Piracy report reveals extent of the problem

Piracy on the high seas is on the increase with last year’s staggering figures pointing to the highest level of piracy in six years. According to the ICC International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, a total of 496 incidents of piracy and armed robbery occurred in 2009. And with attacks more frequent and violent across the globe, experts are warning shipmasters and owners to be aware. The last time piracy figures crossed 400 incidents was in 2003. 2009 is also the third successive year in which the number of reported incidents has increased. There were 239 incidents in 2006, 263 in 2007 and 293 in 2008. A statement released by the IMB this week reveals that 153 vessels were boarded worldwide, while 49 were hijacked. There were 84 attempted attacks and 120 vessels fired upon compared to 46 ships fired upon in 2008. A total of 1052 crew were taken hostage, while 68 crew were injured in the various incidents and eight crew were killed. “The level of violence towards the crew has increased along with the number of crew injuries,” said IMB director, Captain Pottengal Mukundan. “We strongly urge all shipmasters and owners to report all incidents of actual and attempted piracy and armed robbery to our piracy centre. This is the first step in the response chain and vital in ensuring that adequate resources are allocated by governments in dealing with the problem.” Mukundan says while there has been a significant shift in the area of attacks off Somalia – a total of 111 vessels were targeted by Somali pirates resulting in 42 hijackings in 2008 – the number of incidents almost doubled in 2009. “The number of successful hijackings is however proportionately less and this can be directly attributed to the increased presence and coordination of the international navies along with heightened awareness and robust actions by the masters in transiting these waters.” A total of 28 incidents were reported for Nigeria in 2009. Vessels attacked included general cargo, bulk carriers, reefers and all types of tankers. The majority of the incidents were related to the oil industry, according to the report. “The Nigerian attacks are much more violent in nature than Somalia, localised with the capacity to attack vessels and installations from further from the coast. The incidence of violent attacks against ships has also spilled over into neighbouring states.” Other areas where piracy remains problematic is the South China Seas where 13 incidents were reported, while incidents in the Singapore Straits increased to nine attacks. Bangladesh and Indonesia also suffered at the hands of pirates. “There were also several incidents along the South American coast where countries affected are Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Haiti and Venezuela.”