The piracy issue is inflicting major losses upon international shipping, according to Mathias Gunther, company security officer (CSO) of German containership operator Hamburg Sűd. “On routes passing through the high-risk region near the Gulf of Aden, the costs of securing ships are immense,” he said. Ranking the most hazardous sea regions, Günther did not hesitate to put the Gulf of Aden and the entire Somali coast, including a major portion of the Indian Ocean, at the top of the list, followed by Western Africa. This assessment is consistent with investigations undertaken by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). By July 29 of this year, the IMB’s pirate attack count was as high as 189.
