THE BRITISH shipping union, Numast, has expressed its concern at the rise in piracy attacks in African waters and says there are particular problems in Tanzania, Nigeria, Cote d'ivoire and Cameroon.

While the majority of piracy incidents recorded in the International Maritime Bureau's annual report for 2001 were in Asia, there was a worrying increase in Africa waters. The waters off the coast of Somalia are regarded as particularly dangerous.

Although Tanzania does not have a reputation for violent piracy incidents, there is now said to be a considerable problem with stealing and stowaways, a problem that Mombasa is also believed to suffer from.

However, last week, Lloyd's List reported that there had been a considerable turnaround in the Kenya Ports Authority's battle against crime in the port of Mombasa.

In a special focus on the East African region, the internationally respected shipping newspaper said that cargo security at the port had been a huge problem in the past. Theft of cars was a particular problem, the report said, with as many as 1,000 vehicles said to have "disappeared" on one occasion.

Now Lloyds List reports that KPA has intensified its surveillance at the port and has cracked down on thieves. A much heralded case last year was the bringing of six policemen, three forwarding agents and a KPA employee to court on theft charges.

"The fact that (these people) were apprehended and charged as well as their identity cards made known is a move towards transparency which had been so lacking in the KPA in years gone by," the report said.

Regular patrols are made by security staff at the port and there is strict control of port passes with entry forbidden to any shed by anyone other than KPA officials.

Worldwide, the IMB reported a welcome fall in the number of piracy incidents to 335 last year, although the number of violent attacks against seafarers rose to 73.

In addition, 21 seafarers or passengers were killed last year and 210 taken hostage including a number off the coast of Somalia. Many within the maritime profession regard these figures as too low and insist that some incidents are not reported.

Statistics show that the vast majority of successful piracy incidents took place while the ships were berthed or at anchor, and the IMB has reiterated its call for strict anti-piracy watches to be maintained at all time in high risk areas.

The worst area for piracy continues to be off the coast of Indonesia with 27 per cent of all piracy attacks last year. The government in Jakarta recently acknowledged that regional co-operation was the only way it could fight the scourge in its waters and the international sea lanes of the Malacca Straits.

Japan and Indonesia are to hold joint anti-piracy exercises and Tokyo has even offered to give Jakarta some of its older patrol boats. But Numast general secretary Brian Orrell said there was still too much complacency "within the shipping world over the issue."

"The vulnerability of merchant ships and their civilian crews must be taken seriously," he said.

"In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the United States, there is no longer any room for the sort of complacency that has characterised the industry's response to piracy over the past decade.

"It is deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable that seafarers are being exposed to an increased risk of violent attack. (The IMB) report shows the need for owners and authorities to get to grips with this problem."

Numast has also welcomed an International Maritime Organisation decision not to press ahead with controversial US plans for a worldwide seafarer ID card containing personal details and criminal records.

Washington had wanted the "smart card" introduced in a bid to improve maritime security in the wake of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

But the proposal to effectively vet seafarers was regarded as an infringement of civil liberties and unworkable.

Mr Orrell said that "not only would the proposals breach civil rights and national data protection laws, it would be wholly inappropriate for such information to be handled by flag states such as Liberia, Honduras, Cambodia and Burma."

However, tough new anti terrorism regulations are set to be introduced by the IMO by the end of the year, which will include an obligation on ports to carry out so-called vulnerability assessments.