'Piracy' killings alarm insurers

摘要

The use of armed guards on board vessels transiting areas of high piracy activity has been thrust back into the spotlight after the deaths of two Indian fishermen. Italian marines aboard the Naples-registered oil tanker Enrica Lexie allegedly opened fire when the fishermen's vessel approached the tanker in, apparently, international waters off the coast of India, killing two of the crew. As Fairplay went to press, two marines charged with killing the men were being processed in the courts in India. Neil Smith, head of underwriting at the Lloyd's Market Association, which represents marine underwriters in Lloyd's, said the killings highlighted why the London market has not been fully behind the use of guards. "Our view on the Indian incident is that, to an extent, it was inevitable and confirms our concerns that use of armed units is a double-edged sword."