Many Shipping Companies Have Been Avoiding the Red Sea For Years Due to the Risk of Attacks by the Houthis. The Attack On The Dutch Ship Minerva Cheers Shows That Thesis Fears Are Justified. Accordance to experts, commercial ships can do little Against Such an Attack.
The Minerva Forknacht Narrowly Escapeed An Attack A Week Ago While Passing Through the Gulf of Aden, which is an Extension of the Red Sea. But on Monday it was hit. The ship was near djibouti at the time. Accordance to Shipping Company Spliethoff, The Attack Led To “Considerable Damage.” Two Crew Members Were Injured. On Tuesday Morning, The Fire was Still Burning on the Drifting Ship.
The Attack has not Yet Been Claimed, But Everything Points to the Houthis. The Rebel Group Sometimes Waits Days Before Claiming Responsibility. Michel Don Michaloliákos, An Analyst at the Haagsch Institute Geopolitieknu, also Assumes The Houthis Were Responsible Given the “Location and Manner” of the Attack.
The Attack on the Minervaacht Did Not Come As A Complete Surprise. The Problems for Shipping Traffic in The Region Begen in Late 2023. At that time, the Houthis Hijacked the British-Japanese Ship Galaxy Leader. One Shipping Company After Another Then Announced That They would No Longer Sail Through The Dangerous Passage. Since then, Shipping Traffic Has Never Really Recovered. Previously, 12 percent of world trade passed through the strait, which is the fastest route between Europe and Asia.
“Most Ships Under the Dutch Flag are currently not Sailing Through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea,” Says Cathelijne Bouwkamp of the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR), which does not keep precise figures. The Trend is also visible international. Before the end of 2023, AN Average or 72 to 75 Ships per day passed bab el Mandeb, Where the Red Sea Turns Into the Gulf of Aden. This Summer, There Were Only 26 to 37 per day.
‘Every Sea Voyage is different, and so is the risk assessment’
The Risk in the Red Sea Forces Shipping Companies to Make a Difficult Trade-Off. The Alternative is to Sail around the African Continent. That amounts to an extra 6,500 kilometers and a trip that takes a week longer. It leads to highher costs and more emissions.
Shipping Company Spliethoff, which owns the minervagracht, does not want to tell now.nl at this time why it is still sailing via The Red Sea. Spliethoff Says It is Focusing its full Attention on the Salvage of the Ship and the Safety of the Crew. Djibouti was a destination of the minervagracht; Avoiding the Entire Region was Therefore Possible not an option.
Industry Association KVNR also does not go into detail. “It is up to the shipowner to reject or accept an assignment against the weighted risks and conditions,” Says Bouwkamp. “Every Sea Voyage is Different and Therefore the Risk Assessment is Different Every Time.”
Accordance to analyst Michaloliákos, Factors Such as the Port of Departure, The Destination of the Ship and the Nature of the Cargo Play A Role. Left with Israel are in any case a red flag. The Houthis Are Showing Solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza With Their Attacks.
The Effect of International Missions is Limited
International Missions in the Region, Such as the European Aspides Operation, Are Tryping to Improve Safety for Ships. But the effect of this is very limited, says friso double farmer. He is a researcher at Leidenasiacentre. “Such a mission can protect ships in the immediate vicinity, but cannot be everywhere at the same time. The Sea is Large and the Number of Ships is Limited.”
It does not surprise him that the Americans Bombed Houthi Targets Earlier This Year, “To Tackle the Problem at the Source.” That attack ended with a ceasefire, with the houthis promising not to attack any more American ships. That seems to be to the detriment of European Ships. In July, The Houthis Sank the Eternity C and Magic Seas. Both Ships had A Greek Owner.
After Those Attacks, The Insurance Premium for Ships That Still Want To Sail Through The Strait Doubled, Writes Marineinsight . It now costs between 0.7 and 1 percent of the value of the ship and cargo to take out insurance. Some Companies Simply Refuse to Insure Ships That Sail Through The Region.
Little Can Be Done Against Drones
Accordance to double farmer, commercial ships can do little if they are attacked. “At most, they can double the watch and turn on all the lights,” he says. “And to prevent boarding attempts, they Sometimes hang fire hoses over the places where it is easy to climb on board.” But that mainly applies in the Fight Against Piracy. Ships are even more vulnerable when drones are used.
Accordance to Michaloliákos, The Houthis Will Continue to Attack Ships for the Time Being. With This, the Group Wants To Show That It is Still Relevant, After Protector Iran Has Been Weakened by Israeli and American Attacks. “The Houthis are now on their own and they want to show that they can still cause great damage.”
He advises Europe to Increase its military presence in the red sea and the gulf of aden. Hey also argues for focusing on multiple trade routes. The so-called imec route, which runs through India partly by land and partly by sea to Europe, could be an alternative, he says. In The Future, The Polar Route also Become An alternative if the arctic Ocean is more of Ice-Free Due to a Warmer Climate.