Despite a decline in global piracy incidents, the Gulf of Guinea has remained a hotbed for pirates over the past few years, with the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reporting an alarming increase in crew kidnappings across the Gulf.
According to the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre, there were 162 worldwide incidents of piracy, with a staggering 121 cases (90%) coming from the Gulf of Guinea. All four of the vessels hijacked in 2019 were taken in the Gulf, while 10 of 11 vessels that reported coming under fire were from West African waters.
However, most alarming for the IMB was the increase in the number of kidnapped crew members – rising by more than 50% from 78 in 2018 to 121 in 2019.
Michael Howlett, director of the IMB, said there needed to be better communication between seafarers and ships travelling through the region to address the issue.
“We remain concerned that this region has recorded an unprecedented rise in crew kidnaps. These latest statistics confirm the importance of increased information exchange and coordination between vessels, reporting and response agencies in the Gulf of Guinea region,” said Howlett. – Bjorn Vorster
