NEW YORK, May 18 (UPI) -- U.S. company At-Risk announced plans for a new security offering to address concerns about the escalating threat of piracy off the coast of Somalia.
At-Risk Protection & Investigations announced the launch of a new maritime security service that places security personnel on commercial vessels to offer protection against pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
The growing threat of piracy off the coast of Somalia has gained international attention because of the slowing of international commerce through Egypt's vital Suez Canal and the millions of dollars paid in ransom.
A recent report from the International Maritime Bureau found piracy attacks off the Somali coast since January have surpassed the number for all of 2008. The Piracy Reporting Center at IMB has documented 114 attempted attacks -- including 29 successful hijackings -- in 2009, compared with 111 piracy incidents in 2008.
According to a news release, At-Risk, a high-threat protective services, investigations and consulting company, said the new security personnel service is a move to offer counter-piracy crews "training ranging from non-lethal hostile boarding deterrence measures to hostage endurance and survival techniques."
