1 to 4 according to severity. The information is shared among contracting parties and shipping companies through various measures such as alerts on an ad hoc basis and periodical reports. “There are different levels of piracy and armed robbery against ships, including serious organized crime like abductions of crew as well as offenses like theft from anchored vessels. In order to develop countermeasures, it is crucial to grasp trends such as incidents of what level are common in which ReCAAP Ensures the Safety of Asian WatersJust as crime on land will never go away, piracy and armed robbery against ships at sea are still serious problems in the modern era. Asian waters used to have an estimated 100 to 150 incidents per year, but in 1999 that number reached 211 and surged to 353 cases in 2000, turning into a grave threat not only in terms of safety, but also economically. Japanese sailors were being put in mortal danger and ships of other nations were frequently victimized as well. In order to change this situation, Japan worked with other Asian nations to make a new legal framework, the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP). An Information Sharing Centre (ISC) was set up in Singapore and began operating in 2006.ReCAAP ISC is mainly active in three areas, as explained by Executive Director Masafumi Kuroki: “The first is the timely and accurate sharing of information among countries that are ReCAAP contracting parties whenever an incident occurs. The second is the improvement of contracting parties’ maritime law enforcement capabilities. The third is the engagement with other international organizations and shipping associations to share mutually In cooperation with ReCAAP and as part of its counter-piracy measures, the Japanese government dispatches Coast Guard patrol vessels and aircraft to coastal nations mainly in Southeast Asia, exchanges perspectives and information with relevant agencies, and conducts anti-piracy training and coordinated maritime exercises. The photo shows law enforcement training exercises using a high-speed rubber raft being conducted for Philippine Coast Guard personnel (a patrol vessel provided to the Philippine Coast Guard by Japan is visible in the background). Masafumi KurokiExecutive Director, ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre